The Union: The Business Behind Getting High (2007)

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The winner of the "Best Documentary" award at the 2007 Winnipeg International Film Festival, Brett Harvey's illuminating examination of the British Columbia's rapidly expanding marijuana industry offers fascinating insight into the incredibly lucrative business of growing and distributing a drug… More The winner of the "Best Documentary" award at the 2007 Winnipeg International Film Festival, Brett Harvey's illuminating examination of the British Columbia's rapidly expanding marijuana industry offers fascinating insight into the incredibly lucrative business of growing and distributing a drug that, despite being illegal, continues to flourish. Interviews with everyone from politicians, policemen, and doctors to growers, clippers, and pop culture icons highlight the enormous profits to be made in the marijuana trade while an investigation into who profits most from the status quo. Additionally, a closer inspection of the anti-marijuana lobby reveals some unexpected details about not only the health risks that users face, but the agricultural, societal, and economic benefits of growing hemp as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Brett Harvey
Written By: Steve Bloom
Genres: Documentary, Special Interest

In Theaters: Jun 8, 2007 Wide
On DVD: Jul 28, 2009

Critic Reviews

Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
my problems with The Union stem from the overtly biased nature of the production... The Union is also its own worst enemy.

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Featured Audience Ratings

El Hombre I

From a technical perspective, this documentary was done really well. It had great editing, it was entertaining, very informative and the interviews offer solid arguments. Was also glad it showed the pros and cons of legalizing versus decriminalizing. Although the argument against… More
From a technical perspective, this documentary was done really well. It had great editing, it was entertaining, very informative and the interviews offer solid arguments. Was also glad it showed the pros and cons of legalizing versus decriminalizing. Although the argument against either is pretty weak when numbers are shown for deaths caused by alcohol and cigarettes, it could've gone an extra step and interviewed those for the prohibition of marijuana, so as not to appear as one-sided. As adults, you should be able to make up your own mind. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view&current=tommychong.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/tommychong.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Walter M

While some of the arguments for the legalization of marijuana might seem familiar to anyone who has listened to Bill Hicks(Hicks to his credit also gave a thoroughly logical alternate origin for Republicans), there is still much to appreciate in "The Union: The Business Behind… More
While some of the arguments for the legalization of marijuana might seem familiar to anyone who has listened to Bill Hicks(Hicks to his credit also gave a thoroughly logical alternate origin for Republicans), there is still much to appreciate in "The Union: The Business Behind Getting High" in how it states its arguments that also include the benefits of marijuana and hemp, compared to the harm that tobacco and alcohol do, which are sometimes wrongly grouped in together. That is not to mention marijuana as a cash crop and the potential to bring in billions of tax dollars which could be used to subsidize health care, mass transit, you name it. Well, you could say this documentary is one-sided but when you consider the hysterical shouting condemning pot that has been done over the decades, some clear-headed testimony from experts in the field and a couple of growers(said growers are against legalization) is very refreshing to say the least. The documentary is especially engaging when it stays close to home in British Colombia where illegal grow-ops are a thriving business, detailing the business side and showing what part of the plant needs to be harvested which I probably should not know. Oh well. In fact, the situation is largely tolerant as the police do not interfere with two pro-marijuana rallies. Having just been there last year, I am shocked, shocked I say at this. Really, no. But the United States government is, threatening to lock up two Canadian citizens for selling marijuana seeds on the internet in an American jail for a good long time. And it is not just Canada American authorities are concerned with, as they are also worried about Mexico legalizing possession of small amounts of drugs.