It’s the Seventies. Five young women get money to get high. What could go wrong?

The new film, The Marijuana Conspiracy is based on a true story. It’s one that centers around a group of young women in 1972. A foundation has confined them to a hospital for 98 days. And they made the women smoke marijuana daily. This was part of a medical research study into the effects of cannabis on women.

Sounds insane, but this study really took place in Toronto. It happened around the same time that Pierre Elliott Trudeau (Justin’s dad) was considering making Marijuana legal. Ironically it was Justin Trudeau who in 2018 legalized cannabis for Canadians as a recreational drug.

The foundation asked the women to smoke weed twice a night. They do this with a team of nurses running daily tests to study the effects of the cannabis. Addictions Research Foundation funded the study. And the foundation conducted the research with the intention that the results would dissuade the government from legalizing the drug. The latter, by the way, considered marijuana legalization at the time.

At first the women thought getting money for this study was easy. Getting paid to get high? Why not? But they’re in isolation. And the foundation raised the THC levels in the marijuana they’re consuming. This works to exacerbate the effects of weed it all started being too much. Despite the agendas of the government, the women used their unique strengths and friendship to overcome adversity.

The film’s cast includes Tymika Tafari, Julia Sarah Stone, Morgan Kohan, Brittany Bristow, Kyla Avril Young, and Marie Ward. The cast also includes Luke Bilyk, Alanna Bale, Greg Calderone, Paulino Nunes, Paula Boudreau, Derek McGrath and Jordan Todosey. Craig Pryce wrote and directed the film.

Our Bonnie Laufer spoke with Craig Pryce. She also spoke with l three of the lead actresses, Julia Sarah Stone, Morgan Kohan and Tymika Tafari. And they discusses what it was like to work on the film.

Watch all of the interviews in the playlist below: