Kid Cannabis (2014) is a dramedy that hits home for me. A good portion of the film takes place near where I live—British Columbia.
The movie follows an 18-year-old high school dropout who makes a killing trafficking BC Bud (marijuana from British Columbia) into Idaho. It’s almost a fish-out-of-water tale because this kid knows nothing about the nuts and bolts of drug trafficking. He quickly discovers he can make millions moving marijuana across the border. At one time, BC-grown marijuana had as much value as cocaine—if you were willing to take the risk, you could make a lot of money.
But the thing is, while marijuana may not be as harmful as other substances, as the movie shows, trafficking it is not a victimless crime. The problem doesn’t even come from the drug itself—it comes from the greed that takes hold when people get into this profession. How far would you go for the money?
What’s interesting to me is that I’ve seen the other side of this—the Canadian side. The drug trafficking business has resulted in a lot of deaths, a lot of innocent lives lost. Hell, I’ve known people who got involved in this kind of thing, and it just isn’t worth it. People like to say alcohol is worse than marijuana, but the kind of people who are willing to take the risk of smuggling weed across the border? They’re usually into other shady shit too. It’s rarely just marijuana. And the sad truth is, a lot of the illegal weed you get off the street isn’t even just marijuana—sometimes it’s laced with something else. Most people already know this, but this is what the movie explores.
The story follows Nate (played very well by Jonathan Daniel Brown) and his transformation from a naïve, G-Willikers-type kid into someone who goes fully to the dark side. The best way to describe this movie? It’s Breaking Bad, but with marijuana instead of meth. And there are a lot more laughs because it’s funny watching these dumb kids do stupid things. Almost all of them are reckless idiots, but they take the risk.
There are three standout supporting performances. First, Ron Perlman plays an Israeli gangster, Barry Lerner, and his intimidating presence is perfect. I love Ron Perlman in pretty much anything.
Then there’s John C. McGinley as a Canadian marijuana grower who is passionate about making the best, most organic product possible. His scenes describing weed are hilarious—he cares so much about the bud that I almost get a tear in my eye. And honestly, guys like him do exist over here, especially now that weed is legal in Canada. I’ve met people who treat marijuana as their whole life, almost like a spiritual experience.
Me? I can go to a store right now and buy as much weed as I want, but I don’t. I think it’s overrated. It makes me feel like shit. And the weed guys always say, “Oh, you’re just trying the wrong strain!” Nah, I just like being sober. The only vice I allow myself is one cup of coffee—maybe two, but that’s my hard limit.
The third great supporting character is an adopted Korean kid, the former top weed dealer in town, who gets jealous of Nate. He’s played by Aaron Yoo, and the guy is unhinged. Watching him lose his mind is fantastic. Aaron Yoo is a tremendous actor—I need to see more of his work.
This movie is based on real people. I looked them up—they all exist. One of them, played by Kenny Wormald, was actually shot and killed outside a bar recently. Sad, but we don’t know the full story. And look, murder is always wrong. If I have to say that out loud, then I don’t know what to tell you.
For a low-budget film, Kid Cannabis does a lot. The accuracy is impressive—the locations look like British Columbia, and they nailed the setting. It also successfully walks the line between comedy and drama. It’s hilarious, a great stoner flick, but it never glorifies what Nate does. You don’t root for him because, let’s be honest, he’s a piece of shit.
Still, it’s fun, engaging, and takes the subject seriously. Definitely a recommendation from me.
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