Jed Riffe’s film entitled Waiting to Inhale: Marijuana, Medicine and the Law is a poignant documentary covering the struggle to legalize medical marijuana in the U.S. for the treatment of chronic pain and terminal illness.

Just last week, Rep. Barney Frank (D- Massachusetts) and several democratic legislators called for the decriminalization of marijuana, stating that marijuana laws unfairly target African American communities and sick individuals who use medical marijuana with a doctor’s permit. Our current laws penalize responsible recreational users, overcrowd our prison system with minor offenders, and hurt people who use marijuana to relieve unbearable pain and sickness.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency continues its failed war on drugs with an attack on medical marijuana, stating that the drug is dangerous and has not held up to the rigors of science.

Despite these claims, Waiting to Inhale sheds light on countless research studies taking place around the globe that provide evidence of marijuana’s powerful medical applications. The film features some of the top AIDS researchers in the world who have found that marijuana is an important ally in the fight for health and wellness. (The drug also helps people suffering from cancer, seizures and several other medical ailments. For more on this, read Ironweed’s blog from guest blogger Oriana Iverson, a recent cancer survivor.)

This documentary gives a human face to those in the United States who suffer with debilitating illnesses. At one point in the film, a caring community of not-for-profit medical marijuana growers, providers and users is contrasted with members of a federal government sting operation who storm in and cut down medical marijuana plants with chainsaws. This excessive abuse of power yields tears from some of the sick patients who have benefitted from suppressed nausea, increased appetite and general well being with the practical application of medical marijuana.

Director Riffe reveals the power struggle between U.S. states which have legalized medical marijuana use and the heavy handed federal government that maintains its authority over these governments.

The film also contains some light-hearted information on historical marijuana use, displaying the ancient bottles and potions of traveling medical salesmen with a cure-all for any ailment, along with an explanation for the development of anti-marijuana government propaganda. Waiting to Inhale dispels the propaganda and reveals the truth, calling for compassionate and sensible legislation in the name of those who are suffering.