July 17, 2020: Hollywood has often used filmmaking to explore themes that make the average person feel anxious or even depressed. One such topic that continues to be the foundation for heavy-hitting movie titles is drugs. Whether it's drug addiction, smuggling, or manufacturing, there have been quite a few films that center on this difficult theme.

While some drug-related movies are focused on cannabis, the use of CBD is seen largely as beneficial rather than detrimental. In fact, growing cannabis for CBD is often heralded as a way to combat the addiction theme discussed in many of these intense drug-centered movies. Those interested in growing cannabis for CBD can get help over at i49, but for everyone else, the following four movies deal with incredibly difficult themes that cannot be overlooked.

Kid Cannabis

Kid Cannabis made its debut in 2014 and is a store based on a real life person named Nate Norman. It features a high school dropout from Idaho that partners with an older friend to transport cannabis across the border of Canada. As the story unfolds, viewers watch this character slowly taken over by greed and malice as he builds a multimillion dollar cannabis trafficking ring.

Blow

The 1970s are punctuated by an explosion of cocaine in the United States and Blow takes viewers on a tale of George Jung, played by Johnny Depp, who claims to have imported the majority of it. Blow was released in 2001 and takes viewers on an emotional journey through the tumultuous landscape of the 70s drug trade, providing laughs and tears along the way. The ending is sombre and leaves viewers with a sad taste of what it is like to stake one's entire life on the use and sale of cocaine.

Requiem for a Dream

Requiem for a Dream was released in 2000 and deals with heavy topics like human connection, loneliness, and lives ruined by drug addiction. The story follows three characters, Harry, Tyrone, and Marion, as they attempt to pursue their dreams but fall prey to drug addiction instead. First using the trafficking of heroin as a tool to achieve their goals, they end up subjected to such extreme consequences as drug-trade violence and amphetamine-induced psychosis. In the end, the characters are reduced to unthinkable and perverse actions to feed their addiction and the viewers are left feeling like they have taken a punch in the gut.

Trainspotting

Trainspotting is a classic movie that features drugs, humor, and a story of growing up that was released in 1996. It follows Mark Renton, a young heroin addict living in Edinburgh, Scotland with his parents, and his friends "Sick Boy," Tommy, and "Spud" as they grapple with addiction and begin robbing and committing petty crimes to feed their addiction. While Mark Renton eventually gets sober and moves away, he is easily dragged back into the criminal ventures of his addict friends back home.

Trainspotting offers a bird's eye view inside the life of heroin-addicted youth in Scotland. Offering comic relief along the way, this movie touches on heavy topics that leave the viewer feeling entertained but uneasy.

The Bottom Line

Movies are an excellent means of exploring tough topics that the average person avoids, such as the gloomy world of drug addiction. These movies are important vehicles for coming face to face with what can happen when a life is lost to addiction. These movies entertain viewers while serving as a stark anti-drug warning whose message will reverberate through decades of film enthusiasts.