Taking a gander at law abiding citizens smoking pot in Denver, the film Rolling Papers transports you into the heart of the Rockies for an in depth tour of Amendment 64. The documentary features the growing, harvesting, production and sales of weed and oh, the smoking of the mind expanding recreational drug as well. Yes I did say recreational. While most states are clamoring for the medical value of smoking marijuana, Colorado has determined it’s as safe as alcohol. And it makes the State very rich from the sales tax. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves because there’s as much documentary as comedy in the wacky film.
Its January 1, 2014 the first day for sales of the stinky weed and people are lined up for blocks to get their pouch. It may be snowing and very cold, but that’s not a deterrent to these folks, because it’s been a long wait to smoke a joint and not be arrested for it. Sure some are purchasing the marijuana for their pain and the “healing” effects of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
According to Livescience.com “THC is the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects. It acts much like the cannabinoid chemicals made naturally by the body, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Cannabinoid receptors are concentrated in certain areas of the brain associated with thinking, memory, pleasure, coordination and time perception. THC attaches to these receptors and activates them and affects a person’s memory, pleasure, movements, thinking, concentration, coordination, and sensory and time perception, according to NIDA”. You know, somewhat like alcohol.
For many years marijuana has been an underground recreational drug, but it was put on the National Illegal Drug List, and is actually still enforced by Federal Law. But, not in Colorado where they even have a Marijuana Editor, Ricardo Baca, who writes a daily column for The Denver Post. Widely read the columns feature critics that actually test the weed for quality. The editor of the Denver Post, Greg Moore, is loving the attention the newspaper has been getting. In fact circulation is up when fast fading newspapers across the country and closing down.
Here’s what one of the Post’s pot critics, Ry Pritchard has to say about one of his samplings. “Ghost Train Haze… I give it kind of an overview. Then I just roll it up. This one has a nice smell. It has a very apparent smell. I love it when I can squeeze a bud between my fingers and it breaks up. (He rolls the cigarette and licks the paper then lights up. He takes a drag and smacks his lips together). This is a first good hit. I look at the way it burns. The way the ash looks. A light telltale sign of residual nutrients that are left in it. (He has smoked it down about 1/4 of the way). At this point if it doesn’t taste like shit, like actual shit, then it’s pretty good. I could have stopped the review there, but I try to get the dosage kind of fairly consistent. (He smokes the joint all the way down). So I try to get them all the same and smoke them all the way down. I have to pay attention to what my body’s doing, pay attention to my mental state. I can feel like an invigorating sort of buzzing throughout my body”,
The marijuana industry has grown leaps and bounds. They have special “factories” to grow large amounts that are packed and sealed for delivery to many outlets. The drug is being distributed in many forms besides smoking, from candy to bake goods and other creative ways. Business has far outpaced what was expected and some people who can’t afford the product are growing their own.
There are a vast number of varieties of the stinky weed (called that because at one time in the process it smells a lot like urine, according to the film). Some of the labels are: Tahoe O.G. (Your guess is as good as mine what O.G. stands for “Oh God”), Pineapple Express (Is it named for the flavor or the prickly leaves of the fruit?), Ghost Train Haze (Did it get it’s label because one walks around in a fog after smoking it?), Death Panda (I’m not even going to go there), Shatter (This may be named for the car wreck that may result for over indulgence of the weed? Just saying) and even Paraguayan Piss (Pot Editor Ricardo Baca had to travel all the way to Uruguay, S.A. to test that one.) to name a few featured in the film.
You really have to see the documentary to get the real buzz for which it was made. After all the stinky weed may be coming to a State near you. There are many things I didn’t cover including the downsides, publicity generated, and a female pot critic with a 4-year-old child, and much more material that’s in the film.
Rolling Papers has not been rated by the MPAA but contains drug use, scenes of some violence, and language.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A puff piece for a State that wanted to be first in having fun with the stinky weed. (B)
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Ricardo Baca
Directed and Written by: Mitch Dickman
Genre: Documentary, Comedy, News
MPAA Rating: NR
Running Time: 1 hr. 19 min.
Release Date: February 19, 2016
Distributed by: Alchemy
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
