If you need a quick, straight-to-the-point production detailing the history of cannabis in America, check out the new video short produced by MedMen.
MedMen is a publicly traded cannabis company operating out of California, Nevada, New York, and Florida. They own 19 licensed cannabis facilities specializing in cultivation, manufacturing, and retail. Their recent video, titled “The New Normal”, was directed by stars Spike Jonze and Jesse Williams.
It’s the first time that such a prominent cannabis company has clearly acknowledged certain aspects of the cannabis industry such as the age of prohibition, how it has affected various communities, current politics, and where the industry should be heading.
The two-minute short begins with a museum diorama design coming to life, which features George Washington holding a large cannabis leaf. The camera pans to different freeze frames detailing the darker side of cannabis history. This includes where prohibition came from, “stop and frisk” by police, severe court sentences, and a man directing Reefer Madness (an anti-cannabis propaganda film from the 1930s).
All this leads into the more favorable side of the cannabis industry when Williams asks, “Madness? How about wellness?” The shots shift from abysmal to optimistic, focusing on health benefits, business opportunities, and mainstream normalization.
Although the video ends on a positive note, the reality is that we still have a long way to go before cannabis truly is “The New Normal”. People are still prohibited from freely using it as medicine, businesses face many challenges that aren’t an issue in other industries, and citizens are still being arrested for possession all over the country.
David Dancer, Chief Marketing Officer for Medmen says that “The New Normal” will remain on the company’s YouTube channel for now. They will be advertising in movie theaters throughout California, Michigan, and Nevada, plus Sirius XM and other radio and podcast stations.
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