South Florida Pot Smuggling Documentary, Square Grouper, To Premeire At SXSW

South Florida Pot Smuggling Documentary, Square Grouper, To Premeire At SXSW

By Michael J. Mooney Fri., Jan. 14 2011 at 6:29 AM

From director Billy Corben and the minds that brought you Cocaine Cowboys and The U, comes Square Grouper, a new documentary about the heyday of South Florida pot smuggling. The movie has been described as: "a colorful portrait of Miami's pot smuggling scene of the 1970s, populated with redneck pirates, a ganja-smoking church, and the longest serving marijuana prisoner in American history."

The film features Robert Platshorn, who, before he was released two years ago, was the longest serving, non-violent marijuana prisoner in the country. New Times had a cover story on Platshorn when he first got out of prison.

More recently we caught with Platshorn as he began touring local retirement homes, preaching the values of legalization.

A post on the website for rakontur, the production company, announced yesterday afternoon that the much anticipated documentary will debut in Austin, at this year's SXSW Film Festival.

The movie will reach America at a very interesting time politically. The most recently election ushered in a group of Tea Party-endorsed outsiders, and although they are generally conservative across the board, many are, as a principle, opposed to "big government" or government regulation. There are also numerous polls showing young voters support legalization or decriminalization of pot in massive numbers. Now, as many states struggle with budgets and search for additional sources of tax revenue, this film could prove to be a tipping point in the national debate.

In case you were wondering, by the way, the name of the movie, "Square Grouper," comes from the slang term given to bales of marijuana thrown overboard or out of airplanes in South Florida in the 70's and 80's.

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Tags:

Billy Corben, documentary film, Marijuana, rakontur, Robert Platshorn, Square Grouper

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Moon7

Forget about all kind of lost and win stuff and just think for cannabis and marijuana highs and buy drugs for that from given below site name please go on legal-highs !!!!

jsknow

Virtually all the problems attributed to marijuana are actually problems directly and completely caused by marijuana PROHIBITION!

Want your freedom back? Legalize marijuana! That will take away Uncle ”Sham’s” most common excuse to trash the Constitution and pretend like the Government is protecting you from yourself over a plant that has never killed anyone of any age in all of recorded history anywhere on planet earth!

Why is the most useful plant known, a plant that has never killed anyone, illegal? It’s illegal because corporations that buy politicians fear competition from superior, safer and more environmentally friendly hemp products and because the Government loves to oppress jail and steal from the people! Alcohol, tobacco, petroleum, cotton, timber, chemical and pharmaceutical companies, just to name a few all see marijuana as unwanted competition.

But “what about the kids”? Marijuana prohibition does not keep kids from using marijuana! Illegal dealers don’t ask for ID! Would you rather have your kid locked up with killers and child molesters, or would you prefer to do your own parenting? Do you really believe an arrest record on a drug charge that will follow them for life and possibly a criminal conviction record on a drug charge that will follow them for life is going to help little Mary and little Johnny be stellar successful citizens?

But, but, but “what about marijuana causing car wrecks”? http://peaceandloveism.com/for... Google MARIJUANA DRIVING STUDY. You'll see 2 common findings:1. Drivers under the influence of marijuana are VERY SLIGHTLY impaired.2. Unlike those under the influence of alcohol, marijuana consumers are aware they are SLIGHTLY impaired and they CONSISTENTLY ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE by slowing down a little and being a little more cautious. That doesn’t mean they get in the fast lane on the interstate and drive 15 miles per hour. Marijuana makes you cautious, not crazy! Those Cheech and Chong movies were comedies, NOT documentaries!

http://www.jackherer.com/thebo... "In the 1920s and 30s, Hearst's newspapers DELIBERATELY MANUFACTURED a new threat to America and a new yellow journalism campaign to have hemp outlawed. For example, a story of a car accident in which a marijuana cigarette was found would dominate the headlines for weeks, while alcohol-related car accidents (which outnumbered marijuana-connected accidents by more than 10,000 to 1) made only the back pages. This same theme of marijuana leading to car accidents was burned into the minds of Americans over and over again..."

Virtually all the drug war propaganda is nothing but pure lies. Marijuana does not cause aggressive behavior. Marijuana does not cause dangerous driving. Marijuana does not cause cancer, brain damage or any serious health problems. Marijuana prohibition does not keep kids away from marijuana. Marijuana is not a “gateway drug”, there is absolutely NOTHING about marijuana that causes people to use other drugs. Marijuana is not addictive. In fact marijuana is one of the safest substances know! Marijuana is SAFER than many foods we consume all the time and give to our kids. Exactly what good is this prohibition doing and who is benefiting from it?

THE LAWS PROHIBITING MARIJUANA ARE NOT A RESULT OF ANY HARM FROM MARIJUANA. THEY ARE THE RESULT OF LIES, GREED AND RACISM. Read the well documented proof of that and a lot more marijuana TRUTH in these two articles: “MARIJUANA AND HEMP THE UNTOLD STORY, Thomas J. Bouril” and “WHY IS MARIJUANA ILLEGAL, Pete Guither”, click the links to those articles on this webpage:Internet Explorer web browser: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/ho... All Other Browsers: http://jsknow.angelfire.com/in...

No matter which side of this issue you’re on PLEASE read the two articles linked above. It’s almost certain you’ll learn things about marijuana and marijuana prohibition that you never knew before.

Robert Tuna Platshorn

Meet Robert Platshorn, the man who served almost 30 yrs in prison for pot, at the 13th Annual Medical Marijuana Benefit Concert at Tobacco Road tomorrow night and get a signed copy of Black Tuna Diaries, the book that inspired the movie.

Eric Barton

Funny, I've been going to the Square Grouper in Jupiter for years and had no idea where it got its name. It's already one of the best bars in Florida, but suddenly I like it more.