The Union: The Business Behind Getting High

The Union: The Business Behind Getting High is a 2007 documentary film by Canadian filmmaker Brett Harvey. The film explores the illegal growth, sale and trafficking of marijuana. Its theatrical run was limited to film festivals. The film follows host Adam Scorgie as he examines the underground market, interviewing growers, police officers, criminologists, economists, doctors, politicians and pop culture icons, revealing how the industry can function despite being a criminal enterprise. The history of marijuana and the reasons for its present prohibition are discussed, often comparing it to the prohibition of alcohol in the United States in the 1930s, suggesting that gang drug warfare and other negative aspects associated with marijuana are a result of prohibition, not the drug itself. The gangs that grow and traffic the drugs are likened to those that appeared in major U.S. cities during the Prohibition, with the intention of profiting from the sale of illegal alcohol.

The film received numerous honors, some of which included the National Film Board Award for "Best Canadian Documentary" at the 2007 Edmonton International Film Festival, "Outstanding Documentary Feature" at the 2007 Winnipeg International Film Festival, "Grand Prize Best Editing" at the 2007 Rhode Island International Film Festival, "People's Choice" and "Best Canadian Documentary" at the 2008 Okanagan Film Festival and runner up for "People's Choice Most Popular Canadian Film" at the 2007 Vancouver International Film Festival. All together the documentary was officially accepted to 31 International Film Festivals. Most recently it was also nominated for "Best British Columbia Feature Film of 2007" by the Vancouver Film Critics Circle.