The Original Anti-Drug Propaganda Film
A 1936 cautionary tale that became a cult comedy.
Reefer Madness (1936) was originally produced as a cautionary film against marijuana use, funded by a church group under the title Tell Your Children.
Later rebranded and exploited as an over-the-top exploitation film, it depicted exaggerated and sensationalized consequences of cannabis consumption, including insanity, violence, and moral corruption.
The film fell into obscurity until the 1970s, when it was rediscovered by counterculture audiences who embraced it as an unintentional comedy, mocking its alarmist tone.
Since then, Reefer Madness has become a cult classic, serving as both a historical curiosity and a symbol of early anti-drug propaganda in America.
Watch the Full Film Ree and Uninterrupted, both colorized and original B&W version
Original in Black and White
The main cast of Reefer Madness (1936) includes:
Dorothy Short as Mary Lane
Kenneth Craig as Bill Harper
Lillian Miles as Blanche
Dave O’Brien as Ralph Wiley
Thelma White as Mae
Carleton Young as Jack Stone
Warren McCollum as Jimmy Lane
Joseph Forte as Dr. Alfred Carroll (the narrator)
The film featured relatively unknown actors, many of whom worked primarily in low-budget productions. Thelma White, who played Mae, later distanced herself from the film, calling it a "terrible" experience.