Emperor of Hemp on AllMovie

Jack Herer, a longtime outspoken defender of legalizing the hemp plant, is known to some as "the prophet of pot" and to others as a central figure in an important environmental cause. This documentary uses interviews, archival footage, and an entertaining style to look at Herer's life -- including his early days as a Goldwater Republican, his stint as a "political prisoner" during the Reagan era, and historic protests and key moments in the controversy over cannabis. Herer expresses a concern that, when hemp was outlawed in the 1930s, the pressure for the ban came from political insiders and wealthy business interests that were focused more on profit and power than on public safety or morality -- which may have imposed an exaggerated negative slant on the use of hemp, in the guise of concern about the use of marijuana as a drug. The film provides background on the effective, practical worldwide use of hemp for manufacture of paper products, rope, and other basic materials -- suggesting that U.S. industry could shift toward using hemp for fiber and oil-based products, instead of relying on timber, petroleum, and less-renewable resources. The soundtrack features music by Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, and others. Peter Coyote narrates.