INCARCERATION AND REDEMPTION
- Donny Levit
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
A one-man-band filmmaker examines the complex stories of cannabis
By Donny Levit
Maplewood documentarian Howard Ellis didn’t begin with a clear subject to chase. Instead, he began with curiosity and a willingness to be inspired.
Through interviews and observation, he discovered a rich subject worth exploring. For Ellis, the story of cannabis incarceration was unfamiliar territory. He was introduced to a complex world that pushed him beyond his comfort zone and compelled him to learn on-the-job for his 2025 film documentary, “Bar None: Cannabis Redemption”.
“My original idea was to do a documentary about people’s passions,” says Ellis. “And the vehicle I was using was convention centers. I was going to call the piece ‘Unconventional’ or ‘Bucking Conventions’ […] I had this idea literally decades ago, but it wasn’t working. Sometimes the spark is there in a piece and sometimes it isn’t.”
In order to find that spark, Ellis started making trips to a variety of conventions. “Not the boat show, not the car show, but things like psychic fairs, tattoo conventions, an exotic reptile show, train conventions and just wondering what people were so passionate about … something a little off the beaten track,” he says. After attending a cannabis convention, he knew he found his subject matter.
In September 2023, Ellis headed to the 420 Expo in Edison, New Jersey. He was enthralled by both the energy and selflessness of the advocates for those formerly and currently incarcerated because of cannabis sale or consumption. For the next 18 months, he worked diligently on his passion project.
“Bar None: Cannabis Redemption” was released in March 2025. The film features a series of activists, social justice leaders, and lawyers who work passionately to change the way our justice system views the usage of the drug.
Although buying cannabis products in states such as New Jersey requires a mere short drive or a brisk walk to a dispensary, it wasn’t too long ago that purchasing them was illegal. As Ellis learned, the history of cannabis sale and consumption is certainly not easy for everyone. He says roughly 40,000 people are incarcerated nationwide due to outdated state and federal laws concerning cannabis. Many others struggle with post-prison challenges due to their criminal records.
In less than a year since its release, the documentary has received recognition from film festivals throughout North America. Ellis took home Best Director/Feature Film and Best Documentary/North America awards at the Alternative Film Festival 2025 in Toronto. In La Jolla, Calif., “Bar None” received the Award of Excellence/Documentary Feature at the Impact DOCS Awards 2025.
Ellis has worked for 40 years as an editor and producer. For roughly 25 of those years, he created promos and segments as a senior editor for USA Network, Syfy Channel, Animal Planet and Universal Kids. He was drawn to Maplewood for what he describes as its open-minded community and the town’s proximity to his Jersey City office. During the last two decades, his son attended Tuscan Elementary School, Maplewood Middle School and Columbia High School. His 14-year-old grandson currently attends Columbia High School.
A lot has changed since he moved to Maplewood. He no longer commutes to that office in Jersey City. And his approach for filming “Bar None” differs significantly from his previous career.
“I was really a one-man-band for this,” says Ellis. “Equipment has gotten smaller and cheaper, and I’ve acquired a lot of skills over my 40-plus years working in the business. […] No network notes, no committees, no endless revisions. Just me, my camera, and the people whose stories I wanted to tell. It gave me the flexibility to build trust with my subjects and capture genuine moments, mistakes and all.”
Although Ellis would interview many subjects, two of the key participants in the documentary served prison time for cannabis charges and would go on to become advocates for cannabis policy reform.
In 1988, former professional race car driver Randy Lanier was sentenced to life in prison for cannabis smuggling, eventually serving 27 years in federal prison before his early release. His post-incarceration activism includes serving on the Executive Committee of Freedom Grow, a nonprofit based in California that is dedicated to supporting cannabis prisoners and their families.
Kyle Page served almost nine years for non-violent cannabis possession, due to laws that impose significant prison time even for nonviolent offenses. Page continued to suffer trauma after prison because of the stigma that follows offenders. He was on hand at the expo as an ambassador to the Last Prison Project, a program based in Denver that helps former prisoners reintegrate into society. He credits the group with his own re-integration, as well as his ability to reconnect with his daughter after being separated from her for many years.
For Ellis, the convention and subsequent interviews taught him a lot. “I’m not really a cannabis person myself. I rarely partake. But I didn’t realize the contradiction that exists,” he says. Some individuals and communities who have been disproportionately harmed by past drug laws are offered social equity licenses, which are business licenses in the legalized cannabis industry. “On the other hand, people are still in prison for decades for the exact same thing – being in the business of cannabis.”
In addition to interviews of activists, “Bar None” covers important points about the history of cannabis and the roots of the “war on drugs” campaign. Andrew Cooper, a lawyer who concentrates on cannabis law, discusses the 1936 film “Reefer Madness,” which was shown as a public service announcement to school children. The film serves as a morality tale with the intention of painting cannabis users as criminals engaged in horrendous crimes.
Ellis’ documentary also highlights the roots of the term “marijuana” as a substitution for the Latin-originated word “cannabis.” According to Cooper, the usage of the Spanish-language term developed a racist approach to blaming the drug on Mexico and Mexican immigrants.
Although “Bar None” was released a year ago, Ellis plans to update the film to provide new information in the stories of key participants as well as changes in cannabis laws. His goal is to follow the evolving trajectory of the cannabis community, especially those still in prison. “The folks I met are amazing people, some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met,” he says. “I think they’re the story I wanted to tell that hasn’t been told.”
For more information about “Bar None: Cannabis Redemption,” visit howard-ellis.com or @howardellisdocs on Instagram.
Donny Levit is a writer, theater director, and radio DJ living in Atlanta with his wife, two kids, and two dogs. Catch his radio shows on IG at @jazzmonsters and @newishradio
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