A groundbreaking, four-part epic on the cultural impact of illicit drug use in the U.S. In the 1950s and ’60s, drug use defined counter-culture movements. By the end of the ’60s, though, excessive use characterized in the deaths of icons like Joplin and Hendrix signaled a problem and invited government intervention. The ’70s became the heyday of grass-smoking hippies, but also marked the rise of cocaine among the elite. Parents started to worry; Reagan took a far different approach to Carter. Starting in the ’80s, celebrity misuse and rehab headlined as often as the “War on Drugs.” This reflective film features diverse voices: actors, musicians, politicians, as well as former drug smugglers, and former drug enforcement agents. Ultimately it investigates the ways that illegal drugs have changed the cultural landscape and asks hard questions about the future of drug use in America: What should we do now? Can we ever really be drug-free?  SW