Press

Download the EVERGREEN PRESS KIT.

“Marijuana’s Journey to Legitimacy. This assured documentary is loaded with rancor… the battle isn’t over whether pot should be legalized, but to what extent.” | The New York Times

“Riley Morton’s resonant documentary examines two opposing fronts in the battle to decriminalize marijuana use… Morton and Cowan elucidate the situation from the ground up with considerable clarity, aided by the well-paced editing of Darren Lund and Jason Reid. Lensing by helmer Morton fully exploits the photogenic qualities of both the state and the weed.” | Variety

“Marijuana Legalization Doc ‘Evergreen’ Lights Up Seattle Crowd. A prologue to the next chapters of marijuana legislation… setting the stage for the discussion of federal legalization… captures a crucial moment in the future of marijuana activism…” | Indiewire

Evergreen offers an important boots-on-the-ground perspective… The personalities and rhetoric are colorful and the film’s presentation is lively…” | The Hollywood Reporter

“A fascinating, extraordinarily well-researched and executed doc… How the law was constructed, why it succeeded in passing, what loopholes still exist that could potentially continue discriminatory law enforcement practices — it’s all laid out digestibly and compellingly by Morton and his team.” | Filmmaker Magazine

“‘Evergreen’ reveals the weird lessons of Washington’s weed battle… a fascinating case study in the promise and perils of ballot-box democracy, and the give-and-take nature of social progress.” | Salon

“3.5 out of 4 stars. An enlightening look at the road to pot legalization… A taut, thorough chronicle of the 2012 campaign to pass Initiative 502… ‘Evergreen’ is an energetic study of a hard-fought battle… a lively story about passion and political compromise.” | The Seattle Times

“‘Evergreen: The Road to Legalization’ does what most activist documentaries about hot-button issues don’t: It successfully shows all sides of the argument… eye opening and may change how you feel about certain aspects of the debate.” | The Oregonian

“An engrossing behind-the-scenes look at how Washington state went from a politically polarized battleground to be one of the first states to pave the way for drug reform in the U.S… ‘Evergreen’ avoids the generic viewpoints of hippie proponents and right-leaning detractors that have become caricatures of marijuana debates over the years… In conjunction with sharp editing and pacing, montages and interviews allow the nearly 90-minute film to roll seamlessly… Portraying emotion and devil’s advocacy are this balanced film’s strong suits… deft post-production work and a solid breakdown of statistics stitched throughout prove that “Evergreen” accomplished its goals: to show how other states can reform their drug policies (or how not to) and how complex Americans’ stances on marijuana prohibition have become.” | The Denver Post

“The best doc ever made on the subject of marijuana legalization… Extremely informative, very well researched and clearly presented.” | The Video TapeWorm

“You haven’t seen the marijuana legalization debate rage on like this before… Both sides are given equal time, truly giving the film a sense of urgency that this type of issue truly deserves… a thrilling, stakes-raising bit of storytelling from everyone involved here… A deeply vital piece of political discussion… a really thrilling look at where the real discussion behind this movement lies… we’ve rarely seen the issue of marijuana legalization discussed this viscerally. Really great bit of documentary filmmaking.” | Criterion Cast Review

“The movie features accurate and well-edited interviews with key local, state and federal government officials… This is a well-produced documentary with well edited sound bites from many of the key people involved. There is great footage of spontaneous anti-502 demonstrations that turned violent. 8/10.” | It’s Just Movies

“Evergreen does an incredible job of not taking a point of view, but beautifully telling the story of Washington state’s journey to legalization, punctuated with sweeping views of Washington’s trademark evergreen forests and magnificent shots of Seattle. The documentarians’ choice not to insert themselves in the narrative was wise, as it allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions and to learn their own lessons, for better or for worse.” | Cannabis Now Magazine

“Morton’s feature-length debut is a compelling look inside not only the war on drugs but the grueling process of civic reform in today’s culture, a primer on how difficult it is to institute real change in contemporary America.” | This Week in New York

Relive Washington State’s fight for marijuana legalization in ‘Evergreen'” | The Village Voice

“Evergreen skillfully captures the tension and drama in a normally tranquil community, as well as the historic vote to make weed legal in Washington.” | High Times Holiday Gift Guide for Stoners Pt. II

“Top 25 Stoner Movies of 2014: #10 – Evergreen The Road to Legalization. Alison Holcomb and Rick Steves lead the way in Riley Morton’s doc, despite obstacles, in the fight for legal marijuana in the Evergreen State.” | CelebStoner

“The award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary ‘Evergreen: The Road to Legalization’ shows the candid, behind-the-scenes drama of this historic change in American drug policy through the eyes of those who lived it (including yours truly!). And it gives a glimpse at just how–I believe–state by state, the Prohibition of our age will be ended.” | Rick Steves

“A riveting account of how Washington state legalized recreational marijuana… Morton lets both sides be heard and doesn’t show bias. The importance of listening may be the film’s most important message…It’s a balanced look at at a controversial issue that perhaps needn’t be such a hot topic.” | SF Evergreen

“Journalistic objectivity enables the movie to illustrate a fascinating truism about human behavior: People on opposite sides of an issue often favor the all-or-nothing hardline over true compromise.” | CityArts

“Highly Recommended… well-balanced film… Evergreen conscientiously investigates the full range of issues… The film offers an excellent analysis of potential federal intervention on the legalization issue, vis a vis states’ rights. This is a brilliant work that provides fair-minded representation of proponents and opponents. It illustrates the evolution, decision-making processes, personal stakes, ethical considerations, and oft-neglected aspects of this topic. It offers a great look into the political process involved with a social movement. | Buffalo Library

“Support NORML and get ‘Evergreen’, the exciting documentary that tells the story of how Rick Steves and friends helped legalize marijuana in Washington state.” | NORML

“4 out of 5 stars. With each side arguing their case with eloquence and cohesion, every party raises important questions that serve to illustrate the complexity of the issue while presenting a multifaceted account of a long road and a tense vote.” | Apple Box Reviews

“It is well done and well worth seeing if you have any interest in either pot or the political process… Excellent cinematography and music keep it interesting without detracting from the essentially didactic thrust of the film, while liberal use of chyrons and title cards help viewers keep straight the chronology and the players. I certainly learned a few things from watching this film.” | Playback: STL

“Morton and Cowan are true reporters and weave together every underlying issue at the heart of the campaign flawlessly… Evergreen does an incredible job of not taking a point of view, but beautifully telling the story of Washington state’s journey to legalization, punctuated with sweeping views of Washington’s trademark evergreen forests and magnificent shots of Seattle.” | Cannabis Now Magazine

“EVERGREEN gives you the hard facts of the changes in policy that resulted from the legalization of marijuana in the state of Washington, and adds the personal touch of conveying both sides to truly tell it all. Morton does an incredible job of bringing to the forefront this heated debate and continuing fight for legalizing nationwide, as our country continues to struggle with tackling the issue state by state… If your state decides to travel the path to legalization, you will know the facts and principles of each side after viewing this film – thanks to Morton and his team of filmmakers – thus educating yourself before you too have to place your vote for-or-against on election day.” | We Are Movie Geeks

“An in-depth film documenting all of the difficulties and nuances activists faced on the road to passing I-502, a piece of legislation in Washington State legalizing small amounts of marijuana. It is a no frills, serious look at both sides of the aisle, but the surprising thing is that the two sides aren’t pro-legalization vs. anti-legalization—we don’t see much in the way of predictable, blustery Reagan-era anti-drug conservatism.” | Film Forward

“Interview snippets with those on both sides of the issue are quickly interspersed with each other to give the appearance of a live debate… Morton shows great promise as a director. He himself never appears on camera, and instead allows the main players on the issue to be the stars of the film. While this approach may lack the theatrics intrinsic to a Michael Moore film, it treats the issue more seriously, and gives audiences access to a genuinely new perspective…” | Highbrow Magazine

“Opening June 13 – EVERGREEN: THE ROAD TO LEGALIZATION  Riley Morton’s documentary about Washington State’s 2012 vote approving recreational marijuana use looks at how it happened and what the impact has been.” | The NY Times Summer Movie Release Schedule

“It was both entertaining, as it was educational… it is a must watch pot documentary for not just every stoner, but perhaps for everyone who cares about his fellow human being.” | The Stoned Society

Winner of the Silver SPIFFY Award | Spokane International Film Festival

Why the Sasquatch music festival and SIFF make ideal cultural companions | Indiewire

“An efficient, very watchable play-by-play doc about the state’s historic pro-pot Initiative 502.” | The Sun Break

“3 out of 4 stars. It’s at its best when it’s creating a dialogue between supporters and opponents, calling special attention to the thoughtful reasoning behind the opposition.” | The Seattle Times

“An important document for students of political history to see how a successful campaign is won, and how it’s lost… It’s a useful companion to DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus’ The War Room…” | Another Rainy Saturday

“Final Grade: B+. It’s a good movie, and if you are interested in how I-502 might shape up, you should give it a try.” | The MacGuffin

“Interesting and entertaining…” | JayFlix

“Amusing… revealing…” | The Seattle P-I

 

Evergreen-Laurels_SIFF-WorldPremiere

With one new film, SIFF goes to pot | KING 5 News

3 SIFF documentaries tell Northwest stories |The Seattle Times

“Evergreen: The Road to Legalization in Washington” ticket listing |SIFF.net

Weed Wiki Page Listing

Steve Bloom interviews Riley Morton and Jason Reid | CelebStoner

It’s time to start getting excited about SIFF |The Stranger

Trailer released for “Evergreen” | @SeattleFilm

Legalizing Marijuana: I-502 The Movie |The Seattle P-I

“Evergreen” producers talk impact of I-502 legalizing pot |KOMO News Radio

“Evergreen” – A Documentary in Need of Green |Rick Steves Blog

“Evergreen” feature |UK DrugScope DrugLink Magazine

Riley Morton’s Film Career is Evergreen | Cinesource Magazine

Q&A with Riley Morton and Nils Cowan | Four Mary Janes

Russ Belville interviews Riley Morton | 420 Radio

“Evergreen” producers talk legal pot on The Men’s Room | KISW 99.9FM

EVERGREEN E-Newsletter | Cannabis Reform Education | Issue 1301

“Evergreen” filmmakers talk I-502 documentary |Q13 Fox News

“Evergreen” film to examine I-502 legalizing marijuana in Washington State | Cannabis Culture Magazine

Seattle documentary crew chasing marijuana legalization, pro and con |The Seattle Times

IMDB 

For media inquiries, please contact Adam Brown:
adam@pressandpromotion.com / evergreendocumentary@gmail.com

04.07.2014 | PRESS RELEASE: “Evergreen” opening in New York City, Seattle, Denver | First Run Features

05.03.2013 | PRESS RELEASE: “Evergreen: The Road to Legalization in Washington” set to World Premiere at SIFF

02.07.2013 | PRESS RELEASE: New trailer shows battle behind marijuana legalization in Washington