Evergreen: The Road to Legalization

Riley Morton's enlightening documentary follows pot's rocky road to legalization in the state of Washington, which recently opened licensed recreational marijuana shops. Offering a thorough and evenhanded chronicle of the 2012 campaign to pass Initiative 502—which proposed legalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use—Evergreen tells the story of a hard-fought battle. The real opposition to 502 turned out to be not the anti-marijuana forces but rather people who felt the ballot measure didn't go far enough in loosening penalties (and even contained some traps that could result in moderate users being arrested). Among the proponents of 502 were Alison Holcomb, a well-spoken ACLU lawyer and 502's director, and beloved travel guru Rick Steves, a longtime critic of failed War on Drugs policies. Together, the pair drive around the state making the case for 502 at town hall meetings. The brusque opposition is largely represented by medical marijuana provider Steve Sarich and defense lawyer Douglas Hiatt, both of whom argue that provisions in 502 regarding DUI thresholds are unrealistic. Of course, major differences between the legal status of marijuana in Washington versus federal law also hang over this drama as well. Ultimately, Evergreen tells a lively story of passion and political compromise: 502 supporters maintain that the initiative was the best and only way to break the stranglehold of drug laws that currently fill prisons for simple possession. Hiatt, on the other hand, calls 502's passage a Pyrrhic victory. A fine examination of a hot button topic, this is highly recommended. (T. Keogh)