Weed the People

Name: Weed the People
Director: Abby Epstein
Released: 2018

Abby Epstein 2018

“Weed the People” (2018) is a documentary on Cannabis, Cancer, and Government Regulations. Cannabis has been off-limits to doctors and medical researchers in the US for the past 80 years, but recently scientists have discovered its anti-cancer properties. Armed with only these laboratory studies, desperate parents obtain cannabis oil from underground sources to save their children from childhood cancers. “Weed the People” follows these families through uncharted waters as they take their children’s survival into their own hands. Some of their miraculous outcomes beget the unsettling question at the heart of the film: If weed is truly saving lives, why doesn’t the government want people to access it?

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Running Time:

97 min.

Spoken Languages:

English

Subtitles:

English

Directors:

Abby Epstein

Producers:

Ricki Lake, James Costa, Abby Epstein, Sol Tryon, Giancarlo Canavesio, Christian Evans

Cinematographers:

Clare Major, Paulo Netto, Richard Pearce, Jenna Rosher

Editors:

Mollie Goldstein, Kristen Nutile, Christopher Seward

Production Companies:

BOBB Films

Press

TheHollywoodTimes.today

Weed the People succeeds in pounding a drum that is loud enough for the deafest of ears to hear the plea for the plight of the little ones who suffer or go unseen – unless, fortunate enough to have a parent/parents with resources.
This documentary forces us to examine what we might do if our child were given a death sentence and the only option directed by a physician were outdated treatment plans.

E.M. Fredric
Movie Nation

Roger Moore’s 3 out of 4 stars review : “...it brilliantly rebrands a fight that is very blue state/red state hit-or-miss in a deeply divided America. That unkempt college kid standing outside your polling place, pleading for legalized marijuana, isn’t going to convince many.
That mother holding her cancer-ridden baby, comforting her dying teen or weeping with joy at the life “the demon weed” gave her child will.”

Roger Moore
Bustle

Weed the People will challenge everything you knew about medical marijuana.

Casey Cipriani
CBS NEWS

Yet, even as medical use of marijuana becomes more widespread, "Weed the People" sheds light on the everyday struggles of some families who risk legal implications to save their children's lives.
(Reena Ninan’s interview with Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake pegged to the film)

Brandi Kellam
LA Times

Weed the People is director Abby Epstein and executive producer Ricki Lake’s timely and compelling documentary about using cannabis oil as an alternative medicine for children with cancer.

Kimber Myers
Salon.com

Gary M. Kramer’s interview with Ricki Lake pegged to the film ran with artwork

Gary Kramer
ROMPER

Lauren Cox’s interview with Ricki Lake pegged to the film ran with artwork and the trailer

Lauren Cox
Kaplan VS Kaplan

“WEED THE PEOPLE, a documentary by filmmakers Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake, is a shockingly informative expose of the medical uses for cannabis, better known as marijuana.”

Jeanne Kaplan
Red Carpet Crash

“Weed the People is an excellent documentary. It is entertaining, educational and moving.”

James Lindorf
Time.com

“More research is needed to learn about the potential effects and limitations of cannabis-derived medicines for both adult and pediatric cancers. As the families and experts in Weed the People see it, this lack of evidence is precisely the problem — and it’s exacerbated by current regulations around medical marijuana.”

Jamie Ducharme

Festival Participation

SXSW - 2018
Grand Jury Award Nominee
SXSW - 2018
Chicken & Egg Award Nominee
Nashville Film Festival - 2018
Audience Award Winner
Nashville Film Festival - 2018
Best Documentary Feature Nominee
Mill Valley Film Festival - 2018
Heartland Film Festival - 2018
Rocky Mountain Women’s Festival - 2018
Spirit Film Festival - 2018

Additional Materials

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