4 Movies That Sparked the Cannabis Revolution
If you asked American cannabis advocates where legalization began, most would say it’s directly tied to the positive portrayal of cannabis in popular culture. After all, what better way to normalize cannabis use than through movies where characters smoke weed for health or fun?
Over the past 85 years, countless films have referenced cannabis, each influencing the conversation about its acceptability in some way. Watching them all would be a challenge, so we’ve narrowed it down to four of the most revolutionary, outrageous, iconic, and beloved movies.
Reefer Madness (1936)
The first film worth mentioning is Reefer Madness. In Russia and neighboring countries, it’s known as “Kozyakovoe Bezumie” or “Smoked Brains.” This movie, presented in a hilariously absurd pseudo-documentary style, reflects some of the stereotypes about cannabis popular in the 1930s: that its effects supposedly drive people to aggression and irreversible insanity. According to the plot, anyone who gets involved with cannabis—either as a user or by association—ends up dead, in jail, or in a mental institution.
Ironically, the film was commissioned by a small church group to discourage youth from smoking “reefer” (slang for joints). Instead, it became one of the most revolutionary cannabis films of all time. The current progress toward cannabis legalization in the U.S. owes much to Reefer Madness, whose ridiculousness undermined anti-drug propaganda for generations of Americans.
Easy Rider (1969)
Next on our list is the adventure drama Easy Rider, directed by Dennis Hopper at the dawn of auteur cinema. Before this film, Hopper was known only as an actor, but Easy Rider marked his directorial debut, and he went on to make six more films.
The movie follows two biker-hippies, Wyatt and Billy, who use money from smuggling Mexican drugs to search for freedom in Louisiana. However, the further they travel from their native California, the more their ideas about democracy, freedom, and tolerance are shattered.
Throughout the film, there are several scenes involving LSD, cocaine, and cannabis use—a bold move by the director. What’s even bolder is that Hopper allowed the actors to smoke real cannabis on set, which was unheard of at the time.
Up in Smoke (1978)
Moving on, we can’t forget the legendary comedy series Up in Smoke starring the duo Cheech and Chong. By the time the film was released, cannabis had already been decriminalized in five states, but that didn’t make it any less revolutionary. You don’t have to be a hippie, love rock and roll, or smoke joints the size of hot dogs to enjoy the simple comedic situations the characters constantly find themselves in.
The plot is crafted so that it’s easy to sympathize with the protagonists. Perhaps some conservative viewers even reconsidered their attitudes toward cannabis users after watching.
Dazed and Confused (1993)
We’ll wrap up this list with Dazed and Confused—a teen comedy featuring a young Matthew McConaughey and Milla Jovovich. The film tells a simple story about a group of teenagers celebrating their last day of high school with all the hallmarks of the wild ’70s: sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Cannabis is the most frequently featured substance. In the opening scenes, one of the graduates rolls a joint in a car, while her classmates smoke either outside the school or even in class.
Dazed and Confused shares something with Reefer Madness: both films focus on teenagers. However, while the old propaganda film only pretended to be a documentary, the newer movie offers a retrospective that’s believable and sure to evoke nostalgia.