The Union: The Business Behind Getting High (2007)

I was on the edge of my seat the entire documentary. Incredibly well-made, enjoyed the fast pace & entertaining snippets. Loaded with both fun and infuriating facts. Prior to watching this movie, I was already pro-legalization, although a few short years ago I thought marijuana was a very bad drug indeed. I have never tried weed in my life and have little interest in it. However, this documentary really got to me because of the whole governmental conspiracy element, on both Canadian and American fronts. I doubt we will see marijuana legalized or even decriminalized in either Canada or the U.S. in the next decade, ESPECIALLY after seeing this movie!Must-see! You will never forget it.

I really, honestly believe about 90% of the facts quoted in this movie, however, the reason it grated on my senses was due to the background music. It seemed that no matter what topic was being discussed the music that accompanied the topic was some form of synthesized keyboard repetitive "melody" (not really melodic, just annoying repetition of a few notes) that seemed to have been performed by a bored eight-grader using a home computer.I believe the visual production quality was at least as high as most modern documentaries so I cannot understand what happened with the music, only that it may have been an afterthought. My advice: if the music becomes an afterthought then make it nonexistent. I would have preferred to listen to my own chewing sounds, some street traffic or quiet computer hum, rather than an electronic da da da da, over and over while some narrator droned on about how bad everything but marijuana is, which is really true, I believe...just not with that "music".This brings me to the other point of this production: where did you dig up that mock fifties-style narrator? Why parody the thing you hate with the thing you hate? I was so bored listening to those high school documentaries that I nearly always fell asleep in class, and God forbid it would be a warm day - no escaping a classroom snooze. Perhaps some less sanctimony would be appropriate in this type of factual information documentary.

Recently, we have seen a slew of great documentaries bring important issues to our attention. They are good at giving you the facts, and helping you to question why nothing is done about this. The Union is no exception. It has to be one of the most eye-opening films that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. What it boils down to is how much the government is stifling something that could do 100 times more good than evil. Pot is a controversial topic; there is simply no debating that. But, this film shows how we need to stop thinking that it is so morally wrong to smoke weed. It has a vast number of uses, all of which can help with make the Earth a better place. However, it has become ingrained in people's heads that pot is a bad thing. This film has great interviews from some of the people behind the legalization movement. It is factual, and it is real. I think everyone should watch this and get behind the movement.

First of all, be warned, i am a pot lover, stoner and marijuana legalization advocate. Also i'm a well educated fourth year law student, with deep knowledge in history, mathematics, politics, and law. That duality that some people cant understand, and believe impossible is exactly what this film shows, am from Chile so my English may not be perfect, please spare me. Everyone, pro-legalization anti-legalization and even those who don't care should watch this film, the sheer amount of backup information is astonishing, everything that is said in the movie is accompanied by a source, so the movie presents an undeniable truth.That would be OK for most documentaries but this one goes further, its is fast paced, has a great soundtrack (specially if you're watching it high, treats a great variety of subjects, history, medical dangers, medical benefits, legislation, etc.Be warned, it will change your point of view, if you are a pro-legalization it will strength it, if you are close-minded it will open it, so be ready to learn the truth, and open your mind in a heavily entertaining way.