Photo Flash: Northwest Leaf Sponsors Free Premiere of 'Pot Movie with a Message,' STAR LEAF

Titan Sky Entertainment's Star Leaf will screen for THE FIRST TIME in front of an audience on Saturday, June 6, at Evergreen Bud and Glass, 1956 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134. The event is free, but is restricted to audiences 21 and over, and reservations are recommended (https://www.facebook.com/events/1440092846291629/).

The "green" carpet begins at 7:00, with stars Tyler Trerise (Fat Kid Rules the World), and Richard Cranor (GodMachine) on hand, along with local cast and crew; sponsor Wes Abney of The Northwest Leaf magazine; representatives from Bainbridge Island-based Ohana Farms; and Leomark Studios, the film's distributor. The movie will screen at 8:00.Y6B

Star Leaf is a sci-fi thriller about an extra-terrestrial form of marijuana discovered in the Olympic forests of Washington State. The main character, played by Z-Nation's Julian Gavilanes, is a veteran of the Afghanistan war, and the film has PTSD and its treatment with cannabis as an underlying theme. Shot entirely on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, the movie also stars Z-Nation's Russell Hodgkinson and features actual "Star Leaf" marijuana plants developed by Ohana Farms to help in PTSD treatment. The movie and strain have received the support of Analytical 360, Washington's first I-502-certified testing lab.

Writer/Director Richard Cranor was inspired to make the film by his Iraq-veteran brother's experiences with PTSD, as well as Cranor's own recent bout with cancer. "What I learned going through cancer and my brother's PTSD experiences is that we definitely need cannabis as an option for treatments. I strongly oppose anyone or any institution that limits people's right to treat themselves, especially when you're dealing with issues like cancer and PTSD. That's really key in my personal belief system," says Cranor. "For PTSD, cannabis allows people to bypass the conscious mind and get to the root of a lot of those painful memories faster than traditional therapy.... For me it's not necessarily about the plant specifically, so much as the right for humans to be in charge of their own sovereignty; and plants like marijuana shouldn't be vilified for doing nothing more than being a natural, healthy addition to our lives."

Despite its sober message, "Star Leaf is first and foremost a wild, entertaining ride," says executive producer Robert Leeshock (Earth: Final Conflict). Leeshock and Cranor are working with co-producer/distributor Leomark Studios on a novel distribution strategy: exclusive pre-release in MMJ and RMJ dispensaries and through the film's own website for 3 months, followed by a wider release in fall 2015 on VOD/DVD.