Product Details

• Actors: Anthony Clarke, Andrew Weil, Karen Aleay, Eugene Collins, John Stahl
• Directors: Anthony Clarke
• Producers: Anthony Clarke, Arvind Condon, Rohan Fisher
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Vanguard Cinema
• VHS Release Date: August 14, 2001
• Run Time: 73 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304903073
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #426,604 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Making a hemp advocacy documentary is an uphill cinematic battle because of the unintentional humor that surfaces. It is difficult to keep a straight face when you're told that hemp can be used to build "anything from a 2x4 to the body of a stealth jet bomber"; or how hemp packaging would allow you to "eat the container for dessert" in fast-food joints; or that commercial hemp could be "the greatest economic engine in the history of the human race." Of course, the truth is that these assertions are perfectly legitimate. Unfortunately, hemp has become so marginalized in our society that the myriad benefits of the substance appear as ridiculous pipe dreams, when in fact they are achievable realities.

Australian producer-director Anthony Clarke does a commendable job in researching and outlining hemp's numerous strengths. He loosely divides his work into six sections--hemp for paper, textiles, fuel, medicine, and "inspiration" and the U.S. government's role in squelching all of these uses--supplying substantial and convincing evidence throughout. Clarke also puts hemp in its proper historical context and examines the combination of dubious forces--DuPont, Hearst, racist groups, and a commissioner of narcotics named Harry Anslinger, who had time (and idle employees) on his hands because of the repeal of prohibition--that led to hemp's criminalization in 1938. Clarke talks with a range of people to illustrate his points, from well-known authorities such as Dr. Lester Grinspoon and Dr. Andrew Weil to the head of the Netherlands' drug policy to Everyman hemp-seed chefs and hemp outfitters.

In a few spots, the less-than-elegant production--visible in the hemp fashion montage, the cheap semi-psychedelic visual effects, the noodling musical interludes, and the slow-motion shots of the big, bad cops--weakens the film's impact. Yet overall, Clarke offers a comprehensive, fact-filled, often touching statement that vividly identifies the villains (pharmaceutical, petrochemical, and logging industries; the federal government) and the victims (farmers, patients, people). --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars End the lies about cannabis!, October 15, 2000

By 

Colin D. Donoghue (New Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hemp Revolution [VHS] (VHS Tape)

If I could only recommend one video ever again this would be it. This video clearly explains the truth about the cannabis plant. It includes the history of cannabis prohibition (how and why it began), the plants many extremely beneficial uses (paper, fuel, medicine, food, pesticide-free clothing...) that can save our environment from the destruction caused by industries that care more about profit then the effects of their actions. This very well made documentary clearly shows how cannabis can end all pollution as we know it, deforestation, feed the starving, and heal the sick from many different fatal diseases and ailments. And for consumption it is one of the safest substances know to man, the stories of brain damage, addiction,etc. are a continuation of the lies that began with the "reefer madness" propaganda at the beginning of prohibition in the 1930's. This video contains the information that has been suppressed by the petroleum oil, logging, and pharmaceutical industries and our federal government, who have become economically bound to these companies that would lose billions in profit or even collapse if this plant was free to be used again. You don't believe it? Watch this video, research the facts, and then decide for yourself. . Lend this video to everyone you know and speak out against the lies that continue to be told to our children.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The War on Hemp., January 29, 2005

By 

Bernard Chapin "Ora Et Labora!" (CHICAGO! USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hemp Revolution (DVD)

This was an inspiring documentary as it unearths many of the prevalent lies about marijuana and the non-THC containing hemp plant. I will admit though that the quality of this documentary really is not worth four stars, as the soundtrack is embarrassing and the footage is technically pretty weak, but its central thesis is irrefutable because hemp, and marijuana, have been unfairly and irrationally vilified by the United States government. Marijuana should be de-criminalized at once or, at the very least, moved down to a Schedule II narcotic (just as the drug derived from the plant, Marinol, is). Mr. Clarke's thorough depiction of hemp as a plant possessing wideranging uses and application was quite valuable. Here, the director did not rely on emotion alone but presented logical arguments for the way in which hemp is a superior, and sustainable, way to produce paper in the twenty-first century. Not making use of the non-THC containing hemp plant is ridiculous and it's just another reason why we should downsize the DEA. Hemp is easy to grow in any climate and we now need a leader with a bit of courage to stand up to the technocrats who infest our government. "Hemp Revolution" is a much needed work. I just wish more people saw it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hemp Hemp Hooray!, October 31, 2009

By 

H. Nicol "Masala Man" (St. Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: HEMP REVOLUTION - Format: [DVD Movie] (DVD)

I would recommend this film for those viewers who are curious about hemp/cannabis and have little knowledge of the plant's history over the last 5,000 years in various cultures. The strong points of the film are the numerous examples of hemp's multiple uses: industrial, medicinal and recreational. The examples of hemp's potential as a replacement for petrochemicals in the field of fuel, lubricants and plastics; the inherent superior qualities of hemp used for paper and textiles which could supercede the environmental disasterous wood pulp and cotton industries used for paper and textiles. In addition, the health benefits of hemp seeds and medicinal cannabis/hemp are convincingly illustrated. The negative qualities of the DVD are it's cheesy psychedlic sequences and the maudlin music background. The section devoted to the history of prohibition, with the histrionic 'reefer madness" lies and the industrial espionage used by Hearst to bamboozle the federal legislature into banning hemp along with marijuana in 1937 is well worth watching. Not a classic source of facts, but a decent primer.