Legal weed looks good on paper. Dispensaries that feel like Apple stores. Influencer product drops. Celebrities launching “wellness” brands from Manhattan to Malibu. But peel back the shiny packaging and the question hits hard: Who’s really cashing in on cannabis, and who’s still paying the price?

That’s the heartbeat of Kiss My Grass, a short documentary that refuses to let the industry off the hook. Written by Roy Wood, Jr., directed by Mary Pryor, Mara Whitehead, co-directed by Tirsa Hackshaw and narrated by actor and activist Rosario Dawson, the film doesn’t waste time glamorizing the Green Rush. Instead, it zooms in on the people of color, particularly Black women, who’ve had to fight their way into a market that was never built for them.

In less than 20 minutes, Kiss My Grass manages to hit every nerve with candid interviews that strip the false promises of legalization down to its bones. It’s in these raw, personal stories from trailblazers including Kim James, Matha Figaro, Jessica Jackson and Coss Martewhere the documentary hits hardest. Watching them, you’re forced to confront a painful reality: Legalization was sold as a new beginning, but the same old systems keep showing up with new branding.

After watching the film, I had a lot of questions about what it actually takes to make progress in such a complicated system and had the opportunity to ask some of the featured individuals about what’s changed, what hasn’t and what needs to happen.

“True equity requires structural repair,” says Jackson, director of social equity for Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management. “That means reinvestment into harmed communities; expungement and record repair; rules that prevent hidden ownership and monopolization; workforce protections; and readiness tools like technical assistance—all interventions Minnesota provided from the start in Chapter 342 legislation.”

While the cannabis industry is expected to hit $45 billion in 2025, equity programs meant to level the field often feel more like public relations stunts than progress in some states. The numbers from around the country tell the story: Only 0.35 percent of venture capital reaches Black women founders. Black people are still 3.7 times more likely to be arrested for possession.

“Access to capital, affordable real estate, and navigating complex regulations are major barriers,” says James, who leads Detroit’s Office of Cannabis Management. “Many equity programs don’t address the systemic economic disadvantages experienced by people who come from communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs.”

It’s just even more of a reminder that legal doesn’t mean fair for the communities that got felonies instead of spots on the Forbes list for selling cannabis.

As Coss Marte, founder of fitness empire CONBODY, puts it, “If you’re making millions off cannabis, you have a moral obligation to invest in the communities that paid the price for prohibition,” he says. “That means jobs, ownership and capital—not charity optics. Repair starts when money, mentorship and opportunity flow directly to the people most impacted.”

Still, this isn’t a film that wallows in defeat. It’s about persistence. You feel the exhaustion, but also the refusal to give up. You see the discouragement, but also a spark of hope for the future. If there’s one message this film makes clear it’s that equity won’t grow on its own, but it can take root if we tend to it.

For Figaro, the founder behind ButACake and CannPowerment, the future of cannabis isn’t just about who gets in the door now, but what the next generation of women of color will inherit. When asked what needs to change to make that possible, she didn’t hold back. “My hope is that future generations inherit thriving cannabis businesses and the tools to bring underrepresented voices to market,” she says. “But to get there, we must dismantle the small-minded and misinformed policymakers writing rules they’ll never be forced to follow.”

After making its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival this past summer, Kiss My Grass is set for a wider digital release at a later date. Whether you work in cannabis or just care about justice, it’s essential viewing about what happens when an industry sells progress but delivers privilege. It leaves you moved. It leaves you mad. And, just maybe, that’s the point.

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Netflix says it will maintain the 45-day theatrical window for Warner Bros. films, and that is good news for cinemas and moviegoers.

The post Netflix’s latest move is huge for movie theaters, and fantastic for you and I appeared first on Digital Trends.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple sets a high bar for its iconic zombie film franchise thanks to Nia DaCosta's direction, its game-changing story, and compelling characters.

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Editor’s note: Warning: Although we’ve done our best to avoid spoiling anything too major, please note this list does include a few specific references that some might consider spoiler-y.

It's been a strange year for movies. Most of the big, splashy tentpole projects proved disappointing, while several more modest films either produced or acquired by streaming platforms—and only briefly released in theaters—wound up making our year-end list. This pattern was not intentional. But streaming platforms have been increasingly moving into the film space with small to medium-sized budgets—i.e., the kind of fare that used to be commonplace but has struggled to compete over the last two decades as blockbusters and elaborate superhero franchises dominated the box office.

Add in lingering superhero fatigue—only one superhero saga made our final list this year—plus Netflix's controversial bid to acquire Warner Bros., and we just might be approaching a sea change in how movies are made and distributed, and by whom. How this all plays out in the coming year is anybody's guess.

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© Collage by Aurich Lawson

The Halloween season is a time for many traditions. Some, like finding a costume, are timeless, while others, like the annual marketing blitz for products featuring pumpkin spice, are more difficult to decipher. One thing that is definitively October, however, is the occasionally stressful pastime of getting together with loved ones to watch some scary movies—especially when you’re stoned.

Sure, watching a zombie disembowel something can be unpleasant, but the toughest part? That’s usually having to decide which horror films will grace your television screen. From classic Universal monster flick to the latest installments of the “Halloween” and “Saw” franchises, the options we have when it comes to picking scary movies can seem downright limitless. Fortunately, Cannabis Now has you covered with a curated list of sure-fire winners for spooky season.

Compiled under the assumption that you plan to infuse your Halloween night with some THC, the films below run the gamut from gory gross-outs to campy musicals. By turns delightful and terrifying, these are movies that will scare you silly but which also pair well with cannabis in one way or another. Now it’s time to turn off the lights and see what’s down in the basement…

Monster Movie That’s Also a Great Musical: “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986)

In the pantheon of iconic horror movie villains, there should be one pot of soil reserved for Audrey II. The plot of “Little Shop of Horrors” finds the hapless Seymour matching wits with a blood-thirsty plant who likes to eat and can also belt a mean tune. Featuring memorable turns from stars Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene, it’s a young Steve Martin who ultimately shines brightest as a demented dentist. The film is also packed with catchy tunes and some truly visionary work from director (and voice of Yoda) Frank Oz, making this campy cult classic a great pick for those who prefer singalongs to jump scares.

You Cannot Be High Enough for This: “Anaconda” (1997)

Believe it or not, the giant snake that repeatedly tries to eat stars Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez for nearly 90 minutes is not the scariest part of this movie. That honor belongs to Jon Voight, who is indescribably creepy as a snake hunter offered a lift home by a documentary crew trying to capture footage of an elusive Indigenous tribe on the banks of the Amazon. The only problem is a murderous anaconda that seems to be whatever length suits it best, depending on the scene. If you decide to treat yourself to this insanity, just get ready to bear witness to the most unsettling wink in the history of film. “Anaconda” is not a top contender for the most realistic movie ever made, but that doesn’t make the prospect of watching Owen Wilson and Danny Trejo battle with a gigantic CGI snake one iota less amazing.

Space is Freaking Scary: “Event Horizon” (1997)

If you’re in the mood for something truly scary, try traveling to the most terrifying place of all: space. In “Event Horizon,” a crew captained by Laurence Fishburne is sent to explore a seemingly abandoned starship that has mysteriously reappeared after vanishing seven years prior. Things start off okay, but before too long, Fishburne’s crew begins to see people who aren’t there while also uncovering some pretty disturbing details about where the Event Horizon may have been during its absence. If you only know Sam Neill from “Jurassic Park,” get ready to see a whole new side to him in this underrated gem. Fair warning: this movie is really scary!

Stoner Comedy Disguised as a Horror Movie: “Idle Hands” (1999)

If the prospect of consuming cannabis and watching a horror film doesn’t do the trick, why not get high and then watch a scary movie where weed is a central part of the plot? “Idle Hands” casts Devon Sawa as the most stereotypical stoner imaginable. Not only does he wear a pipe made from a converted asthma inhaler around his neck at all times, but his laziness is so extreme that his hand becomes possessed by the devil and proceeds to go on a killing spree. While “Idle Hands” definitely indulges in its fair share of violence, this is a story that is definitely being played for laughs. Thus, if you love the vibe of ’90s teen classics like “Can’t Hardly Wait” and “She’s All That,” this is the horror film for you. It even has Seth Green in it!

Too Lazy to Change the Channel: “Grindhouse” (2007)

Perhaps your ideal Halloween involves moving as little as possible. If inertia is your love language, you can get two movies for half the effort with the unique 2007 double-feature “Grindhouse.” Combining Robert Rodriguez’s zombie attack flick “Planet Terror” with Quentin Tarantino’s car-chase happy “Death Proof,” this dual ode to the exploitation films of the 1970s even includes a number of fictitious trailers for other, similar movies. They’re so good that after “Grindhouse” was released in 2007, two of the fake trailers (“Machete,” “Hobo with a Shotgun”) were ultimately turned into real films. Before you try those, however, check out “Grindhouse” to enjoy nearly 200 minutes of mayhem, including Kurt Russell driving to kill and Rose McGowan wielding a machine gun leg.

The post Best Scary Movies to Watch When You’re High appeared first on Cannabis Now.