The Culture High Film Analysis

The film, “The Culture High” by director Brett Harvey, approaches the legalization of marijuana in the US, and its cultural implications in our politics, media, and society as a whole. Though it should be based on fact, it is currently a debate of interpretation and personal opinion. This documentary investigates many different aspects of the movement, from the medical field to the prison systems. In order to convey its message, the film points out the many fallacies in the current laws and beliefs surrounding marijuana. The film also gives good reason as to why it should be legal, pointing out the many medical and economic benefits that could come with the drugs legalization. Using the rhetorical appeals in its arguments and pointing out the

Firstly, many of the speakers in the film take away from the medical and professional credibility of the project. As Variety reports, “The scores of talking heads range from insightful (former Baltimore police detective and “The Wire” co-creator Ed Burns) to kooky (author Howard Bloom) to totally far out (charming former international pot smuggler Howard Marks), with a few gratuitous celebs (Snoop Dogg, Richard Branson, rant-happy comedian Joe Rogan) on hand simply to lend name value to the promotional campaign.” (Berkshire) While there are many professional opinions at hand in this film, many viewers will not take these other unqualified speakers’ opinions seriously, and therefore will not take the film seriously as a whole. Selecting representatives who are qualified, professional, educated, and ultimately reliable would improve the credibility, and therefore the success of the film. Likewise, many people would argue that some clips, such as the one about Jayden, the boy with the seizures, are too specific and overly emotional to be used as a reference for our entire country. The subject of marijuana legalization in America is far too big of an issue to be decided based upon the medical conditions of one young child. This is a very common fallacy in arguments, as a nation-wide problem is often scaled down to a far too simple scenario. Despite these few fallacies, “The Culture High” delivers a message to its audience that marijuana should be legalized for recreational use in