b'Incarcerationand RedemptionA one-man-band filmmaker examines the complex stories of cannabis BY DONNY LEVITHoward Ellis released his passion proj-ect, "Bar None: Cannabis Redemption" in March 2025.M aplewooddocumen- val 2025 in Toronto. In La Jolla, Calif., Bar None tarianHowardEllisreceivedtheAwardofExcellence/Documentary didntbeginwithaFeature at the Impact DOCS Awards 2025.clear subject to chase.Ellis has worked for 40 years as an editor and Instead, he began withproducer. For roughly 25 of those years, he created curiosityandawill- promos and segments as a senior editor for USA ingness to be inspired.Network, Syfy Channel, Animal Planet and Uni-Through interviews and observation, he discoveredversal Kids. He was drawn to Maplewood for what a rich subject worth exploring. For Ellis, the storyhe describes as its open-minded community and the of cannabis incarceration was unfamiliar territory.towns proximity to his Jersey City office. During He was introduced to a complex world that pushedthe last two decades, his son attended Tuscan El-him beyond his comfort zone and compelled himementary School, Maplewood Middle School and to learn on-the-job for his 2025 film documentary,next 18 months, he worked diligently on his pas- Columbia High School. His 14-year-old grandson Bar None: Cannabis Redemption. sion project. currently attends Columbia High School.My original idea was to do a documentaryBarNone:CannabisRedemptionwasre- A lot has changed since he moved to Maple-about peoples passions, says Ellis. And the ve- leased in March 2025. The film features a serieswood. He no longer commutes to that office in Jer-hicle I was using was convention centers. I was go- of activists, social justice leaders and lawyers whosey City. And his approach for filming Bar None ing to call the piece Unconventional or Buckingwork passionately to change the way our justicediffers significantly from his previous career.Conventions [] I had this idea literally decadessystem views the usage of the drug. I was really a one-man-band for this, says El-ago, but it wasnt working. Sometimes the spark isAlthough buying cannabis products in stateslis. Equipment has gotten smaller and cheaper, there in a piece and sometimes it isnt. such as New Jersey requires a mere short drive orand Ive acquired a lot of skills over my 40-plus In order to find that spark, Ellis started mak- a brisk walk to a dispensary, it wasnt too long agoyears working in the business. [] No network ing trips to a variety of conventions. Not the boatthat purchasing them was illegal. As Ellis learned,notes, no committees, no endless revisions. Just show, not the car show, but things like psychic fairs,the history of cannabis sale and consumption isme,mycameraandthepeoplewhosestoriesI tattooconventions,anexoticreptileshow,traincertainly not easy for everyone. He says roughlywanted to tell. It gave me the flexibility to build conventions and just wondering what people were40,000 people are incarcerated nationwide due totrust with my subjects and capture genuine mo-so passionate aboutsomething a little off theoutdated state and federal laws concerning canna- ments, mistakes and all.beaten track, he says. After attending a cannabisbis. Many others struggle with post-prison chal- Although Ellis interviewed many subjects, two convention, he knew he found his subject matter. lenges due to their criminal records.of the key participants in the documentary served In September 2023, Ellis headed to the 420In less than a year since its release, the docu- prison time for cannabis charges and would go on Expo in Edison, New Jersey. He was enthralledmentary has received recognition from film festivalsto become advocates for cannabis policy reform. by both the energy and selflessness of the advo- throughout North America. Ellis took home BestIn1988,formerprofessionalracecardriver cates for those formerly and currently incarceratedDirector/FeatureFilmandBestDocumentary/ Randy Lanier was sentenced to life in prison for because of cannabis sale or consumption. For theNorth America awards at the Alternative Film Festi- cannabis smuggling, eventually serving 27 years 30/ matters magazine / winter 2026'