Spike Jonze Directs MedMen’s First Cannabis Commercial

Need an easily digestible look at the history of cannabis in America? Check out “The New Normal,” a short that was produced by MedMen, directed by Spike Jonze, and stars Jesse Williams.

It’s the first time in a while that a powerhouse cannabis company has outwardly and explicitly acknowledged the realities of the cannabis industry—where prohibition came from, how it has affected certain communities, where it is now, and where legalization should be headed.

While the commercial provides an abundance of feel-good vibes about the future, it’s important to understand that we still have a long way to go before the normalization of adult-use cannabis is achieved.

The war on drugs is not over, and until the problems of prohibition are corrected, this industry cannot truthfully say that it is.

This is not the first commercial for a cannabis product. That honor belongs to Eureka Vapor and Innovation Agency, where Creative Director Randall Huft developed a unique concept that was able to be approved by television censors and was played throughout the Los Angeles area.