This work is licensed to Kevin Booth and Sacred Cow Productions except where noted otherwise. http://www.americandrugwar.com/feed.rss American Drug War - The Last White Hope en Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:24:00 GMT http://www.americandrugwar.com http://www.americandrugwar.com American Drug War Latest News Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:24:00 GMT June 24th, 2008

Alex Jones Show presents an interview with Kevin Booth on Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 at 12pm pacific.
Click Here to Listen Live

Issues Wire June 11th Press Release: 'Will Obama and McCain Ignore the Costliest War in US History?'
Click Here for the Full Story

June 12th, 2008

New American Drug War Reviews

Check out the two new reviews of American Drug War in the reviews section.

Cinefiles: Colorado Springs Independent
Rap Reviews DVD Reviews

June 10th, 2008

Today on Toucher and Rich WBCN 104.1FM Boston 6pm Eastern - 3pm Pacific
Comedian Lamont Price, Boston's most fascinating people and Kevin Booth from American Drug War.

Click Here to Listen Online

Barney Frank Ignites Congress for Common Sense
Tom Gregory - The Huffington Post

John McCain's moth-eaten, opposition to marijuana for medical use, is another signal his presidency would be a roadblock to a new America. McCain states: "I still would not support medical marijuana because I don't think the preponderance of medical opinion in America agrees with the assertion that [marijuana] is the most effective way of treating pain."

In part 2 of my interview with Congressman Barney Frank, he talks bluntly and plainly about an issue that clouds the path towards a new America. His reasonable, live and let live position makes sense, moving us into the twenty-first century, at last.

Click Here for the Full Story

June 8th, 2008

The Crime of Punishment

Judge James Gray who advocates sane drug policy throughout the American Drug War film will be speaking at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 10th at 7:00pm. Other guests included are Marc Mauer who is one of the country's leading experts on sentencing policy, race and the criminal justice system and Chief Norm Stamper, a retired Seattle Police Chief.

Click Here for Details

June 7th, 2008

Celeb Stoner On-Line Magazine

American Drug War Documentary banned by Rehab Center

The American Drug War documentary rehab center banning is featured in CelebStoner.com, a new on-line magazine started by Steve Bloom (formerly of High Times).

Click Here to View the Article

MPP's Party at the Playboy Mansion

Hosted by Adrianne Curry and featuring Perry Ferrell
Los Angeles, CA on June 12, 2008 at 8:00pm

Click Here for Event Details

June 3rd, 2008

The Community is invited to a FREE screening of "American Drug War" at:

St. Matthias Episcopal Church
7056 Washington Avenue
Whittier, CA 90602
(Corner of Wardman and Washington Ave)

Thursday, June 5th, 2008 at 7:00pm

For more info: (562) 587-6270 or (562) 698-9154
Free refreshments will be provided

May 27th, 2008

Weird Magazine Interview

Kevin Booth sits down with Weird Magazine for an interview on the American Drug War. Look forward to the full interview in the June issue of Weird Magazine.

Click here for Weird Magazine.com

May 26th, 2008

American Drug War, the last white hope DVD is the #1 Best Seller in Amazon 'Movies and TV' category!
(Click Here for Amazon Bestsellers)

The DVD will arrive in select retail stores on Tuesday, May 27th, 2008

ADW The Official Soundtrack CD
featuring DJ RX, Fugazi and morE
will be in stores July 2008.

Executive Producer and Producer Don Lichterman along with producer Ryan Case (Conspiracy Clothing) and filmmaker Kevin Booth are putting final touches on brand new CD compilation for the film's soundtrack. The CD Compilation is due out this summer with all brand new material and may have some older licensed material. Stay tuned for the announcement of participating artists and full details on the CD Soundtrack Compilation coming soon.

May 22nd, 2008

Tommy Chong and Kevin Booth interview today on the Alex Jones Radio Show at 10:30am Pacific time.

Click Here to Stream the Latest Radio Show

May 20th, 2008

TEARDROPS FROM TULIA

Joe Moore, one of the defendants in the infamous Tulia cocaine bust of 1999, died April 27 after a long illness. Moore was the first person tried in the sting; he served nearly four years of a 90-year sentence before Gov. Rick Perry pardoned him in 2003, after the undercover officer in the case was exposed as a fraud.
Moore, a hog farmer and sometime bootlegger, became a cause celebre after his case was profiled in a variety of media outlets. Unable to even raise bail after his arrest, he wound up being represented in his appeal by a top litigator at one of the nation's most prestigious law firms.
"One sweetheart of a person is gone," said Moore's longtime companion in Tulia, Thelma Johnson. She recalled that Moore, who was 57 and in poor health at the time of his arrest, worried he would die in prison. "I think he was glad when his time came that he was free," she said.
Moore, who received a cash settlement after his release, bought land in the country and spent several years raising hogs and growing vegetables before he became too ill to continue. He lived long enough to see the undercover officer in his case, Tom Coleman, convicted of perjury, and the local prosecutor, Terry McEachern, defeated at the ballot box.
Moore's case, along with similar scandals, also led to the eventual dismantling of much of the statewide system of drug task forces, which at one time employed over 700 narcotics officers, mostly in rural areas. His last remaining nemesis, Swisher County Sheriff Larry Stewart, who directed the undercover operation in Tulia, announced his retirement shortly before Moore's death. According to Johnson, Moore had already moved on. "He forgave everyone," she said. He was 65.

May 19th, 2008

Austin American Drug War Screening

Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 7:30pm
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
13729 Research Blvd.
Austin, Texas
General Info: 512-219-5408

Click Here for Details

New high-gloss, movie-size (24" x 36") American Drug War Posters on Sale!

Get yours today for only $9.95 by clicking here!

May 16th, 2008

Listen to the latest NORML Daily Audio Stash which includes an interview with Kevin Booth on the American Drug War.

Click Here for the NORML Daily Stash
Click Here to Download the MP3

View the new mini-documentary produced by Kevin Booth entitled 'Operation Sudden Fall' concerning the San Diego State University drug bust.

Click Here to View the mini-Documentary

May 8th, 2008

Friday May 9th 11:00AM Central (9am Pacific) Tommy Chong will be a guest on the nationally syndicated Alex Jones show along with filmmaker Kevin Booth "AMERICAN DRUG WAR" and filmmaker Josh Gilbert who directed the newly released "aka Tommy Chong".

Listen to the interview on Infowars Streaming Radio.

You can watch the news story about the Chong bust on Local 12 Streaming Video

April 29th, 2008

KPFK Pacifica Radio 90.7 FM Los Angeles Presents a Screening of the American Drug War on May 9th, 2008 at 7:00pm at the First Lutheran Church of Glendale, 1300 East Colorado Street, Glendale, California.

Click Here for Details

April 28th, 2008

Keith Murphy interview of Kevin Booth on The Urban Journal, Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 at 5:00pm Central on XM Satellite Radio Channel 169.

Click Here to Listen to the Latest Edition of The Urban Journal Online

April 27th, 2008

Jack Blood interview with Kevin Booth of American Drug War on Monday, April 28th, 2008 at 4:00pm Central.

Click Here for Info on the Event

Click Here to Listen on GCN Live

April 23rd, 2008

Australian FoXtel Magazine article 'High-speed trafficking' posted on Sacred Cow.

Click Here to Read

April 14th, 2008

Kentroversy interview with Kevin Booth on the American Drug War in Podcast #43.

Click Here for Details

April 10th, 2008

Memphis University American Drug War Screening
N.O.R.M.L. presents a free screening plus a Q&A with Kevin Booth at the University of Memphis on Tuesday April 15th, 2008 at 6:00pm in PAN 200.

Click Here for Details

March 31st, 2008

American Drug War DVD Ships April 1st, 2008!
Orders for the American Drug War DVD will begin shipping on April 1st, 2008. The DVD contains over 3 hours of never-before seen mini-documentaries including Tommy Chong and Ricky Ross.

Click Here to Pickup your Copy Today!

March 26th, 2008

Sunset Holding Co., Partners with Sacred Cow Productions to Help Deliver Tools for Education and Awareness on the War on Drugs.

Click here to read the article on Billboard's Publicity Wire website.

March 25th, 2008

Texas NORML American Drug War Screening
Texas NORML will present a screening at the Spiderhouse Cafe in Austin on March 30th, 2008 from 3:00pm to 6:00pm.

Click Here for Details

March 1st, 2008

American Drug War: Updated Television Premieres

Showtime Movie Channel: Starting March 5th, 2008 [ Showtime Schedule ]
Tivo Schedule: Starting March 5th, 2008 [ Tivo Schedule ]
Australian Crime and Investigation Network: Showing March 12th, 2008 [ CITV.com Schedule ]

American Drug War: Upcoming Official DVD Release

Pre-Orders for the Official American Drug War: The Last White Hope DVD Coming March 15th, 2008

Click Here to Pre-Order your copy of the Official American Drug War DVD!

February 6th, 2008

KPFK Pacifica Radio for Southern California is having a Fund drive starting on February 12th and will be playing "American Drug War" clips with interviews with Kevin Booth.

Anyone donating $75 will receive an "American Drug War" DVD.

See KPFK.org for more...

Tune in to: 90.7 FM Los Angeles or 98.7 FM Santa Barbara

February 5th, 2008
American Drug War screening is scheduled for Monday, March 17th, 2008 at the Nickelodeon Theatre in Columbia, South Carolina.

Nicklelodeon Theatre
937 Main Street
Columbia, SC 29201
803.254.8234

Click here for details and directions

January 31st, 2008

Click here to view the four-part PrisonPlanet.tv Alex Jones ADW interview with Kevin Booth.

January 19th, 2008

Alex Jones is joined by Kevin Booth whose new documentary film American Drug War has taken independent cinema by storm and won several awards.

Click here for the Prison Planet.tv article

January 15th, 2008
American Drug War will be featured at the benefit multi-media event 'Rock 4 Ron Paul' this Wednesday January 16th at Safari Sam's in Hollywood at 8:00PM.

It is an all-ages club that has a full bar and menu. The night features 10 bands, Isaac Bright as MC, special guest appearances from 'Hotties 4 Ron Paul' and cool new clips from 'American Drug War' by Kevin Booth.

Tickets are just $10 and are available at the door and online at http://tickets.safari-sams.com

All proceeds go to 'Call 4 Paul' through the Americans United for Liberty PAC. For more information, visit http://www.RonPaulFreedomMessage.com ...

SAFARI SAM'S
5214 West Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
8:00 PM

BUY TICKETS HERE: http://tickets.safari-sams.com

December 21st, 2007
Josh Rosenblatt of the Austin Chronicle American Drug War Review.

December 9th, 2007
A last-minute ADW screening in Manchester has been scheduled!

Dec 11th 7:00pm - MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - At Lockies' new venue, The Northern - 73-75 Oldham St, Manchester M4

December 1st, 2007
December's screening events have been updated with new dates and locations. See the Screenings section or the latest news on Sacred Cow for details.

Dec 20th 6:00pm - AUSTIN TX - Antone's Night Club with MC Alex Jones.
Dec 9th 7:00pm - NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, ENGLAND - The Picturedrome.
Dec 8th 9:00pm - LONDON, ENGLAND - Genesis Cinema.
Dec 6th 9:00pm - NEW ORLEANS - 2007 International Drug Policy Reform Conference.
Dec 5th 7:00pm - NEW ORLEANS - Tulane University.

November 15th, 2007
Burlington Vermont - American Drug War select dates run from November 15th through November 27th at Kriya Studio. Click here for the Kriya Studio Calendar.

November 14th, 2007
Due to our win at the Artivist festival in Los Angeles we have been asked to screen at the London Festival, Saturday Dec 8 @ the Genesis Cinema. Please contact Kevin at kevin@sacredcow.com for arranging additional ADW screenings while in London through Dec 12th.

November 8th, 2007
Free Tickets to the ARTIVIST Film Festival are available for the November 9th screening at the Egyptian Theatre! See the latest news at the Sacred Cow Website for details.

October 18th, 2007
R.I.P. Dr. Claudia Jensen
Activist, Pediatrician and warrior against the powerful elite that fight so hard to keep Marijuana illegal. ADW participant, friend and associate Dr. Claudia Jensen lost her life to breast cancer on September 15th 2007. The ADW screening at the ARTIVIST 2007 on Nov 9th at 9:00pm will be dedicated to Claudia and attended by her family. See the screenings section under Press Kit on AmericanDrugWar.com for the latest scheduled American Drug War screenings.

September 27th, 2007
Colorado Rocky Mountain High Tour

August 21st, 2007
Scientists drug-test whole cities

August 20th, 2007
BBC NEWS: Wikipedia 'shows CIA page edits'

July 1st, 2007
American Drug War director Kevin Booth signs with Page Ostrow & Co. as the films representation

May 19th, 2007
Government tries to stop Michael Moore's 'Sicko'

May 17th, 2007
American Drug War wins best picture at the Silver Lake Film Festival
New edit of AMERICAN DRUG WAR competes in this years Silver Lake film festival

May 5th, 2007
George Soros's Drug Policy Group recognizes American Drug War

February 14th, 2007
American Drug War wins best picture at the DIY film festival

October 26th, 2006
American Drug War wins best picture at the Evil City film festival

August 16th, 2006
American Drug War star Mike Ruppert leaves America Forever

May 24th, 2006
Headline: Heavy Marijuana Use Not Linked To Lung Cancer
Dr. Robert Melamede discusses the anti-cancer properties of marijuana on Web MD

April 24th, 2006
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a statement saying there are no scientific studies to support the use of medical marijuana; critics say the FDA is bowing to powerful political pressure

March 24th, 2006
British Drug Culture Density Thickens; Threatens Younger Students

March 31st, 2006
Rhode Island Launches It's Medical Marijuana Program

December 10th, 2005
Gary Webb: More Pieces in the Suicided Puzzle

April 2005
America's Debt to Gary Webb

January 27th, 2005
The Shrinking Rights of Americans

September 23, 2004
Latest Drug War Casualities: Dr. Frank Fisher

November 2001
The Future of Freedom Foundation: Terrorism and the Drug War

Other Articles
Mexico Drug War Report
]]> http://www.americandrugwar.com http://www.americandrugwar.com American Drug War Screenings Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:00:00 GMT WHITTIER, CA Thursday June 5th, 2008, 7:00pm at St. Matthias Episcopal Church - 7056 Washington Avenue - Whittier, CA 90602 - For more info: (562) 587-6270 or (562) 698-9154

AUSTIN, TX - Wednesday May 21st, 2008, 7:30pm at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

GLENDALE, CA - Friday May 9th, 2008, 7:00pm at The First Lutheran Church of Glendale

MEMPHIS, TN - Tuesday April 15th, 2008, 6:00PM at the University of Memphis

COLUMBIA, SC - Monday March 17th, 2008, 7:00PM at Nicklelodeon Theatre, 937 Main Street, Columbia, SC

HOLLYWOOD, CA - Wednesday January 16th, 2008, 8:00PM at SAFARI SAM'S, 5214 West Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

AUSTIN TX - December 20th, 6:00PM, ADW returns home to celebrate the Holidays at Antone's Night Club with MC Alex Jones.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - Tuesday December 11th, 7:00PM, Screening at Lockies' new venue, The Northern - 73-75 Oldham St, Manchester M4

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, ENGLAND - Sunday December 9th, 7:00PM - The Picturedrome - 222 Kettering Road Northampton NN1 4BN Tel: 01604 230 777

LONDON, ENGLAND - Saturday December 8th, 9:00PM Artivist Film Festival at the Genesis Cinema.

NEW ORLEANS - Friday December 6th, 9:00PM ADW will be screened at the 2007 International Drug Policy Reform Conference.

NEW ORLEANS - Wednesday December 5th, 7:00PM ADW will be screened at Tulane University.

VERMONT - Kriya Studio: Fri Nov 16th 5:30pm - 8:30pm, Sat Nov 17th 5:30pm - 8:30pm, Tues Nov 20th, 5:00pm - 7:00pm, Wed Nov 21st, 5:00pm - 7:30pm, Tues Nov 27th, 5:00pm - 7:30pm, Wed Nov 28th, 5:00pm - 7:30pm and Thurs Nov 29th, 5:00pm - 7:30pm.

SEATTLE - Friday November 9th, 7:00PM & 9:30PM Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice Friday Night at The Meaningful Movies - Keystone Church 5019 Keystone Place North Seattle (Free)

HOLLYWOOD - Friday November 9th, 9:00PM Egyptian Theater ARTIVIST 2007 film festival (awards ceremony on the 11th)


Colorado Rocky Mountain High Tour

Colorado Springs University of Colorado
Thursday September 27th, 5:00-9:00 p.m.
University Center Room 302
Admission: Free and open to public, Free Parking in Lots 3 and 4
Contact: Terrence Webster twebster@uccs.edu

Pueblo Colorado State University
Friday September 28th, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00p.m.
The Underground of the OUC Building
Contact: Shawn Jones 719.549.2151

Fort Collins Colorado State University
Friday, September 28th, 7:00 p.m.
Engineering Building 100
(auditorium in Engineering, directly east of the LSC)
Contact: ssdpcsu@gmail.com or amandabroz@gmail.com


Silver Lake Film Festival, Hollywood, CA

May 2nd - 12th 2007 - AMERICAN DRUG WAR was one of hundreds of entries from around the world. Competing against nine professionally produced feature documentaries, the final version of the film won best doc. Participants included - Roger Mayer, Hal Hartley, Parker Posey, the directors of "Little Miss Sunshine, Circle Jerks and John Doe of X. "Los Angeles' leading independent film, music & art festival" Film critic Emanuel Levy.


Druid Underground Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA

March 11th 2007 - Honorary screening, promoted by an independent group of film students in Echo Park in Los Angeles, CA.


DIY Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA

February 9th 2007 - Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Blvd. AMERICAN DRUG WAR director Kevin Booth wins best "Do It Your Self" filmmaker in Hollywood CA. Participants included writer/director Henry Jaglom and Richard Martini.


Brave New Books Exclusive Screening, Austin, TX

November 26th 2006 - Sold out screening in Kevin's hometown, produced and promoted by radio host Jack Blood (Fox News) and several local activists. The film received a standing ovation.


Evil city Film Festival, New York, NY

October 11th 2006 - AMERICAN DRUG WAR makes its World debut in New York's East Village. Chaired by Morgan Spurlock & Mary Harron, this early version of the film won against some stiff competition. Several writers from High Times magazine attended the screening and gave the film its first review.

Note from Kevin:

Because of the masses of footage and incredible complexity of this subject, creating a final edit has taken almost a year. Being able to screen the film in its various stages of completion has been a gift and crucial to bringing my personal story into this controversial realm. With four years of total production the festival wins have helped to keep morale high but it was the opportunity of showing the film to various live audiences that ended up being the most invaluable step in making AMERICAN DRUG WAR such a powerful political statement. So now that my phones are tapped and I owe monthly payments to a drug king pin, hope you enjoy...
]]> http://www.americandrugwar.com http://www.americandrugwar.com American Drug War News Archives Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:00:00 GMT Judge Reduces Sentence for Ricky Ross

England MS Patients to be Given Cannabis Spray Drug

The War on Drugs Hits Close to Home for Some ADW Affiliates; The Battlefield: South Central L.A.

Studies show marijuana may grow nuerons in the brain

The same cannabinoid compound naturally found in marijuana is also naturally produced in humans

Marc Emery arrested, DEA expands attack

Visit narconews.com for the complete re-published Dark Alliance series by Gary Webb

FDA Approves Harvard MAPS Study on Ecstasy: Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies to sponsor the study of MDMA on anxiety suffered by cancer patients

27 year old Jonathon Magbie who is paralyzed from the neck down suffocated to death in a jail cell while serving a 10 day, 1st offense sentence for marijuana possession

HR 1528 States that if you do not snitch on your family members, friends, and neighbors for any drug possession you will have to to jail - PLEASE HELP FIGHT HR 1528

AN URGENT SACRED COW OFFICIAL ADVISORY: Don't get arrested in Arizona folks, because Sheriff Joe Arpaio runs the show.

Read about conditions suffered by a UK stock broker at www.gaurdian.co.uk

Read about Kevin Booth's interview with the sheriff at www.sacredcow.com

Angel's Fight to Stay Alive: Read about the Raich v. Ashcroft federal medical cannabis lawsuit at angeljustice.com

Dog Intimidation at an Alabama Private Prison Protest plus updates on the story

Gary Webb, the author of Dark Alliance, was found dead

If you are interested in Gary Webb's 'Dark Alliance', please read the book's forward written by congresswoman Maxine Waters at Amazon.com

DRUGS AND THE CIA: Watch MSNBC news coverage featuring Gary Webb + American Drug War affiliates Cele Castillo and Ricky Ross






Read more about Gary Webb at Mike Rupert's website www.fromthewilderness.com

Read a transcript of one of Gary Webb's most memorable and acclaimed speeches on drug trafficking and journalism

Read Alex Jones' take on the death of Gary Webb at www.infowars.com

Alex Jones controversy: Mike Rupert and Alex Jones disagree over the death of Gary Webb

See Kevin Booth visiting Tommy Chong in prison

Read more on CNN about current medical marijuana news

US Congressman Slams Drug War

Bush's plans to screen whole US population for mental illness is a thinly veiled scam to boost pharmaceutical profits: Read about it on World Net Daily News, News Target Network (story 1, story 2), + more

See the story behind the fabricated drug bust in Tulia, Texas from the Friends of Justice and Cannibus News

Watch footage about the Tulia Bust on Drug War TV

Read about Sacred Cow's visit to Tulia, Texas

See Kevin Booth's American Drug War Documentary Updates

PBS Frontline News: 'Drug Wars' and The Hunt for Howard Marks

MSNBC: Keith Olberman interviews Claudia Jensen on the benefits of medical marijuana for children with ADD - click below





Read a transcript of the interview on Cannibus News

Cannibus News: This Is Your Government on Drugs

The Unjust Media: The Bush Cheney Drug Empire

The Marijuana Policy Project: The New Politics of Pot

The Global Coalition for Alternatives to the Drug War
]]> http://www.americandrugwar.com http://www.americandrugwar.com American Drug War Synopsis Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:00:00 GMT The Last White Hope

35 years after Nixon started the war on drugs, we have over one million non-violent drug offenders living behind bars.
The War on Drugs has become the longest and most costly war in American history, the question has become, how much more can the country endure? Inspired by the death of four family members from "legal drugs" Texas filmmaker Kevin Booth sets out to discover why the Drug War has become such a big failure. Three and a half years in the making, the film follows gang members, former DEA agents, CIA officers, narcotics officers, judges, politicians, prisoners and celebrities. Most notably the film befriends Freeway Ricky Ross; the man many accuse for starting the Crack epidemic, who after being arrested discovered that his cocaine source had been working for the CIA.
AMERICAN DRUG WAR shows how money, power and greed have corrupted not just drug pushers and dope fiends, but an entire government. More importantly, it shows what can be done about it. This is not some 'pro-drug' stoner film, but a collection of expert testimonials from the ground troops on the front lines of the drug war, the ones who are fighting it and the ones who are living it.
After 4 years of production including several sold out test screenings in New York, Austin & Los Angeles, the final version of American Drug War "the last white hope" is locked and loaded.

120 Minutes on DVD
]]> http://www.americandrugwar.com http://www.americandrugwar.com American Drug War Director Bio Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:00:00 GMT
Kevin started out in the music business in the late 80s when his band Year Zero signed a major contract with Chrysalis records. The band toured for several years with the single "Hourglass" playing in regular rotation on MTV. While living in Texas, Kevin went on to produce several records, music videos and short films. Today many people know Kevin from his work with the late great comedian Bill Hicks. Kevin produced most of Bills CD's and filmed the early full-length shows that lead to Bill's HBO specials and Letterman appearances.

At the turn of the century, Kevin developed his film making in a more political direction and produced several films with conspiracy guru Alex Jones about WACO and 9-11, while still directing comedy DVD's with Fear Factor's Joe Rogan and Comedy Central's Doug Stanhope. In May of 2004, Kevin traveled to Britain to promote his first book "Agent of Evolution" about his life with Bill Hicks, published by Harper Collins U.K.

Following Bill's death and the loss of several family members to alcohol, cigarettes and pharmaceuticals, Kevin decided to produce a feature length documentary exploring America's failed Drug War. The discovery that the government classifies Marijuana as being more dangerous than Crack or Crystal Meth was the start of a four year mission to sort the facts from the fiction and pick apart the paradoxes of America's longest running war. This lead to unexpected associations with characters like Bloods founder- T. Rodgers, and Freeway Ricky Ross, the man blamed for starting the Crack epidemic with cocaine supplied by the CIA. AMERICAN DRUG WAR is Kevin's debut as narrator and the start/first of a series of films that will build on his ability to untangle the myths and present serious subjects with a dry wit and eye for the absurd.

2007 "AMERICAN DRUG WAR" Producer/Director/Writer/Editor - Currently in Film Festivals
2005 "Bill Hicks - Sane Man" Producer/Director/Editor - Ryko/Warner - Home Video
2005 "Bill Hicks - Agent of Evolution" Author - Harper Collins UK
2004 "Alex Jones - Martial Law" Producer - Infowars/Genesis Network - DVD
2001 "Doug Stanhope - Word of Mouth" Producer/Director/Editor - Indie dist. DVD
2000 "Joe Rogan - Belly of the Beast" Producer/Director/Editor - Indie dist. DVD
1999 "Alex Jones - Adventures of a Conspiracy" Producer/Director/Editor DVD
1997 "Velvet Rut" Producer/Performer - Black Eden Music - CD
1996 "Bill Hicks - Rant In E Minor & Arizona Bay" Producer/Performer Ryko/Palm Pictures
1994 "It's Just A Ride" Interviewee/Contributor - BBC - Comedy Central
1991 "Bill Hicks Relentless" Producer/Performer - Invasion Records
1990 "Ninja Bachelor Party" Producer/Director/Editor/Performer
1987 "Year Zero" Performer - Chrysalis Records/MTV
1984 University of Texas R.T.F/Electrical Engineering

www.kevinbooth.com
]]> http://www.americandrugwar.com http://www.americandrugwar.com American Drug War Press Quotes Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:47:10 GMT Austin Chronicle - Josh Rosenblatt
"Any movie that features interviews with comedian Tommy Chong, a former drug czar, and the founder of the Bloods street gang is doing something right."

Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice - Rick Turner
"I haven't seen a film that covered the breadth of a topic like this one in a very long time."

High Times Magazine - Mary Ought Six
"Brace yourself for Afghani opium, interviews with a former drug czar and Amsterdam's lone crack connoisseur, and basic bad-guy bedlam in this informative documentary"

CBS Radio - Todd David Schwartz
"FOUR STARS (Highest Rating). A mind-altering experience. This is an exceedingly important documentary."

Cinephelia - C. Dempsey
"Kevin Booth has constructed a film that is worth more than a watch. "AMERICAN DRUG WAR" is worth some serious frontal lobe absorption. This is a documentary that will show you just how well the war on drugs is going. And let me tell you it really seems to be going great. Drug use is up, education is down and all while you the taxpayer keep pouring the money in."

THCene - Martin Muencheberg
"English translation: All audiences should see this movie as it is very interesting how it analyses the American 'War on Drugs' in an entertaining way."

Ain't it Cool News - Elston Gunn
"Kevin Booth's film AMERICAN DRUG WAR: an opening and compelling examination of the war on drugs"

Drug Policy D.C. - George Soros group
"This is not some 'pro-drug' stoner film, but a collection of expert testimonials from the ground troops on the front lines of the drug war"
]]> http://www.americandrugwar.com http://www.americandrugwar.com American Drug War Reivews Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:32:25 GMT Rap Reviews.com (Click Here for the Full Review)
By Justin 'The Shiznute' Chandler

The new film by documentarian Kevin Booth is an all-encompassing look at the American drug trade, with a liberal slant bordering on conspiracy that suggests that our own government strategically overflows the streets with the product in order to further increase the disparity between the elitist rich and the poorest of the poor much in the way that legal pharmaceuticals are managed (or rather mismanaged) to cater to the special interest group. Going a step further is the notion that the title suggests; that there is an inherent racism that undermines the whole thing. The effect his argument has will be greatly determined by your previous disposition on the matter and the overstuffed 118-minute film will not do a whole lot to change your mind on the monumental problem, but may further raise an eyebrow of doubt towards most all government officials.

Colorado Springs Independent (Cinefiles for June 12th 2008)
By Matthew Schniper

If you haven't realized yet that the $60 billion-a-year drug war is a national farce, please - for the love of peaceful, bong-sucking hippies everywhere - let this well-researched film show you why. Filmmaker Kevin Booth masterfully argues against the costly imprisonment of non-violent drug offenders.

Through interviews with judges, CIA and DEA agents, civic leaders, gangsters and a few celebs, he highlights the drug epidemic's shameful history. From his charge that the CIA is flooding destitute African American communities with crack (ultimately a campaign of ethnic cleansing, he argues) to our government's involvement in global drug trade (Afghan opium, anyone?), the story is bleak but it offers alternatives.

You don't need to do drugs to care; every taxpayer should be outraged.

The Texas Observer (Blog Article)
By Brad Tyer

This Is Your War On Drugs

Got pot? If so, take comfort that you're one of an estimated 80 million Americans who've at least tried the supposedly dangerous Schedule 1 drug, But do you know where your drug money actually goes? Is it funding terrorists, as the post-9/11 advertising campaign would have you believe?

Well, no, according to American Drug War: The Last White Hope, a compellingly researched new documentary by Austin filmmaker Kevin Booth that does an admirable job of following the money.

In the case of the United States' war on drugs, the modern incarnation of which was launched by Richard Nixon in 1971, Booth makes the case that the ostensible battle is more accurately an economic incentive program for the private prison industry, funded out of self-interest by the Partnership for a Drug Free America (essentially a front group for legal drug industries, i.e. pharmaceuticals, alcohol, and tobacco) and waged by a series of increasingly ineffective administration-appointed Drug Czars, including current title-holder John Walters. You've never heard of him, Booth argues, because the current drug economy is working the way it should: drugs are flowing, prisons are full, and Wall Street is happy.

In painting this ugly picture, Booth traces the connections between the Iran/Contra debacle, infamous Los Angeles street dealer Ricky Ross, controversial CIA-cocaine connection journalist Gary Webb, Oliver North, Panamanian henchman Manuel Noriega, Phoenix's tough-love anti-drug sheriff Joe Arpaio, pro-pot comedian/martyr Tommy Chong, the PATRIOT ACT, and the equally inscrutable war of terror.

Along the way, Booth questions why Afghanistan's heroin production actually increased after the American invasion, gives Clinton-era Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey enough on-camera rope to make him look like a self-satisfied and not entirely bright tool, recontextualizes Osama bin Laden as a drug kingpin propped up by prohibition, and makes a convincing case that the drug war is not so much winnable as fund-able. The Office of National Drug Control Policy is budgeted at $18.5 billion for 2008.

Meanwhile, the burgeoning private prison industry finds itself a beneficiary of the million-plus nonviolent drug offenders currently behind bars in the U.S.

Observer fans will be curious to see reference to staff reporter Forrest Wilder's Daily Texan reporting on the for-profit prison industry, and yet another examination of the drug war gone awry in Tulia, told through interviews with lawyer Jeff Blackburn and recently deceased fall-guy Joe Moore.

Booth's narrative is hardly subtle (though he does manage to make it personal by including the legal and illegal drug-related deaths of his brother and friend), and the slightly ham-handed approach (Booth would have you believe that the solution to all these problems is to be found in Amsterdam-style decriminalization of "organic" drugs like marijuana and mushrooms) does a good job of hammering home the essential point: America's war on drugs is incredibly costly, appallingly ineffective, and irretrievably entrenched.

American Drug War is strong medicine, impeccably sourced, and the DVD - which recently took top honors in four consecutive film festivals - is due to hit stores May 27. If you already agree with its premise, you'll find further ammunition for your next argument. And if the film's hypothesis sounds to you like just another round of paranoid conspiracy-theorizing, you just might learn something from it.

Josh Rosenblatt - Austin Chronicle (PDF)


What's It Good For?
Kevin Booth examines our country's disastrous 'War on Drugs'
By Josh Rosenblatt

Six years and countless billions of dollars into the global war on terror, it's clear we're in this thing for the long haul. Fortunately for our current policy-makers, the United States has a little experience waging perpetual war against nebulous foes. Take our War on Drugs, now 36 going on 37, which is the perfect example of a war without end, one waged by an ideologically entrenched government against multiple invincible enemies. Each year the budget for this war grows larger, and each year it becomes more profitable for those who support it. Turns out there's money to be made in selling supplies to people bringing drugs into this country and in incarcerating those unlucky enough to get caught holding them.

This is the tangled world director/writer/former Austinite Kevin Booth dives into with his new documentary, American Drug War: The Last White Hope, which is having its Austin premiere this Thursday, Dec. 20, at Antone's before screening on Showtime in March. The film is a two-hour trip through the looking glass of American drug policy, taking viewers from the crack-strewn streets of Los Angeles to the meth-fueled prisons of Arizona, from the halls of Congress to Booth's own family kitchen, in an effort to make sense of a national drug policy that manages to cost $60 billion a year and imprison 1 million nonviolent offenders yet has no discernible effect on the sale or use of drugs. Along the way, Booth introduces us to soldiers from all sides of the war (any movie that features interviews with comedian Tommy Chong, a former drug czar, and the founder of the Bloods street gang is doing something right) and takes us inside the vast, corporate prison-industrial complex/CIA-funded machine profiting off its proliferation.

If you're beginning to suspect American Drug War is some kind of conspiracy movie (a suspicion that won't be allayed by the fact that Thursday's premiere is being hosted by Alex Jones), Booth assures me the facts are much more harrowing than any theory could ever be. While shooting the film over 41/2 years (during which time he saw several friends and family members die as a result of their own legal addictions to alcohol, tobacco, and over-the-counter medications), he says, "I learned that you don't need to use conspiracy theories to expose what's going on with our government or our world these days."
"Most generations have their own war," he continues. "My parents fought in World War II, but what's going on with this new era of corporatism really is our generation's war. When private corporations become responsible for imprisoning us, sickening us, looting us, I think it's a war." In other words, the Drug War now exists on three fronts: the war against the distributors, the war against the users, and now the war by concerned Americans against government institutions and corporate entities profiting off the casualties of fronts one and two. Who needs bin Laden when we've got ourselves to fight?

Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice


What an incredible film you've produced. We had a nearly SRO crowd of about 160 folks. This was on the evening of the last public testimony at the FCC hearings (scheduled by our commissioners with only a few days notice), and I thought the crowd would be unusually light. Thousands did go to the hearings and we still had a crowd. Clearly there is a hunger for information on this subject.

This is a much longer film than we usually show, but all were still glued to the screen to the end. I haven't seen a film that covered the breadth of a topic like this one in a very long time.

Our panelists all had great points to make and complemented the film well, bringing the issue home to Seattle and Washington State; but the LEAP representative, Matt McCally, was incredible with his very clear explanation of the absurdity of our current drug laws. Council Member Larry gusset discussed the hard statistical facts as they impact us here, as well.

I think that many were not aware of the depth and impact of this drug war. Even some of our savvy political folks where taken aback by some of the information on the Iran Contra affair, particularly the history of Ricky Ross. Our facilitator, Sunil Aggarwal, a researcher in medical geography, esp cannabinoids, thought that the portions on psychedelics, medical applications, and the death and dying aspects were particularly good.

Many had great comments on the bitter-sweet humor in the Sherriff Joe Arpaio story. The testimony of Judge Gray could have been a film all by itself - incredible. The street scenes and interviews were profound. It's amazing that you got the coverage you did (in all portions of the film). Glad you're still with us!

Thanks again for such an incredible film. And for allowing us to be part of it.

All the very best!

Rick Turner
Wallingford Neighbors for Peace and Justice

High Times Magazine



CBS Radio (PDF)


AMERICAN DRUG WAR

FOUR STARS (Highest Rating). A mind-altering experience. This is an exceedingly important documentary. It makes a clear case for why the so-called 'war on drugs' has been -- and will continue to be -- such a colossal failure. We have spent billions upon billions of dollars trying to prevent the influx of substances so many Americans demand to have, and the availability of illicit drugs is at an all-time high.

This 'war on drugs' is one of the worst examples of our government's embarrassing close-mindedness and immaturity, not to mention lack of sophistication, bravery, and foresight.

The film depicts the hypocrisy of this failed policy: marijuana and cocaine are illegal, yet alcohol and tobacco are perfectly legal, these latter two substances having caused more damage and ruination than any other substances to which our government has given its stamp of approval.

And speaking of hypocrisy, the film also chronicles the Iran Contra scandal, our government's sickening, morally debauched effort to actually facilitate the introduction of illegal drugs into society, utilizing the profits to finance a wholly illegal military operation.

While Booth quite understandably argues that this 'war' is a ludicrous waste, he is open-minded and intellectually honest enough to show the devastation that drugs (mostly of the legal variety) have wreaked upon close friends and members of his family. So, in the end, he presents a wide-ranging, multi-faceted look at the problem: Yes, drugs destroy lives, but this 'war' has proven to be a meaningless and ill-conceived solution. There's so much to consider here, and Kevin Booth has done an outstanding job of providing the appropriate fodder for contemplation and, hopefully, political action.

-- Todd David Schwartz
Contributing Arts & Entertainment Critic, The Paul Mitchell Show, CBS Radio

Cinephelia.com


Title: American Drug War
Director: Kevin Booth
Country: United States
Rating: 8
Reviewer: C Dempsey

America. Home of the free, home of the brave and home of excess. We like to eat, we like to fuck and more importantly we like to get fucked up. Drugs have become a part of our very foundation. Apple pie has given way to China white. A great pudding recipe handed down from your grandmother will get you nowhere, but a solid crystal meth recipe handed down from your uncle Carl will get you everywhere. Is it sad? I'm not sure, but it is a long way from happy. Just in my lifetime drug use has come out from behind closed doors, stereotypes of users have been abolished, it is in the media, it is a part of the people we are... and all of this happened while an invisible war has been in action.

American Drug War is a documentary that will show you just how well the war on drugs is going. And let me tell you it really seems to be going great. Drug use is up, education is down and all while you the taxpayer keep pouring the money in. Seriously, I knew a lot of this stuff from reading my left wing propaganda for years, but man the whole thought of our government running both sides of this war is enough to make anyone's blood pressure rise. As with anything there are going to be non-believers as the film's credits roll. Those same people though have the internet at their fingertips and still don't know that it is for more than downloading music and porn. Eventually Darwin will take over and those people will phase themselves out. For the rest of us, those with a wider grasp for the bigger picture there are films like American Drug War that remind us that we aren't along as we struggle to find truth in the bullshit.

Kevin Booth has constructed a film that is worth more than a watch. American Drug War is worth some serious frontal lobe absorption. The film moves in and out of every aspect of the growth and use of drugs in the American culture. For example, do you remember Oliver North before Fox News fame? All I could remember was his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal... which he came out a hero. What if I told you that he could be one of the main drivers of the crack epidemic that destroyed the parts of California. I won't tell you though, I'll let Kevin. What if I told you that the spread of crack can be attributed to one central marketing mastermind. I won't tell you about Freeway Ricky Ross though, I'll let Kevin. If you can think it and it has to do with the spread of drugs Booth has it covered. The only agenda that Booth has is promoting a new kind of awareness through the facts that aren't always presented through the media. The facts presented shed some light on the black market. You will realize that you have seen commercials for crack, that you marijuana isn't even close to heroin and that Joe Arpaio is a delusional lunatic.

American Drug War is a serious film and yet another film that questions the intentions of the government who watches over us. The film is full of interview after interview that creates a central idea for the viewer to walk away from and break down. I loved the footage with Tommy Chong, truly a great camera capture. Booth got close to Joe Arpaio and showed me how far to the right a person can possibly go. The gem in the film to me however was the interview footage with Freeway Ricky Ross. Booth did not get into the prison to sit with Ross, the conversations take place over the phone. I believe this works out better than an actual in person would have. For some reason when you hear Ross' voice you don't hear a drug dealer, you hear a man. With no image for you to look at, no prison blues, Ross comes across like the common man. He comes across like a man you can believe. Maybe this fooled me, but I like to think not. I guess though that very idea on Ross sums up the movie pretty well. The film isn't over your head, it isn't too smart for it's own good, it isn't tailored for a side. The film is a question, a question in tolerance. The tolerance of American citizens putting up with the bullshit of their government versus the tolerance of the US government on it's drug using citizens.

THCene - Martin Muncheberg "Berlin"

AMERICAN DRUG WAR

Es war fast zwei Uhr morgens, als ich Kevin Booth in Los Angeles anrief. Fur ihn war der spate Nachmittag die bevorzugte Tageszeit fur ein ausfuhrliches Gesprach uber Drogen, Politik, Versagen und seinen Film:

Obwohl ich zunachst nur eine Rohschnitt-Fassung des Films sehen konnte, erschien mir das politische Potential dieser spannenden Dokumentation gewaltig zu sein und ich war uberaus beeindruckt. Diesem Film ist ein groBes Publikum zu wunschen, da er sehr kritisch, aber auch auf unterhaltsame Weise den amerikanischen "War on Drugs" analysiert. Die Ruckschlusse aus dieser Analyse scheinen unglaublich und sind doch logisch. Und beangstigend dazu.

Text: Martin Muncheberg

English Translation

AMERICAN DRUG WAR it was nearly two o'clock in the morning, when I called Kevin Booth in Los Angeles. For it the late afternoon was the preferential time of day for a detailed discussion over drugs, politics, failure and its film: Although I could see first only one raw cut version of the film, the political potential of this exciting documentation appeared to me to be enormous and I was extremely impressed. A large public is to be wished to this film, since it was very critically, in addition, in unterhaltsame way the American "on Drugs" analyzed. The conclusions from this analysis seem unbelievable and are nevertheless logical. And frightening to it.

Text: Martin Muencheberg

Further information: www.sacredcow.com

Ain't it Cool News



Elston Gunn Interviews Director Kevin Booth Of AMERICAN DRUG WAR

I'm Elston Gunn...

Kevin Booth's film AMERICAN DRUG WAR, an eye-opening and compelling examination of the war on drugs, won the Best Documentary awards at both the DIY and Evil City film festivals, the latter of which featured filmmakers Morgan Spurlock and Mary Harron as judges.

Additionally, High Times magazine gave the film four full buds, it's highest rating (no pun intended). Booth, who authored the book BILL HICKS: AGENT OF EVOLUTION about his best friend and notable cult comedian, was inspired by the loss of those close to him to legal substances to try and make sense of what is dubbed "the longest, most costly and destructive war in American history." And oh, the things he discovers. Three minutes into the doc we are told the main source of funding for Partnership of a Drug Free America comes from the tobacco and alcohol industries. Booth captures the perspectives from a former LAPD narcotics officer, gang members, prisoners, cops, a sheriff, a former New Mexico governor, civil rights attorneys, Tommy Chong and Ricky Ross from jail and a host of others.

AMERICAN DRUG WAR along with the Bill Hicks karate comedy epic NINJA BACHELOR PARTY will be screening at the Druid Underground Film Festival at the Il Corral in Los Angeles this Sunday, March 11, at 7 pm.

Booth took some time to answer questions for AICN.

[Elston Gunn]: You were prompted by the alcohol, cigarette and prescription drug related deaths of family members and friends to personally find out exactly why these drugs are legal and others are not. At what point did you realize you should make a documentary about this? Where did you start?

[Kevin Booth]: When my mom was dying from liver failure, she was in an ICU unit with several others facing the same fate, all from a life of hard drinking. I was hit with this horrible smell that sickened me so deeply that I instantly lost my appetite for alcohol. After attending my third funeral in a row, I realized that the corporate culprits, Smirnoff, Dewar's, RJ Reynolds, DuPont and others, would never be punished. Perhaps the last straw that angered me was the brilliant Nick & Norm ad campaign launched by the post-9/11 Bush administration in which the government was claiming that pot smokers support terrorism. So, in a way, this three and a half year journey has been fueled by hatred for a government that has long sold out to corporations.

[EG]: At any point did you think the topic was too broad? From prisons to medical marijuana,to gangs to the CIA and Afghan poppy farmers to Joe Rogan smoking weed on camera, you could've made a miniseries.

[KB]: It's a good thing you didn't see the first cut. I suppose my aim with this film was to show the many fronts that this war is being waged against the American people. I guess the trick is getting all these subjects together in one film and not having it feel like the ramblings of a schizophrenic. Hopefully, the final edit currently under way will achieve this, but perhaps someday it could be a miniseries.

[EG]: Why do you think the drug war seems to be such a huge failure? Is it simply money?

[KB]: For those waging the war it has been an incredible success, it's a perfect business model, the government profits from distributing drugs into the ghettos of America and then profits from locking people up for using those drugs. The drug war is only a failure for the rest of us who must suffer from the greed of these corporate shills.

[EG]: The privatization of prisons and the part that plays in the drug war was particularly fascinating. When did you first learn about that?

[KB]: It's the coincidences that kill me, such as during the Reagan administration, oddly enough, we had mandatory minimum sentencing for drug possession. Reagan's Drug Act that made the penalties for crack a hundred times worse than powdered cocaine and, lo and behold, private corporations being allowed to build and run prisons. What's the point of building all those new Wal-Mart's if you can't fill them with customers?

[EG]: The comparison of the Prohibition era to the drug war was interesting and you raised the question "Is meth a modern day moonshine?" Plus, you had people who were unfamiliar with meth in Amsterdam.

[KB]: The problem is that most young people today don't know anything about Prohibition. It's interesting to note that Prohibition didn't end because they decided booze was good for glaucoma or even some moral issue. The number one killer drug, alcohol, was legalized because they realized it was so profitable. People should also note that when alcohol was made legal the moonshine business became non profitable. When the police ask users if they prefer crystal meth to cocaine they never add "what if cocaine was cheap?" Because when I ask meth head tweakers that question they always say they would rather have cocaine.

Why would people do crystal meth if they could have a real drug that comes from the Earth? I wish everyone who considers themselves to be a Christian would examine the organic basis of the drug laws in Amsterdam. Do you trust guys in white lab coats who only answer to a board of directors, or do you trust a plant that has been growing on this Earth long before mankind existed? Believing that both evolution and all of the religions that preach brotherhood are true, I'm am going to have to go with God and not the lab guys, even if he or she is only the lesser of two evils.

[EG]: In your own words what was it about Ricky Ross' story that you felt was important to the film as opposed to other individuals you could have talked to?

[KB]: To me the story of Freeway Ricky Ross is as American as apple pie a la crack. Not only is it the "Scarface" rags-to-riches tale, it's also the story of Oliver North and the Iran Contra scandal that most Americans seemed to have forgotten. It's outrageous enough that Rick is the only one of those guys serving time, but the co-conspirators of North/Reagan are back to their old tricks working in the new Bush White House. For those of you rolling your eyes, Google "Crack & CIA."

[EG]: Interesting that you have a former smuggler, a former DEA agent and a former Republican governor of New Mexico essentially saying the same similar things.

[KB]: I guess its nice to know that folks on both sides of the law are still willing to tell the truth even though it may not always be the most profitable choice. I believe that this tidal wave of indignation focused toward the Bush administration is long overdue. It's like a domino effect; once people wake to the scam of Waco, Okalahoma City or 9/11 all these phony drug laws become more and more politically obvious. I thank God that the average American seems to have gotten over the "the government cares about me" hurdle that everyone seemed to be stuck on after 9/11.

[EG]: I'm sure investigative journalist Gary Webb was someone you would've really wanted to interview, whose story prompts me to ask... any concern for your safety? Mike Ruppert said some pretty ballsy things, too.

[KB]: I know it may sound trite, but Gary Webb was one of the next people I was going to interview when I got the news about his "death" - "suicide" - "assassination?" But for me I'm not really worried, because it's not like I'm pointing fingers at individual people like Ruppert or Webb. I mean, nobody ever got harmed exposing an evil government or corporation, did they? I mean, the government and the large corporations care about me, why would they want to harm me?

If the DEA says smoking POT will kill you and Bush's Texas body-double Rick Perry has mandated every young woman to take a cancer vaccination or they will face penalties, you got to believe it's true! Of course, the fact that Merck Pharmaceutical gave Rick Perry a quarter million dollars is pure coincidence. The drug war is proof positive that they care about us like a rancher cares about his herd. It's PROFIT & CONTROL.

[EG]: How important do you think it is to focus on the decriminalization of drugs versus legalization? Sometimes people use the terms synonymously, but there is a difference.

[KB]: I would be lying if I told you that we should legalize crystal meth, or many other strong drugs that will cause people to do crazy things. That said, does someone belong in prison for possessing these substances? And how do you draw a line between the type of person who would sell to a child or someone who is responsible and simply wishes to use behind closed doors, perhaps harming themselves, but not harming others. Seems like the basis of all laws in a free country should be based on Ye Old Ten Commandments deal.

Though shalt not Steal, Kill, Rape, you know all the real crimes. But as Republican Governor Gary Johnson says "we give people in some cases longer sentences for possession of marijuana than we do for murder or rape." I would like to hear Mr. DEA or Mr. Undercover Narc explain that one when someday he or she must pass through the pearly gates. "You see, God, we decided this plant you left growing everywhere poses too much of a threat to our entire industrial, war, pharmaceutical, prison machine... AHHH OK, you caught me, I just wanted to keep my job and I didn't care whose lives I destroyed."

[EG]: What was the most surprising aspect of the drug war to you?

[KB]: That none of these gung ho drug warriors have the guts to be on camera. In a way I really respect Sheriff Joe because he has the balls to allow everyone to see who he is, which is more then I can say for the bulk of them. If you're willing to ruin people's lives because of your personal beliefs, then have the balls to stand up and say why. But they don't because its all a bunch of gray-haired fearful little men who fight to protect Nixon's fraudulent war that in turn protects their profit margins.

Most every black person living in the ghetto will tell you that they hate the police. I don't hate the police; I hate the fact that these drug warriors are using my tax money to pay police for basically protecting the interests of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Pharmaceutical corporations. Don't take my word for it, look up the yearly death stats of all illegal drugs vs. Alcohol, Tobacco and Pharmaceutical.

Then look up the yearly death stats of marijuana and ask yourself, "Why would they lock people up for this?" Superior Court judge Jim Gray puts it best, "Eighty five percent of all illegal drug users only use marijuana, so if you took marijuana out of the equation, the entire drug war machine would crumble." It breaks my heart to think of all those prison guards losing their jobs, and they couldn't start selling drugs because if you end the drug war, dealing would cease to be profitable. Maybe all these drug warriors would be forced to get educations and real jobs. I'm a dreamer!

[EG]: What have been some of the biggest challenges in making the film and getting it seen?

[KB]: Prisons are as hard to get in as they are to get out, especially these private prisons. I think I could have had an easier time finding Bin Laden than what I went through trying to interview Tommy Chong while in federal prison. I also wanted to portray gangs in a different light, because I'm so sick of the same tired headline about the murderous gangs of Los Angeles, I always knew that these are people who are just playing the cards they have been dealt.

I highly recommend BASTARDS OF THE PARTY out on HBO to learn the true history of gangs in Los Angeles. I'm no journalist, who am I kidding, I'm so involved in everyone's lives now its ridiculous. I helped Bloods co-founder get a Paypal account and web site, trodgers.com, and I plan on starting a business with Ricky Ross when he gets released, not because he is some famous kingpin with his own BET special, AMERICAN GANGSTER, but because he is one smart motherfucker who I happen to like and respect as a person. (I could start the Adopt-a-Crack-Kingpin Foundation for guilty white people.)

[EG]: Any advice for aspiring documentarians?

[KB]: God, you better LOOOOVE your subject, and make sure the people your surrounded with are prepared to watch you transform into an obsessed single minded broken record. My poor wife, Trae, has been listening to me ramble every single day for the last 1350 days about the drug war, but I could have never done it without her. I'm coming on four years now, and even though I have won best documentary at the Evil City fest in NYC and the DIY fest in Hollywood, I am still working on the gersh-dang thing. Four years ago, I thought I would film for a few months and edit for a few months then watch the big bucks come rolling in. Classically, I chose a subject that is just so huge and complicated, but, truth-be-told, I love working on it and I will miss it when its all over.

[EG]: What projects are you working on next?

[KB]: After three years of doom and gloom I could use a change of pace. I'm currently in talks with director Curt Johnson about several different projects from a HALF BAKED pot comedy to another serious doc about the Patriot movement in Texas. The other night I actually attended a private Bloods rally to investigate the idea of setting a different type of story in a certain South Central neighborhood. At the rally I was exposed to this brown cylindrical shaped object with smoke trickling out of one end that caused me to become disoriented, the gang members call them "Blunt" or "da-Blunt?" I'll be able to tell you more about this curious artifact when the test results come back from the lab.

[EG]: I know you were close friends with Bill Hicks, any upcoming Hicks-related plans?

[KB]: Many American Hicks fans don't know that I have a book out on Harper Collins U.K,. BILL HICKS: AGENT OF EVOLUTION, available at sacredcow.com. Yes, there is a new Hicks doc in the works and it looks like it will be the best one yet, but my pale-skinned pals across the pond want to keep a lid on it for now.

For more info and updates on AMERICAN DRUG WAR, Hicks, Alex Jones, and other works of Kevin Booth check out SacredCow.com

Elston Gunn, elstongunn@hotmail.com, http://www.myspace.com/elstongunnaicn
]]> http://www.americandrugwar.com http://www.americandrugwar.com American Drug War Facts Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:48:23 GMT Freeway Ricky Ross was known as the Wal-Mart of Crack Cocaine and was getting his cocaine from a known CIA asset
the government classifies Marijuana as being more dangerous than Crack or Crystal Meth
during the Clinton and McCaffrey years millions of new non-violent Marijuana smokers, became incarcerated
the ever changing drug laws have become a perfect way to keep filling the profitable private prisons
several former convicted Iran Contra conspirators are back in today's Whitehouse
]]> http://www.americandrugwar.com http://www.americandrugwar.com American Drug War Music and Reading Tue, 1 Apr 2008 01:00:32 GMT Music and Reading
RECOMMENDED READING

Dark Alliance
Powder Burns
The King of Nepal
The Politics of Heroin
The I Chong
Why Our Drug Laws have Failed
9021 Grow
50 Most Asked Questions about Gangs
Lies my Home Boys Told Me
Crossing the Rubicon
Bill Hicks: Agent of Evolution
The Ricky Ross Story (not yet released)

RECOMMENDED MUSIC

The Fight Song
Written and performed by Brian Griffing
Spokane, WA

Ming
Written and performed by The Invisible Operators featuring The Cryptid
Kristian Zwart and Liam Verdaguer - UK

Jimmi Jive La Chenuega
Written and performed by Rockapellas
Steven Knox - UK

Subaquatic cellular Supersmile
Written and performed by Happy Panjoma
Mary Abshier - Austin, TX

Cobain's Disease
Written and performed by Litter Meet
Portland, OR

Hater
Written and performed by Josh Head - Produced by Tammie Sadler
Los Angeles, CA

Subliminal
Written and performed by Tammie Sadler
Los Angeles, CA

Drug War Theme Pt 1
Written and performed by Nick Knoc and Arthur John
Los Angeles, CA

Drug War Theme Pt 2
Written and performed by Nick Knoc and Arthur John
Los Angeles, CA

ExpHip
Written and performed by Nick Knoc
Los Angeles, CA

Punch
Written and performed by Nick Knoc
Los Angeles, CA

Tales of a Hustler
Written and performed by Dye Nasty
New York, NY

Get Ready
Written and performed by Jetsuns
Courtesy of Underwater Records
Austin, TX

Grits
Written and performed by Nick Knoc
Los Angeles, CA

Zen Medication
Written and performed by Litter Meet
Portland, OR

Slow Death
Written and performed by Fuzzy Sweater
Portland, OR

All Fall Down
Written and performed by Brian Griffing
Spokane, WA

V Town Krack Haus
Written and performed by Da-Watchman - M. Hare R. Hare for Dynamite Soul
New York, NY

Get Down
Written and performed by Da-Watchman
New York, NY

Fiend
Written and performed by Litter Meet
Portland, OR

JD
Written and performed by Bardo Pond
Capillary River (BMI)

Secret Sauce
Written and performed by Beat Banga
New York, NY

Gas Mask
Written and performed by Jetsuns
Courtesy of Underwater records
Austin, TX

F 2005
Written and performed by DJ-A1
Tokyo, Japan

Dark is the Night
Written and performed by Blind Willy Johnson
Columbia Records 1927 (P. Domain)

Private Prison
Written and performed by Paul Rose
UK

Strange Light
Written and performed by Fugazi
Courtesy of Dischord Records
Published by Fugazi Songs (BMI)

Alley
Written and performed by Nick Knoc with Arthur John
Los Angeles, CA

Toolish
Written and performed by Razor
San Francisco, CA

Bondage
Written and performed by Brilliantfish / Rob Greenway
Razor, Canada

Conners
Written and performed by Beat Banga
New York, NY

Private Number
Written and performed by Beat Banga
New York, NY

Maids
Written and performed by Litter Meet
Portland, OR

Isle
Written and performed by Bardo Pond
Capillary River (BMI)

Freedom on the streets
Written and performed by The Amsterdam Duo

Free
Written and performed by Bardo Pond
Capillary River (BMI)

Meet you in the Heavens
Written and performed by Rebel Soul Band
Venice Beach, CA

Magnificant
Written and performed by Happy Panjoma
Austin, TX

Engage Now
Written and performed by Flux Future
UK

Shaman
Written and performed by Danny Gomez
Brazil

The Night
Written and performed by Beat Banga
New York, NY

Sunmix
Written and performed by Hagler
Ireland

White Lines
Written and performed by DJ-RX
Vocals by GW Bush
New York, NY

Destroying Angel
Written and performed by Bardo Pond
Capillary River (BMI)

Terror Alert - Four Loners - Cool Undertow - Porno-Copia
Nixon Logic - Piss Test - Five Dollar Rock - Nevada Shuffle
Meth Lab Melt Down - Stash Bridges - Dumb Country Fuck Private Prison - Save-0n PCP - One Week Tweak-Thug Jug
One of these Dad's - Little Poppy - Coked out Contra
Funkport Kenny - Freeway Rick's Revenge

Written and performed by Kevin Booth
Recorded at SKYLINE Studios Hollywood, CA

]]> http://www.americandrugwar.com http://www.americandrugwar.com American Drug War Cast and Crew Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:25:21 GMT Tommy Chong
Actor and Comedian

Tommy was sentenced to 9 months in a privately owned federal prison camp, because his son was using his name to sell handmade bongs over the internet.

NPR Soundclip: Operation Pipe Dreams and US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan
see Kevin Booth visiting Tommy Chong in prison

Freeway Ricky Ross
convicted Crack king pin

Rick is thought by many to be the cause of the LA crack epidemic. It was not until after his arrest that he learned his cocaine was being supplied by the CIA.

www.copi.com
Read Ricky's SCP artist bio

Sheriff Joe Arpaio
Former Director of the DEA

Joe now runs one of the nations first 'Tent Cities' where prisoners live out-doors in temperatures exceeding 130 degrees. Joe is proud to be a pro drug warrior, and allows viewers to see how far to the right one man can go, with 12 cent meals, pink underwear and green baloney.

http://www.mcso.org

General Barry McCaffrey
Former DRUG CZAR

Four Star General Barry McCaffrey is best known for his 'this is your Brain on Drugs' ad campaign. It was during the Clinton/McCaffrey years that millions of new non-violent drug offenders, mostly Marijuana smokers, became incarcerated.

Celerino Castillo III
Ex-DEA Agent

Cele left the DEA after realizing that he was actually protecting drug shipments bound for the United States during Iran Contra.

www.powderburns.org
Read Cele's SCP artist bio

Mike Rupert
Former LAPD narcotics officer

Mike is best known as the man who stood up to the director of the CIA at the Watts hearings.

www.fromthewilderness.com
www.copvcia.com

Robert Steele
Ex-CIA Agent

After realizing that his job with the CIA was to protect the interests of huge corporations and not the American people, Robert left and has now become a major thorn in the side of his former employer.

http://www.oss.net

Joe Rogan
Actor and Comedian

Joe is proud of the fact that he smokes POT and is the poster boy to what I refer to as the most honest of all pot smokers - 'People who just want to get high'

joerogan.net
Read Rogan's SCP artist bio

Judge James Gray
Superior Court

Judge Gray faces endless drug related cases everyday and does not lose arguments when it comes to discussing the failings of the American Drug War.

Gary Johnson
Former Governor of New Mexico

Governor Johnson shocked the citizens of New Mexico when he tried to de-criminalize drug use.

Media Awareness Project: Johnson and Nader
Drug Policy Reformation: Bush's Drug Czar

Joe Pietri
Former International Drug Smuggler

Joe has paid his dues after losing everything he owns to drug seizures. While working in Nepal, Joe witnessed the effects of the Nixon administrations disastrous attempt to out-law drugs.

www.kingofnepal.net

Dr. Claudia Jensen
Pediatrician/Medical Marijuana specialist

When it come to prescribing her patients the best medicine possible, Claudia has not been afraid to fight the bullies on Capital Hill that fight hard to keep Marijuana illegal.

Testimony of Claudia Jensen M.D. for the House of Committee of Government Reform

Dr. Charles Grob
Director of Psychiatry U.C.L.A.

Cutting edge researcher conducting experiments by giving pharmaceutical psilocybin (mushroom) to dying patients.

T Rodgers
Bloods co-founder

T. has dedicated his life to keeping kids out of gangs. He has appeared in such films as 'Colors' and 'Training Day' and serves as our personal link to many Bloods affiliated gang members.

www.trodgers.com
Read T Rodgers SCP artist bio

Sergeant Lou Daigle
LAPD Drug Recognition Expert (Skid Row - Los Angeles)

Todd McCormick
Activist/Writer

Diagnosed with cancer at age 10 and served 6 years for giving free cannabis to dying people.

PCP Guy - 'Sherm'
Call in Skid Row that we answer

A call of a naked black man running into a restaurant. The man is hooded, sits bleeding with taser darts stuck in his back, while reciting poetry.

Also Starring

Jona Napier - Heroin addict
Tom Rhodes - comedian
Cynthia McKinney - congresswoman
Darrell "Lucky" Rodgers - son of T Rodgers - Bloods member
Dennis Kucinich - presidential candidate
Ron Paul - presidential candidate
Jello Biafra - Activist
Dr. Robert Melamede - researcher, University of Colorado
Dr. Gary Fisher - pioneer, psychedelics experiments
Jan Irvin - psychedelics expert
Michael Veiling - owner 420 Bar, Amsterdam
Jacki Raines - meanest deputy in Carazozo N.M.
Shelby Chong - wife of Tommy Chong
Paris Chong - son of Tommy who ran the glass blowing company
Boo Chong - son of Tommy
Paul Scott - dying of Aids who runs a Medical Marijuana dispensary in South Central LA
Halena Shendo - Mescalero Apache Tribe member
Craig X - Reverend of the Temple 420
Jeff Blackburn - civil rights attorney, Tulia, TX
Gary Gardner - town Red Neck with PHD, Tulia incident
Joe Moore - falsely accused Hog Farmer / so called King Pin, Tulia TX
Joe Henderson - father of victim, Tulia TX
Alan Bean - local Reverend, Tulia TX
Ice-berg and Kosmo - Bloods members
Chico Brown - co-conspirator, co-defendant of Ricky Ross
Frank Regan - Legal defense for Ricky Ross
Angela Ross - sister of Ricky Ross
John Duetch - former director of CIA
Mack Lindsay - teenage runaway - comedian
John Walko - serving 6 months on chain gang for 11 cents worth of crystal meth
Chain Gang - multiple sound bites from various chain gang members
Prisoners - several interviews with various prisoners
Meth Smoker - Skid Row, unknowingly smokes in front of police headquarters
Ronaldo - Amsterdam crack smoker
Tayngy Washington - crack smoker South Central
Pam Sakuda - Psilocybin patient
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