Waldo On Weed does a fantastic job following Waldo’s adventure of healing and convincing audiences on the benefits of medical marijuana. What sets this film apart from other documentaries on the same subject is the personal battles the Dwyer’s would go through.
The decision to break the law to save Waldo’s life was easy, but the ramifications of getting caught were enormous. If they were caught, the Dwyer’s would be charged with possession and distributions charges and because of the interstate transfer, it could be elevated to Federal prosecution. Going to court and paying lawyers is not cheap by any means. Also, administering the weed treatment itself would mean that adults were giving their infant illegal narcotics, and now Waldo would be taken from them.
“…two courageous parents…go to extreme lengths to save the life of their child and then realizing they had a higher calling…”
This stress is only if they got caught. The real pressure would come from friends and family. When trying to save the life of your child, you tend to become overly passionate about your decisions and actions. When family, who are sitting on the sidelines, questions what you are doing, they get to throw in their opinion and counter-arguments. The arguments and disapproval would slowly tear apart once close relationships.
As would happen when an immediate family member is fighting cancer, other areas of your life take a back seat, like your job or, in this case, Brian’s Pizza business. It’s at times like these when one comes face-to-face with what’s truly important in life.
Waldo On Weed is not your typical documentary about the benefits of medical marijuana. While the film makes convincing arguments, it’s more of a story of two courageous parents willing to go to extreme lengths to save the life of their child and then realizing they had a higher calling make sure other parents wouldn’t need to go through what they did and they helped change the laws in Pennsylvania. The ending is one of hope and a little frustration with where the Dwyer family ultimately ended up.
"…the side effects of the chemo were almost as devastating as the cancer itself."
