Before California voters made cannabis recreational and therefore available for anyone over 21, you had to have a medical prescription from an in state doctor. The paperwork stated this was a medicinal need for your wellbeing and it was your passport into dispensaries. I never went to my actual doctor to get this because I was provided with a variety of certified doctors who would back my claim I needed regular weed to cope & watch movies. Plus they advertised so all I needed to do was go to their offices. The weed card was good for a year, but you would have to pay. I think the most I shelled out was $200. As more and more physicians made this cash grab, the marijuana script become cheaper and cheaper to get. I’ve had about six cards before the recreational law kicked in. I never saw the same doctor twice.

My favorite interaction was in Los Angeles. My card had lapsed and it was time to pony up for another one because weed. The office was located in some random strip mall in Hollywood. (This description easily applies to a huge swath of Southern California.) I filled out my paperwork and sat in the barebones waiting room to meet with the medical professional who was my gateway to a plant I liked to smoke. When it was my turn, the doctor asked me a few specific questions about my ailments. I said it helped my anxiety. That’s true. I was worried about where I could get quality cannabis. I said it helped me keep my depression at bay. Also true. If I couldn’t purchase weed legally, I’d have to deal with the black market a.k.a. find myself a dealer. But my doctor man saw how sick I was and approved another year to get high. He looked into my eyes and told me to “feel better.”

Unlike Doctor Detroit, my cannabis connection doctors were real doctors. To be honest, I haven't watched this since I saw it on a shitty VHS copy my parents had many years ago. And the movie itself? Still pretty shitty, but it does start great with a Devo track. Don't be mislead though! A wicked medication session is a must for watching this (or pretty much any movie starring Dan Aykroyd). Howard Hesseman should have ended up a huge star. He’s amazing as he was in so many other roles. But that never happened because this world makes no sense. Thank the universe for cannabis!