Diane Goldstein

In 2013, five friends with no documentary experience embarked on a journey to expose the rise of dangerous substance adulteration, and provide a well-rounded critique of ineffective drug policy.

American Pot Story: Oaksterdam tells the unknown origin story of how a handful of underdogs risked everything to spark the current worldwide revolution in cannabis policy. Reflecting Oakland, California’s rich history of civil resistance, they opened the first ever cannabis college, Oaksterdam University, and got Prop 19 - a measure to legalize cannabis - on the ballot in California, thus bringing this taboo topic to the mainstream and opening a conversation on its social justice impact.