After 3 1/2 years in the making and sadly inspired by the death of four of Kevin Booth’s family members from “legal drugs”, The American Drug War: The Last White Hope (written & directed by Kevin Booth) was released in 2007.
Kevin was raised to believe that the American Dream was about pursuing happiness…
After seeing the damages of legal substances, his life was changed forever. He began to question the motives of modern drug laws and those that are hired to protect us…
In ADW 1 Kevin looks into why the drug war was such a failure.
American Drug War: The Last White Hope
“35 years after Nixon started the war on drugs, we have over one million non-violent drug offenders living behind bars.
The War on Drugs has become the longest and most costly war in American history, the question has become, how much more can the country endure? Inspired by the death of four family members from “legal drugs” Texas filmmaker Kevin Booth sets out to discover why the Drug War has become such a big failure. Three and a half years in the making, the film follows gang members, former DEA agents, CIA officers, narcotics officers, judges, politicians, prisoners and celebrities. Most notably the film befriends Freeway Ricky Ross; the man many accuse for starting the Crack epidemic, who after being arrested discovered that his cocaine source had been working for the CIA.
AMERICAN DRUG WAR shows how money, power and greed have corrupted not just drug pushers and dope fiends, but an entire government. More importantly, it shows what can be done about it. This is not some ‘pro-drug’ stoner film, but a collection of expert testimonials from the ground troops on the front lines of the drug war, the ones who are fighting it and the ones who are living it.
After 4 years of production including several sold out test screenings in New York, Austin & Los Angeles, the final version of American Drug War “the last white hope” is locked and loaded.”
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On June the 6th, 2013, The Documentary American Drug War 2 – Cannabis Destiny was released…
American Drug War 2: Cannabis Destiny (2013)
“Director Kevin Booth navigates through the cutting edge of Cannabis research while becoming a foster parent to a child court ordered to take powerful mind altering drugs.”
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~ AMERICAN DRUG WAR 2 CANNABIS DESTINY is also available for purchase at your iTunes store.
AMERICAN DRUG WAR 2 REVIEW BY ROBERT WILSON
AMERICAN DRUG WAR 2
Review by Robert Wilson former writer for E-TV Talk Soup
With American Drug War 2: Cannibis Destiny, filmmaker Kevin Booth again takes aim at the political machinations between government and commerce. However, this time the message is even more personal.
American Drug War 2’s launching pad is the November 2012 elections, a watershed moment in Marijuana history. Both Colorado and Washington state voters deemed pot to be legal for recreational usage. Furthermore, more states voted to make weed legal for medical use. However, one state, Montana, elected to rescind its medical Marijuana law. How one Northwest state (Washington) could vote to make pot totally legal while another (Montana) pulls back demonstrates a real disconnect in this country.
The film delves into a number of Marijuana-related subjects: The medical Marijuana movement; the testing of cannabinoids as cancer-fighting agents, automated pot dispensing machines, hemp soap makers who have to buy their hemp from Canada because the United States is the one western country that doesn’t allow American farmers to grow it. (alas, even China permits it); even a primer about how to grow your own medical Marijuana. Booth also takes his cameras across the border to Juarez, Mexico to show how drug cartels bring about many more casualties in the drug war.
Booth makes some of his best points when bringing up the issue of the proliferation of mind-altering and legal drugs produced by the pharmaceutical companies. Why does the federal government continue to hide behind its “protecting the children” mask when it rationalizes keeping pot illegal while allowing a record number of kids be dosed up on much more powerful pharmaceutical drugs? The answer isn’t surprising. The pharmaceutical lobby carries a lot of water. Much more than the Marijuana reformers.
Furthermore, the film delves into the use of prescription drugs by foster children who are 13 times more likely to be prescribed mind-altering drugs. Why is that? Money, of course. Booth and his wife, Trae, describe their own personal experience in the foster system when they wanted to become foster parents. The scenes featuring their own foster child are not dogmatic but rather deliver points on a micro and personal level.
ADW2 also follows the story of Cash Hyde, a two-year-old boy from Montana who suffers from a brain tumor. When traditional chemotherapy fails, Cash’s father turns to cannabis oil with surprising results. Without giving too much away, the story of Cash is what really gives the film its emotional heft. Indeed, it delivers a message that a hundred talking heads could not do.
Booth presents his argument that Marijuana is still illegal because cops want overtime, drug cartels want bigger profits and certain federal enforcement agencies make a lot of money from the drug war. However, Booth doesn’t simply push an agenda. He gives time to opposing viewpoints from key people involved in the drug war.
Whether Booth is interviewing people who are trying to legalize Marijuana for their own business interests or those who want to keep it illegal for primarily the same reason, he keeps the film moving at a good pace.
ADW2 is not easy film to watch at times but these unsettling scenes are what really gives the film its soul. Every war has collateral damage and Booth doesn’t pull punches in presenting it here.
You don’t have to be a pot smoker (or a former one) to appreciate this film. All you need is a desire to learn how the drug war isn’t always in the best interests of the American people.
Will American Drug War 2 lead to real change in public policy? Most likely, it won’t. Politicians tend to stay away from independent documentaries, usually because they’re too busy with their hands down the pants of lobbyists. However, the film will lead to more discussion about Marijuana reform. And that is a good thing.
The producers of the film Kevin & Trae Booth and Brian Patterson have worked with LEAP since 2007 and have spent three years working on this film. We believe that the sobering message of “American Drug War 2″ will be a LEAP recruiting tool for many years to come.The producers need the help of all our LEAP members to ensure this film gets the attention it deserves. Here is a link of the cities the film is currently booked to play on June 6th and each screening will be co-hosted by a LEAP speaker.
http://americandrugwar2.com/
Who’s The Pusher Now? – BUKSTEL OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
• USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION / FINALIST / NOVELTY
• GOLD DAVEY AWARD for Music Video
• GOLD DAVEY AWARD for POLITICAL / COMMENTARY
• SILVER DAVEY AWARD for Annimation
• NOMINATED: 2014 (HMMA) Hollywood Music Video Award
• NOMINATED: 2013 (HMMA) Hollywood Music In Media Award
• HONORABLE MENTION: 2014 (PMN) People’s Music Network Song of the Month – July
• FINALIST: 2014 IAMA International Acoustic Music Awards
• VIDEO JUKBOX PICK OF THE WEEK: 8/12/14 Whereforarts.com
• SONG on PRELIMINARY GRAMMY BALLOT: 2013
• NOMINATED: 2014 LIBBY AWARD (The Libby’s) Best Music Video
There is a great need for education and awareness for so many issues. Legalization of Medical Marijuana (Amendment 2) is on top of my list at the moment for several reasons. The obvious one is for the health and welfare of people wanting, and more often, needing an alternative to the Big Pharma drugs that are killing hundreds of thousands of people every year.
“Who’s The Pusher Now?” expresses my concerns about the hypocrisy of our federal government Drug Wars that incarcerated people for fallacious Marijuana laws, while at the same time providing legal protection for deadly pharmaceutical drugs that kill hundreds of thousands of people every year. Check it out. Share it.
We need to Legalize Marijuana NOW and Stop proliferation of private prisons. Stop the hypocrisy of the Federal Government from incarcerating people for fallacious Marijuana laws, while at the same time providing legal protection for deadly pharmaceutical drugs that kill hundreds of thousands of people every year.
The statistics of these kinds of injustices in our legal system is staggering and I encourage reading about it and understand the modern day slavery that is happening in communities all over the country and in our own back yard.
Check out my new song..share it…
Who’s The Pusher Now? ©Ellen Bukstel (co-writers: Nick Annis & Brett Segal) recorded and arranged by my son Brett Segal / and I’m singin’!! JOIN NORML!! (National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws)
LYRICS BELOW..
WRITTEN & PERFORMED BY ellen bukstel
CO-WRITERS / nick annis / brett segal
MOTION GRAPHICS & EDITING / todd segal
PRODUCED / ARRANGED / ENGINEERED / SOUND DESIGN / MIXED brett segal
MASTERED / mike couzzi
GUITARS / BANJO / dan warner
DRUMS / VOICE OVER / brett segal
BASS / shawn saul
KEYBOARD / alejandro elizondo
TROMBONE / stephen szabadi
TRUMPET / jared hall / francisco (cisco) dimas
CLARINET / SOPRANO SAXOPHONE / dan andrews
RECORDED & FILMED AT / shack in the back productions
VIDEOGRAPHER / robert baldwin
MAKE-UP & WARDROBE / margo segal
THE CRIMINALS / shawn saul / zack grail / brett segal
Who’s The Pusher Now
© Ellen Bukstel (co-writers Nick Annis & Brett Segal)
Back round 1935… Depression ridin high
People trying to have some fun… smokin’ dope and opium
Government did what they do best… makin’ a mess
Made a crime that’s victimless… criminalizing cannibus
And the big drug money machine… sells Oxy and Morphine
Legals Drug get us hooked… a million deaths overlooked
Methadone… Fentynal… Halcion… Phenopbarbitol
Let the government take a bow… Who’s the pusher now!
Follow the corporate money trail… while decent people rot in jail
Guarantee full occupancy… for private prison industry
Caught up in a livin’ hell.. with a couple a million prison cells
And government hypocracy… payin’ for modern slavery
And the big drug money machine… sells Oxy and Morphine
Federal laws still protect… drugs with deadly side affects
Percoset… Thorazine… Opiates… Amphetamine
Let the government take a bow… Who’s the pusher now!
War on drugs… a political joke… lockin’ us up for smoking dope
No reason for doing time… with a punishment …when there aint no crime
No cartels are runnin beer… prohibition made it clear
When you turn a market black… it’s hard to turn it back
When government gets behind the gun… IRS is never done
Our taxes pay the FDA… so the DEA can put us away
And the government drug money machine… runs like its on Dexadrine
Politicians legislate… so they can mass incarcerate
Look at the human cost… personal rights gettin tossed
Let the government take a bow… Who’s the pusher now!
BRIDGE …INSTRUMENT BREAK
While the big drug money machine… Sells Oxy and Morphine
Cannibus guaranteed … harmless as a garden weed
When your body gives you pain….smoke some medical Maryjane
Let the government take a bow… Let the government take a bow
Who’s the pusher now!
…it’s a long cannatramp…
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