‘Rolling Papers’ shows brave new world of pot — and newspapers
Published 1:04 pm Wednesday, February 17, 2016
When Washington and Colorado became the first states to vote for legalized marijuana in 2012, documentary filmmakers should have heard opportunity knocking. Somebody needed to pick up a camera and chronicle the touchy process by which reefer became available at the corner store.
A Colorado filmmaker got there first. In fact, Washington is barely mentioned in “Rolling Papers,” a fun and genuinely informative film. This documentary is much more thoughtful than the kind of half-baked flick you might be imagining.
One reason is that director Mitch Dickman views the story through the eyes of the Denver Post, the newspaper that shrewdly created a “marijuana beat” for their reporters. We visit with some of the longtime journalists assigned to cover the story, and also some herb-friendly freelancers who function as columnists and critics. That’s right: “pot critic” is now a job description.
There’s room for wackiness there, but also for unexpected issues. One mother worries whether her duties as newly christened pot columnist will bring unwanted attention. Will Child Protective Services be leery of her when they know she occasionally smokes a joint (for research purposes, of course)?
Director Dickman is leery himself about this process, as he’ll sometimes ask, “Are you high right now?” to an interview subject. The answer is usually yes.
We visit a hemp festival, and we visit Uruguay, in the company of Post marijuana editor Ricardo Baca. Uruguay has legalized pot, and there are some useful comparisons to be made, along with some funny wrong turns in Baca’s travels.
So “Rolling Papers” contains interesting and amusing material on marijuana. But it’s also about newspapers, and the struggle to keep newspapers relevant in the Internet age. That’s a big part of the wager the Post took on its pot section.
At this point, we are worlds away from “Reefer Madness.” This documentary clearly tries to demystify its subject and provide some non-boostery education along the way. I sat down to watch the film braced for a series of stoner jokes. While there are a few of those, there’s also some extremely solid ideas. Documentary films should point the way toward whatever the “new normal” is going to be, and this one does that.
“Rolling Papers” (3 stars)
A good, surprisingly thoughtful documentary look at the aftermath of Colorado’s legalization of marijuana. There are the expected pot jokes, but also valid information on the subject, and a focus on the Denver Post’s coverage of the story — a way of keeping shrinking newspapers relevant in the 21st century.
Rating: not rated; probably PG-13 for subject matter
Showing: Sundance Cinemas
