Lucy Haslam and the High as Mike team cornered a captive, but talented, audience recently, and then put them to work for the cause.
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Eight professional artists, and nearly 40 students attended this year's Songwriter's Retreat at The Dag in Nundle. After sitting through a private screening of the controversial homegrown medicinal cannabis documentary, they were challenged to create a theme song for the Australian movement.
"Like any audience that have seen it, the movie immediately got them in - they barely moved," Mrs Haslam said.
"And just like any other crowd there were tears, anger, frustration and disbelief, which they then used to workshop and create a song."
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The song is now in the process of being produced and professionally recorded, with hopes of entering it in the collaboration category of the Golden Guitar Awards next year.
"A lot of these artists were really passionate and strong about it - it was a very worthy exercise, even if nothing comes of it," Mrs Haslam said.
For any locals who have not seen High as Mike, or for the many who want to see it again, a second screening has been arranged for August 8 at the Capitol Theatre, and a sequel in the works.
The second screening has been arranged to give local MP Barnaby Joyce a chance to watch the documentary, "alongside the community."
"When the laws were changed to allow medicinal cannabis in 2016 there was celebration and so much expectation," Mrs Haslam said.
"But Australians have been duped, and are now disadvantaged and suffering unnecessarily.
"We encourage all patients to attend the screening - we want to tell lots of patient's stories, so speak out and let that frustration at the heart of this issue be heard."
Last Wednesday, the local member for Alice Springs bought 20 tickets to giveaway to the public for the upcoming local screening of High as Mike.
The documentary has been received by rave reviews from all over the globe, with a sequel, Higher Than Mike, already in the pipeline, and some big names lining up to be involved.
Tickets to the Tamworth screening can be purchased via the Capitol Theatre website, at a cost of $25.
