Children helped by Medical Marijuana. A new documentary which features the advantages of medicinal marijuana concentrates on children who have been successfully treated with cannabis. According to director Abby Esptein’s statement to CBS News, the producers of the film are willing to “remove the stigma” connected to the drug. Epstein and producer Ricki Lake had a conversation with CBSN’s Reena Ninan about the children presented in their new documentary, “Weed the People.”
Epstein stated that the film features babies who are going through chemo and we can see how much medicine is saving the lives of children this medicine. Parents are also crediting the drug for its outstanding benefits.
“Weed the People” illustrates the hardships families overcome when struggling to gain access to cannabis treatments for their children diagnosed with cancer.
Medical marijuana advocates were pleased when the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency recently decided to reduce restrictions on Epidiolex — a drug approved by the FDA which is derived from marijuana to aid in the treatment of epilepsy. However, although the use of medical marijuana continues to grow, “Weed the People” focuses on the hardships of some families who break the law to save their children’s lives.
Lake mentioned critics who defy whether medical marijuana or cannabis-derived drugs can be a helpful alternative for these families.
Lake stated that people had been influenced to believe that the cannabis plant lacks medicinal values. She also said that there is currently an epilepsy drug which has been approved by the FDA approved. Lake believes that the public should be sensitized about the benefits of marijuana and how the drug was used as a medicine for centuries.
According to Lake, the project began both with her late husband and a 7-year-old girl who contacted her when she was still a participant on “Dancing With the Stars.” Lake contacted Epstein to inform her that she was taking the girl to see a doctor about medical marijuana, and Epstein told her to make a documentary about it.
For the past five years, Lake and Epstein have put efforts on the film; Lake said that this is the right moment to release the documentary in theaters.
Lake believes that this film will give the public an opportunity to understand the benefits and history of the cannabis plant.
Lake and Epstein believe that this project will improve the public’s knowledge of medical marijuana – and help to solve the current opioid crisis in the U.S.
Epstein hopes that this film will change the minds of marijuana critics who don’t seem to understand what the plant looks like.
The documentary represents families who want to use medical marijuana rather than prescription drugs. The film has the potential to convince skeptical viewers about the therapeutic benefits of marijuana. However, Lake said the film is mostly focused on creating more awareness of treatment options instead of convincing viewers to start smoking pot.
Lake said the purpose of her movies is to educate users on their choices. Lake finally added that she doesn’t want people to think in the same way but wants to improve people’s knowledge of something and for people to be able to make the right decisions on the drug that’s best for them and their bodies.
