“Lady Buds” tells the story of six courageous and diverse women who come out of the shadows of the cannabis underground to enter the new commercial industry in California.
“Lady Buds” charts several cannabis entrepreneurs navigating California’s passing of Prop-64 which legalized the use of recreational marijuana. Nearly every subject claims they simply want to help people instead of honestly stating the drive to make a profit. Director Chris J. Russo attempts to frame the privileged business owners in a David vs. Goliath scenario but the results feel like a commercial for aspirational malarkey.
Russo’s first interview is with Chiah Rodriques, who tours the large pot farm she inherited and now manages with her husband. Her story focuses on marketing and building her brand while narrowly avoiding a wildfire that ravaged her neighbors. Her property nestled amongst Redwoods is remarkable but her plight felt hollow.
Next up are the Bud Sisters who, when not puffing on large joints, mention they finally got a permit after filing their business as Hemp-based. Bureaucracy is a pain but their “dilemma” was easily solved by changing their product’s label. Moving on to Berkeley, a former school principal is building a dispensary that solely caters to senior citizens. While I admire offering our most vulnerable members of society alternatives to Big Pharma, the woman states she’s only trying to help and that money is an afterthought. And finally, Russo heads to LA to meet Felicia Carbajal, a cannabis activist who attempts to assist black and brown people that have been disproportionately punished by the War on Drugs. Carbajal believes that if they participate in the system, such as opening a bank account, they’ll overcome the oppressive obstacles.
While “Lady Buds” mentions the unclear laws of State rights vs Federal Prohibition, Russo fails to explore the topic thoughtfully. Furthermore, the constant decrying of big business taking over the Cannabis industry conveniently turns a blind eye to Med Men, a chain of dispensaries that gets a lot of screentime. When I lived in LA, Med Men was opening locations with sleek Apple Store designs and slowly but surely, nearly every mom-and-pop-owned dispensary began to close. In “Lady Buds,” one of the farmers strikes a deal with them believing if she joins the big chain, she’ll be safe from the clutches of capitalism.
Blindspots and hypocrisies aside, it’s quite difficult to have empathy for these people who own some of the best real estate in California. For a better time, I recommend “Sasquatch,” which covers the region’s history and culture in a much more entertaining manner.
“Lady Buds” will have its World Premiere at the 2021 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival on April 29th
