**Same award-winning film, now wrapped in a smokeable clear cellulose paper wrapper. That wrapper is not plastic.**

a/k/a Tommy Chong chronicles the entrapment and incarceration of comedic legend Tommy Chong. Josh Gilbert's documentary offers a sometimes frightening, often hilarious account of Operation Pipe Dreams, a nationwide drug paraphernalia sting operation spearheaded by former Attorney General John Ashcroft.

After a fully armed SWAT team raided the 65-year-old comedian's home in February 2003, Tommy Chong was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute drug paraphernalia through Chong Glass, a family business specializing in handmade glass water pipes, or "bongs." Of the 55 defendants prosecuted, Tommy Chong was the only one with no prior convictions to receive jail time. Justifying the 9-month sentence, the prosecutor cited the classic 1978 Cheech & Chong film "Up In Smoke" as evidence that he had become wealthy "trivializing law enforcement efforts to combat marijuana trafficking and use."

• Official Selection - Toronto International Film Festival
• Official Selection - IDFA: International Documentary Festival Amsterdam
• Official Selection - Palm Springs International Film Festival
• Official Selection - Miami International Film Festival
• Official Selection - SXSW Film Festival
• Official Selection - Full Frame Documentary Festival
• Winner, Best Documentary - HBO US Comedy Arts Festival
• Audience Award, Best Documentary - San Francisco Independent Film Festival
• Audience Award Runner Up, Best International Film - Vancouver International Film Festival
• "The real stoners in this excellent documentary are the administration officials drunk with power and out of control, and a nation of otherwise good people who've been given the worst drug of all—fear." — Michael Moore
• "You do not have to approve of drugs to be offended." — Roger Ebert

Trivia:
• On the DVD cover, the French phrase "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" ("This is not a pipe") under the water pipe is a nod to René Magritte's painting, suggesting this isn't just a paraphernalia bust but an overreach of justice.
• This film was nearly suppressed by the Bush Administration. During production, Tommy Chong was under a gag order, and director Josh Gilbert used creative filmmaking to tell the story without violating it.

DVD Features:
• "Dave": Rare interview with Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong about the origins of their sketch "Dave," a touching journey down memory lane.
• "Tommy at Home": A glimpse of Tommy Chong and his family discussing his persecution in their living room.

Review:

a/k/a Tommy Chong depicts the government's wrongful persecution of Tommy Chong via Operation Pipe Dreams. Whether you're a pothead, college professor, pro-drugs, anti-drugs, or unfamiliar with Tommy Chong, you'll enjoy this film.

For Cheech and Chong fans, it includes rare home movies, Tommy's stand-up act, old interviews, and TV appearances. Director Lou Adler (their first agent), Chong's family, and others provide candid stories.

For those interested in free speech and politics, it discusses how Tommy was the only Operation Pipe Dreams defendant to receive a prison sentence, and how 9/11 and his bust boosted US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan's career.

The Frame Job: An undercover DEA agent repeatedly contacted Chong Glass employees, trying to ship to Pennsylvania despite their refusals. Audio of these calls is included. After about 20 attempts, claiming a tobacco license and legal advice, the agent ordered out-of-stock items. When Chong Glass shipped them out of necessity, 45 armed agents raided the factory, which had only one employee present. It was a setup from the start—Tommy was completely railroaded.