REEFER MADNESS

At the 2018 Toronto M. University New Voices Festival

In the late 1930s, Harry J. Anslinger, Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, spearheads a ruthless campaign to eradicate any positive perception of cannabis—commonly vilified as "marijuana." His weapons? Cultural manipulation, fear-mongering, overt racism, and the immense power of the U.S. government.

Imprisoned murderer Daryl Worthy becomes the prime subject for Anslinger's psychological warfare. Agitated, criminally insane, and, worst of all, an admitted marijuana user, Worthy struggles against his fading memories, warped by years of torturous conditioning. He faces a haunting question: Did he truly kill his mother, or was his crime an act of vengeance against her real murderers? Or, perhaps, was it merely a drug-induced thrill?

Determined to prove the latter, Anslinger introduces Gary O'Neill—a witness, fellow inmate, and marijuana user—to provoke Worthy into a damning confession. Unbeknownst to O'Neill, he too is part of Anslinger’s twisted experiment, destined to succumb to the relentless propaganda against marijuana.

But Anslinger's ambitions don't stop at mere manipulation of individuals. He unveils the infamous film Reefer Madness, designed explicitly to sway public opinion, depicting marijuana as a gateway to violence, insanity, and moral decay. Witness Anslinger's assault not just on marijuana, but on people of color, the jazz community, and the liberty and dignity of honest, hardworking Americans.

"The Reefer Man" Revived!