Now available as a DVD for home viewing, the powerful documentary Waiting to Inhale explores the battle between patients, doctors, activists and the US government over the legalization of medical marijuana. The film gives a first-hand look at the first major scientific study of medical marijuana to take place in over 30 years, in progress at the University of California, San Francisco.

“The interviews in this movie should be shown far and wide.”

These patients speak compellingly about the relief cannabis provides them from the symptoms of debilitating and terminal illnesses, and ask why the US government continues to resist studies showing significant clinical evidence supports of cannabis’ efficacy in treating symptoms of cancer, epilepsy, AIDS, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma. The government replies that medical marijuana is just an excuse to make cannabis legal altogether.

“I’ve known about Waiting to Inhale for a few years, and I am pretty psyched to see it out and making waves. People featured in the movie — medical marijuana providers Mike and Valerie Corral and Jeff Jones, patient spokesperson Yvonne Westbrook, scientist Don Abrams — are heroes whose stories deserved to be told and whose interviews in this movie should be shown far and wide,” said David Borden of DRCNet, stopthedrugwar.org.

When Borden saw the the video, he found it so valuable a resource that DRCNet makes it available to its supporters as a membership premium — donate $30 or more to DRCNet to get a copy of Waiting to Inhale as a token of appreciation.

The film looks at the history of cannabis over the past century, documenting how its early use as an ingredient in patent medicines eventually led to its prohibition in 1937. It takes us beyond the commonly known cannabis mythology of the 1970s to a very different history: young Valerie Corral is thrown by a car accident into a unique position in American legal history; Mae Nutt, fueled by the grief of losing two sons to cancer, becomes an unlikely face in the medical marijuana movement; and Irvin Rosenfeld, a law-abiding youngster with a rare bone disorder, discovers by accident that pot is the only thing that provides him relief.

The film follows these stories from their beginnings to the present; we learn about the rise of the parent anti-drug movement, examine current efforts to legalize medical marijuana under state and federal law, and explore the diverse motivations behind attempts to criminalize the sick and dying for seeking medicine.

It examines groundbreaking research, led by Dr. Donald Abrams, tests the ability of cannabis to provide pain relief for patients with HIV and cancer and has added an exciting new dynamic to the debate over legalization. Jed Riffe heads to its core by interviewing Dr. Abrams and patients affiliated with the study.

Waiting to Inhale takes the viewer from underground cannabis dispensaries to the US Supreme Court; from Israeli science labs to government approved cannabis gardens outside London.

Among its 2005 honors: CINE Golden Eagle Award; Gold Special Jury “Remi” Award 38th Annual WorldFest-Houston; Best Documentary Feature, Eureka! Int. Film Festival; Co-Winner: Best Doc. Film/Video, New Jersey Int. Film Festival.

For more information on film screenings, panel discussions, Court decisions and latest news from the scientific community, visit online at waitingtoinhale.org   

Producer and director Jed Riffe is an award-winning independent filmmaker, broadcast journalist and digital media producer. Over the last 25 years, Riffe has produced numerous highly acclaimed documentary and dramatic films and interactive projects for PBS, NHK-TV (Japan), cable, international broadcast and the web.

He produced and directed Ishi, The Last Yahi a dramatic documentary film, written by Anne Makepeace, which won six Best Documentary awards.