This time on shorts we’ll be looking at an interesting home-brewed documentary. For those who don’t know them, The Dagga Couple (Jules and Myrtle) are literally a couple that have taken the stance against the redundant laws regarding cannabis and are pushing for its re-legalisation and have become something of celebrities in this regard. In Dagga: The Truth! they give a brief history of cannabis (or dagga as it is known colloquially in South Africa) in Africa and their reasoning behind their battle against the courts for the liberation of the plant.
The short serves to oust the propaganda of the political machine in regard to cannabis laws in South Africa. Propaganda, it’s a word used frequently and the film plays more like a public service announcement than anything else, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The Truth plays on the couple’s strength and conviction the two have and nothing is sugarcoated – it’s an undisclosed message to “The Man” that enough is truly enough, get with the times, don’t bow down to draconian laws that aren’t founded on fact.
While I may not use cannabis, I support the idea that if there is no victim, it isn’t a crime (a statement echoed in the film). That said, I’m more of an advocate for the usage of industrial hemp as a sustainable, eco-friendly solution to a variety of industries that frankly aren’t quite up to snuff with this miracle plant. Everything from bricks to medicine and paper to bio fuel can be produced from the hemp plant – so question is, why aren’t we using it? Well the video above answers some of those questions but the internet is just packed with history and supporters that have all the info one could possibly need (although the popular reason is something along the lines of the American timber industry lobbying for hemp’s banning because it would cut into their business).
I’m uncertain what the couple’s demeanor is like when they’re high but they’re giving us the business here, it’s clear and while the message is certainly strong, I found it informative but emotionally unconvincing which added to the stern sentiment that this isn’t a joke nor a light hearted affair. In the end, it’s not a selfish endeavour, but rather a beneficial movement for society as a whole.
Image sourced from The Dagga Couple’s Facebook page
You can find more about The Dagga Couple on their website here. They also have a Facebook page which is updated frequently with interesting videos and some downright funny images.
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