REEFER MADNESS! It’s taken over this fine country, so we decided it was time to cover it! Run for your life, marijuana is polluting the minds of America’s youths!

“Reefer Madness”, originally titled “Tell Your Children”, was an exploitation and propaganda film released in 1936, 1938, or 1939…. Seriously, they didn’t keep an accurate record of the film’s release. It was meant to teach about the dangers of grass, dope, ganja, that sticky icky icky icky… And the film worked! People were terrified!

What’s even more interesting than the film is The Marihuana Act of 1937. (Yes, that’s how it was spelt.) Passed by the government and backed by William Randolph Hearst, it was the first step in making cannabis as illegal as illegal could be!

This week Ray teaches Rob all about the history of hemp and its many uses, how this film fell into public domain, which ultimately led to some of the first midnight screenings and opened the door for showings of movies like “Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “The Room”

…and how that wacky tabacky could make you go insane and beat your acquaintance with a stick. (It’s in the movie.) Be careful out there, folks.

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TEAM:

Ray Hebel

Robert W Schneider

Mark Schroeder

Billy Recce

Daniel Schwartzberg

Gabe Crawford

Natalie DeSavia

WEBSITES

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AUDIO/VISUAL

Reefer Madness - Full Film

Reefer Madness - Trailer

Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical - Opening Number

Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical - Trailer

RiffTrax

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