Parents' Guide to 4x20: Quick Hits

Lighthearted yet thoughtful, each episode of this anthology documentary series focuses on a different aspect of cannabis culture, including movies, media, and art. Executive-produced by Jimmy Kimmel under his Kimmelot banner, 4x20: Quick Hits tackles topics from the social and cultural history of cannabis use: the making of stoner comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle; the rise and fall of High Times magazine; the production of an indie Humboldt County creature feature made by local cannabis growers to protest America's War on Drugs; and the creations of glass artist Jason Harris, whose hand-blown bong business was affected by the Department of Justice's 2003 Operation Pipe Dreams crackdown on cannabis paraphernalia.

4x20: Quick Hits covers a heady mix of topics with a light touch; this series isn't intended to strike a blow for personal freedom or demonstrate the harms wreaked by federal drug policies. Instead, it tells a few interesting stories related to cannabis in an interesting way, its hodge-podge of themes related only by the throughline of cannabis. The sourcing of vintage video clips and newspaper articles is beautifully done; the visuals of dealers and users and personalities involved in celebrating or combatting the drug scene are well chosen and appealing. 4x20: Quick Hits also features a fascinating variety of on-camera participants, from all the principals of Harold & Kumar to the now-senior-aged former outlaw Humboldt cannabis growers who staged an unusual political protest through filmmaking. Depending on your point of view, you could argue that cannabis culture isn't worthy of documentary-style criticism, but no one could say that 4x20: Quick Hits doesn't do what it does well.