There is exactly one difference between comedian Doug Benson’s documentary Super High Me and Morgan Spurlock’s much lauded Super Size Me: marijuana. Benson, who was dubbed “Stoner of the Year” by High Times Magazine in 2006, uses himself as a guinea pig to examine the physical and mental effects of smoking pot non-stop for thirty days. The end result is both an entertaining parody of Super Size Me by a stoned comedian, and a meaningful documentary, thanks to the well-focused effort of the production crew as they confront many of the societal issues regarding marijuana.
The film’s premise is simple. Benson abstains from using marijuana (or any other drug) for thirty days and undergoes sa series of mental and physical tests. For the next thirty days, Benson smokes, vaporizes, and eats more weed than Cheech and Chong on 4/20, while performing the same experiments. The results of the tests are relatively inconclusive; Benson’s lung capacity decreased slightly, and he gained close to ten pounds, but his S.A.T. score and his sperm count both increased.
To say the film is simply stoner propaganda aimed at dispelling weed myths would be selling it short. Director Michael Blieden and producer Alex Campbell spearhead an efficient crew that does a good job of making sure the film doesn’t become completely one-sided. In a director’s note, Blieden states, “It is my sincere hope that people who are against marijuana see this film and find support (even unintentional) for their views.” He adds, “We did try to find people to come out very strongly against marijuana, but in California that’s harder than you’d think.” Benson touches on this point when he renames Los Angeles, the film’s setting, to Las Ganjales.
A major theme that Blieden focuses on is the battle between the state and federal government. In severeal scenes, federal DEA agents raid private marijuana dispensaries, which are legal under California law but not recognized by the federal government. The film sides with California over the Feds and relies on interviews with medicinal marijuana patients and pro-pot politicians such as Minnesota State Senator John Marty. While the film’s position is admittedly biased, Blieden and Benson present the material so clearly that advocates and opponents of marijuana will both be drawn to consider the Tenth Amendment (states’ rights) debate that the project unmasks.
Whether you’re in the mood for some old-fashioned pot humor from the comedian who co-wrote the Marijuana-Logues, or you want to learn about the issues behind the demand to “legalize it,” Benson’s adventure is at least entertaining to watch.
“Super High Me” is playing, among other places, at the Old Town Theater in Alexandria, VA, which can be reached from the Alexandria King Street stop.
