CBD Nation: A Documentary for Cannabis Rookies & Experts Alike

The newly released documentary CBD Nation takes an objective, scientific look at cannabidiol, the molecule known colloquially as CBD. Much like this film, CBD is challenging how the world sees weed. Film director David Jakubovic of Mad Machine Films explained that when setting out on this project, even he didn’t yet understand the value of cannabis medicine. While filming the documentary, he said his own perspective shifted and he hopes the film can inspire that same change in others.

“If you can watch this as someone stigma-minded and have their mind changed as I did, I will have done something,” said CBD Nation director David Jakubovic.

While traveling to meet with medical specialists and researchers, Jakubovic was introduced to patients whose lives had been forever changed by the properties of the cannabis plant. Their stories aren’t necessarily the research-backed data that doctors need, but each patient’s testimony is integral to the progress of cannabis science. Jakubovic agreed and this shaped the direction for the documentary: ultimately, CBD Nation offers a balanced selection of patient testimony alongside the great minds of cannabis science and research. Though the film is packaged for someone who has not yet realized the medicinal potential of cannabis, it is thought-provoking even for those of us who have been advocates for some time.

Activist and industry pioneer Andrew DeAngelo shared his hopes for the film:

“I hope people will get motivated to create change by seeing the movie. Once enough people are motivated then change can be created, and access follows from that. We are still in the moment of creating enough change to allow legal models that allow for safe access for the people.” — Andrew DeAngelo, in a statement

The crew traveled the United States and to Israel, the hub of cannabis research, collecting information and interviews. Conversations with activists like Andrew and Steven DeAngelo, research icons like Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, PhD., Dr. June Chin, and more than 20 other physicians, specialists, and health practitioners are featured in the film. Each participant is a thread in the film’s goal of providing a real educational view of the Endocannabinoid System. Dense molecular talk is balanced by the stories of real patients whose lives have been changed for the better by cannabis medicine. These heartwarming stories were essential to telling this story, but Jakubovic wanted to center a sincere analytical explanation of CBD in the film.

“There’s so much out there in the culture where cannabis is a punchline. I realized that this should just be fully serious. The fact needs to be what’s fascinating here,” explained Director David Jakubovic.

Each interview or personal account builds an argument for cannabidiol as an essential molecule in the human system. As it says in the documentary, “Our bodies are built to consume cannabis,” but our medical community has not been trained for it. This ineptitude is the result of a government that is unwilling to recognize multiple studies showing the therapeutic benefit of cannabis medicine. CBD Nation displays just the facts in the hopes that a concise, objective delivery of information can shift the societal stigma around cannabis and CBD.

I can recommend this documentary for everyone, from the staunch anti-marijuana club to the loud cannabis activists. Many cannabis books and films have fallen short of providing keen insight into this fascinating field of scientific study — in the case of CBD Nation, however, I found myself learning about concepts that are familiar to me in a digestible way and which allowed me to sharpen my understanding, even after almost a decade in the cannabis industry.