It doesn’t feature any supersonic jets or red carpets and Tom Cruise is nowhere to be found. Despite this, a new film, The Doctor has been racking up accolades on the international film festival circuit.
That said, if there was a person in the European cannabis industry who has always taken a “highway to the danger zone” albeit of a medical kind, it would be Dr. Franjo Grotenhermen.
The film, directed by Eduardo Hernandez, is a biographical look at the life of Franjo so far. And that is certainly an interesting journey. Per Hernandez, “Anyone who knows Franjo knows that his story is incredible. He is a person who has dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of patients and pushing the boundaries of science. As a filmmaker, it seemed to me that the general public would be interested.”
Who Is Doctor Franjo Grotenhermen?
The elevator pitch on Franjo, as he insists on being called, is easy to do in just three words. Pioneering cannabis doctor.
Yet this is still a fairly radical proposition, particularly in Germany, but also, rather sadly, still pretty much everywhere else too. As a result, this description also means a great deal, even today, as the medical profession as a whole still struggles with overcoming the stigma surrounding the efficacy of the plant.
Grotenhermen’s is certainly a dramatic story. From the beginning, Franjo, who also suffers from a debilitating condition himself, has put himself at the forefront of the fight. In Germany that is still a highly hazardous place to live and work.
“The goal was to reach an audience that is not academic and that does not know what medical cannabis is,” said Hernandez by email when reached by High Times.
The film takes place during the 10th Conference on Cannabinoids …
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Author: Marguerite Arnold / High Times
