Back in 1936, a small church group put together a film designed to warn parents of the dangers of marijuana. The film, originally titled “Tell Your Children,” became better known when it was re-released as “Reefer Madness” on the exploitation film circuit. “Reefer Madness” depicted marijuana smokers as crazed, homicidal, suicidal and reckless, prone to all kinds of bad behavior. Although “Reefer Madness” enjoyed a second wind in the 1970s as an unintentionally comic satire, the image of pot smokers as wild-eyed criminals, persisted for a long time. In 2019, however, that image has started to erode, as cannabis use gains more and more widespread acceptance. Olivia Herken is a reporter for the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. Olivia’s latest report profiles some of the decidedly not scary folks who use cannabis.
Read Olivia’s report here:
In Wisconsin, users of cannabis and CBD are as close as Main Street
Photo: Emily Hamer/Wisconsin Watch
