November 20, 2012

Help Spread The Word About Montana Medical Marijuana Provider Chris Williams

November 20, 2012
code of the west documentary marijuana google hangout

code of the west film marijuana chris williams‘Code Of The West’ Kickstarter Campaign Has 15 Days Left

If you don’t know about ‘Code Of The West’ and the story of Chris Williams, you need to check it out. No one should be looking at a virtual life sentence for growing medical marijuana. Below is information about the Kickstarter campaign:

Three years ago, I set out to tell the human story behind America’s failed War on Drugs and the state-by-state battle over regulation of medical marijuana. My research brought me to Helena, Montana where a battle was unfolding. I met Tom Daubert, Chris Lindsey and Chris Williams and heard about Richard Flor, co-founders of a medical marijuana business called Montana Cannabis that was trying to create a model for responsible caregiving in compliance with Montana state law, even while others were fighting to repeal that law. I started to shoot their stories for the documentary film CODE OF THE WEST.

Three years later, we’ve finished a first cut of the film and it premiered to critical acclaim in March at SXSW. But like many documentaries, the story lives on after the cameras stop rolling, and there have been significant developments since our premiere.

Since we premiered at SXSW, all four men have been indicted by the federal authorities, despite the state laws protecting their livelihood.

Chris Williams is currently behind bars. He was convicted on federal charges that carry a mandatory minimum of 80+ years in prison. Tom Daubert is serving five years probation after his defense lawyers used the film at his sentencing hearing. And Chris Lindsey is waiting for his sentencing hearing.

But it’s Richard Flor’s story that is most devastating. Sentenced to five years, he died tragically in federal custody this August.

Their stories are tragic examples of a sad reality: Even though 18 states have legalized medical marijuana and an overwhelming majority of Americans support these laws, law-abiding citizens in those states are still arrested and imprisoned by federal authorities every year. When it comes to drug policies, our justice system is unjust.

We need your help to update CODE OF THE WEST and bring these stories to a national audience.

We just got back from shooting in Montana and now we’re going back into the editing room to add these vital updates from Tom, Chris and Richard’s stories to the film. By telling their full stories, we can extend the impact that the film has already made and give it a much better chance of being aired on national television, bringing their stories to millions of homes and people who can act on their behalf.

The first version of CODE OF THE WEST has already played at dozens of film festivals, colleges, and grassroots screenings in towns and cities across America. These screenings have helped spark productive cross-partisan discussions about marijuana laws and are building a movement of organizers, advocates and informed citizens committed to reforming drug policy.

Become a Supporter

We’re raising more than $30,000 on Kickstarter to help us build on this momentum and use the film to fight for sensible drug policy reform so that medical marijuana growers like Chris Williams never have to face an 80+ year prison sentence again.

We hope you’ll consider making a pledge!

Whether it’s $5, $25, $100, $1000 or more, your contribution will help us update CODE OF THE WEST and bring these stories to the nation’s attention.

How the Money Will Be Spent

If we reach our goal of $30,000 by December 5, we’ll be able to reach two major objectives for the project:

1. Hire an award-winning editor to update the film with new scenes. If we’re successful, the new cut will be ready by Spring 2013!

2. Work with our current partner organizations, as well as engage additional organizations and influencers, in order to build the grassroots campaign to reform these failed drug policies and bring the film to cities and towns across America in 2013.

But all of this stuff adds up!

Washington State and Colorado just legalized marijuana for adult use regardless of medical condition, Massachusetts voted for medical marijuana, and Illinois appears to be on the verge to follow — this is just the beginning of a new chapter in the national drug reform saga. We want to share CODE OF THE WEST across America so that citizens voting on these issues can make informed decisions based the lessons learned in Montana.

We appreciate anything you can do to help us reach our goal. Any additional money raised will go into the campaign to bring the film to a wider audience.

Help us spread the word

Whether or not you can make a pledge, you can still help by spreading the word on Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other social media.

Tell your friends about the film on Twitter by linking to: https://kck.st/VBoNW9

Or use these pre-written tweets for your convenience!

Tweet this: We need an alternative to the War On Drugs. So I’m supporting @CodeWestFilm on Kickstarter! https://kck.st/VBoNW9

Tweet this: Laws surrounding medical marijuana are archaic. That’s why I’m supporting @CodeWestFilm on Kickstarter! https://kck.st/VBoNW9

If you have any questions or ideas about people we should contact, please feel free to email us at [email protected].

Thank You!

REMEMBER, WE DON’T GET A DIME IF WE DON’T REACH OUR GOAL. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANY SUPPORT YOU CAN GIVE US!

With gratitude,

The Code of the West Team

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