DREAMFILM IS PROUD TO PRESENT TWO WORLD PREMIERES!
THE DOWNSIDE OF HIGH airs Thursday, January 28 at 8 pm on CBC-TV's "The Nature of Things" with David Suzuki.
HYPER PARENTS & CODDLED KIDS airs Thursday, February 4 at 9 pm on CBC-TV's "Doc Zone".
Is strong pot damaging young minds? That provocative question is at the heart of this new documentary about the science behind marijuana and mental illness.
Teenagers who start smoking marijuana before the age of sixteen are four times more likely to become schizophrenic. That's the startling conclusion of some of the world's top schizophrenia experts, whose research is featured in the new documentary THE DOWNSIDE OF HIGH.
The scientists' groundbreaking work on the connection between marijuana and mental illness also reveals that, for all young adults, smoking marijuana nearly doubles the risk of developing recurring psychosis, paranoia and hallucinations – the hallmarks of schizophrenia.
THE DOWNSIDE OF HIGH tells the stories of three young people from British Columbia who believe – along with their doctors – that their mental illness was triggered by marijuana use. All three spent months in hospital psychiatric wards, and still wage a battle with their illness. Today's super-potent pot may be a big part of the problem. Modern growing techniques have dramatically increased the amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana – ramping up the threat to the developing teenage brain.
But there's an intriguing twist to the story: in the process of cultivating more potent strains of pot, growers have also been breeding out a little-known ingredient called cannabidiol that seems to buffer the effects of THC. So today's high-octane pot actually contains a double-whammy – more psychosis-producing THC, and less of the protective CBD or cannabidiol.
For many people, smoking marijuana is not a big deal – it is, after all, the most widely-used illegal drug in the world. THE DOWNSIDE OF HIGH provides a scientific perspective on some of the little-known and little-discussed risks of marijuana, particularly for teenagers.
Directed and written by Bruce Mohun, story-produced by Maureen Palmer, produced by Sue Ridout. Director of photography John Collins, editor Tim Wanlin, music composer Tim McCauley.
THE DOWNSIDE OF HIGH premieres on CBC-TV's The Nature of Things with David Suzuki on Thursday January 28, 2010 at 8 pm ET/PT. Repeats on CBC News Network on Thursday February 4 at 10 pm ET/PT.
A new documentary by Sharon Bartlett & Maria LeRose.
Kids today are the most overprotected, overindulged, and overscheduled in history. Is all of this attention giving the next generation a competitive edge, or creating new problems that will last a lifetime? Hyper Parents & Coddled Kids reports from the front line of the frenzied parenting trend.
Gone are the days when children spent hours playing outside on their own, aimlessly exploring the world. Today's precious offspring are rarely allowed out of the sight of their ever-vigilant parents. They are shuttled from yoga to music lessons, soccer to hockey games by parents obsessed with making sure their child stays ahead of the pack, in what can seem more like product development than childrearing. The new CBC documentary by Dreamfilm Productions, Hyper Parents & Coddled Kids, looks inside the world of hyper-parenting – a trend that began in the early 80's and continues to spiral out of control worldwide.
Directed by Sharon Bartlett and Maria LeRose, produced by Sharon Bartlett, Maria LeRose and Sue Ridout. Director of photography John Collins, editor Chris Holmes, music composers Lesley Sutherland and Kevin Hamilton.
HYPER PARENTS & CODDLED KIDS premieres on CBC-TV's Doc Zone on Thursday February 4 at 8 pm ET/PT. Repeats on CBC News Network on Friday February 5 at 10 pm ET/PT.