Feb. 2023 - NE Leaf

ABOUT THE COVER

Our magazines this month feature incredible photos of the iconic stoner comedy duo that has graced our screens for decades: the inimitable Cheech and Chong, who are back and bigger than ever with new careers, new lines and new roles in an expanding network of Cannabis entrepreneurial spirit and ascent. Our sincere thanks to legendary photographer Emily Eizen for taking on this assignment and delivering a remarkable portfolio of portraits, and the Cheech and Chong team for their help in fully realizing this truly epic cover shoot. See more photos from their photo sesh on our website, and see the alternate cover too!

COVER & INTERIOR PHOTOS BY EMILY EIZEN @EMILYEIZEN WARDROBE AND STYLING BY TORENO WINN @TORENO__ LOCATION BY THE PINK DONA @THEPINKDONA

ART DIRECTION BY DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

Thanks for picking up The Culture Issue of the Leaf!

This month’s cover is graced by Cheech and Chong, the iconic stoner humorists who’ve represented Cannabis culture since 1971. Crossing generations with comedy and electric screen presence, they pioneered the plant at a time when using Cannabis was highly illegal. With today’s access to pot stores verging on excessive, it’s easy to forget the risk that buying weed represented in the ‘70s – let alone smoking joints on camera in a form of public protest and entertainment.

Cannabis culture spread into the mainstream on the silver screen, rebranding the war on drugs with wit and taking the fear out of the weed equation. In many ways our current version of stoner culture can be defined by the vibe that Cheech and Chong created atop the echoes of the ‘60s hippie renaissance. Go to a weed event today and you’ll see plenty of tie-dye mixed in with friendly folks blending of all cultures, backgrounds and socioeconomic status. But while colorful clothes and glass define the look, the only thing needed to join the plant tribe is a smile and a bowl to smoke.

SALES

BOBBY NUGGZ, REVIEWS + PHOTOS

LEXI PADUSSIS, SALES

MIKE RICKER, FEATURES

CHARLES TAGGART, FEATURES + PHOTOS

JAMIE VICTOR, DESIGN

DAN VINKOVETSKY, FEATURES

TORENO WINN, STYLING

BRUCE WOLF, PHOTOS

KATHERINE WOLF, FEATURES

LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES

We’re entering the ‘Goldilocks Age’ of legalization: Icons and individual consumers alike remember the scars and costs of prohibition. A new generation of stoners turn 21 each month in a world where dispensaries are as ubiquitous as liquor stores. It’s magical to see the worldview of Cannabis shifting –bringing youthful energy and hope which has lit a fire that cannot be put out.

Reaching escape velocity, Cannabis is slingshotting from criminal activity to vending machines in a lifetime – and its effect on the arts, entertainment and larger world, shouldn’t be underestimated.

As I wrote last year – if Putin were puffin’ – he probably wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine. I believe we will see a radical transformation in global politics and humanity’s view of responsibility for one another, and our shared planet, once the plant is free to heal. Just look at Thailand’s seemingly overnight drug policy change: Weed has gone from a death penalty offense to a scene of international press, as a Cookies dispensary opens to the blessings of monks and the community.

The energy is right for this movement to grow. And perhaps that’s what brought Cheech and Chong back together, and to the forefront of the movement they planted seeds for 50 years ago. We certainly need weed heroes and while they’re far too cool for capes, it’s an honor to share their presence on the cover of Leaf Magazines. Please enjoy our cover interview by our own Bobby Black and Mike Ricker, with amazing photos by Emily Eizen styled by Toreno Winn in Los Angeles, and the rest of our unique Culture Issue. As I’ve said since June 2010 when the first Leaf magazine went to print – thank you for reading and for being a part of our beautiful Cannabis culture!

CORRECTIONS: In our January 2023 issue Concentrate of the Month review, we printed a photo of Unicorn Poop Live Rosin from Zero Gravity Cannabis but ran the text to the previous month’s review of GMO Rosin from Ripple Wellness. We regret the error and will print the full corrected review and photo in our March 2023 issue.

“IT’S MAGICAL TO SEE THE WORLDVIEW OF CANNABIS SHIFTING –BRINGING YOUTHFUL ENERGY AND HOPE WHICH HAS LIT A FIRE THAT CANNOT BE PUT OUT. ”

LARROQUETTE WAS PAID IN WEED FOR ‘TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE’

John Larroquette’s very first acting gig was to provide the opening narration for Tobe Hooper’s 1974 ”Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” The actor did so as a favor, but a popular internet rumor has long claimed he also received a little weed for his troubles. While speaking with Parade, Larroquette confirmed the weed rumor as “totally true.“

“He gave me some marijuana or a matchbox or whatever you called it in those days,” Larroquette recalled. “I walked out of the [recording] studio and patted him on the backside and said, ‘Good luck to you!’”

Larroquette returned to provide narration for several of the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies,” including the recent Netflix sequel – but he revealed that he’s never actually seen any of them. “I’m not a big horror movie fan,” he said.

TENNESSEE DEMS WANT TO LEGALIZE

IFnew legislation passes this session, Tennessee could become the 22nd state to legalize the adult use of marijuana.

Sen. Heidi Campbell is one of the co-sponsors of the Free All Cannabis for Tennesseans Act – or FACT Act. “We know already that it’s popular across the state and across parties,” Campbell said, reports New Channel 5 Nashville. “People are already going across state lines to get Cannabis products.”

“In 2018, an MTSU poll showed 81% of Tennesseans support legalization in some form. To drill down, 37% say marijuana should be legal for adult use and 44% say it should only be legal for medicinal use.”

In 2018, an MTSU poll showed 81% of Tennesseans support legalization in some form. To drill down, 37% say marijuana should be legal for adult use and 44% say it should only be legal for medicinal use.

Sen. Campbell believes if people are already using Cannabis, Tennessee should be getting its share of the tax revenue. “We’re missing out on billions in revenue every year that could be put towards education, rehabilitation, mental health and all kinds of things that surround Cannabis,” she said.

NEW YORK CITY HOME TO 1,300 UNLICENSED POT SHOPS

ACCORDING TO THE NYPD, more than 1,300 illegal marijuana stores are selling pot without a license.

“I admit, I don’t think we ever talked about this scenario happening,” State Senator Liz Krueger said.

Senator Krueger worked on the state’s adult-use Cannabis legislation for about seven years, but admits that lawmakers never expected such an expansive untaxed market to pop up while the legal market was still being rolled out.

IS LEGAL CANNABIS COMING TO HAWAII? NEW BILL OFFERS HOPE.

HAWAII LAWMAKERS in January filed bills to legalize marijuana in the state. Advocates are optimistic that the reform may finally be enacted with a new pro-legalization governor in office.

Rep. Jeanné Kapela (D) and Sen. Chris Lee (D) sponsor the legislation in their respective chambers, alongside more than a dozen co-sponsors. The measures were partly informed by the recommendations that a state legalization task force developed last year.

“We now have a roadmap for legalizing recreational Cannabis in our islands.”

“We now have a roadmap for legalizing recreational Cannabis in our islands,” Kapela said. “Legalizing Cannabis is not just a matter of money, it is a matter of moralities.”

NEBRASKA SENATOR BACKING MMJ BILL

A Nebraska senator is kicking off the start of the new session with another attempt to finally legalize medical marijuana in the state.

Sen. Anna Wishart, a Democrat, has been fighting to enact the reform over the past several years – pursuing medical marijuana legalization through both the state legislature and activist-led ballot campaigns.

Now she’s filed a new bill to provide patients with qualifying conditions access to Cannabis if they receive a doctor’s recommendation. It appears to largely mirror a revised version of legislation that advanced in committee in 2021, but ultimately stalled out in the GOP-controlled unicameral legislature.

Should the legislation make it over the finish line, smoking marijuana and home cultivation would remain illegal.

global

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS BREAKS NEW GROUND

The U.S. Virgin Islands in late January legalized marijuana for adults 21 and older. This means the United States-owned territory joins several nations in the conservative Caribbean in finally relaxing their antiquated Cannabis laws.

“We are bringing the opportunities to you, but you must also do your part to seize these opportunities,” said Governor Albert Bryan. Under the nascent industry, the cultivation, manufacture and sale of marijuana is legally allowed in the U.S. territory.

The Act improves upon the governor’s original proposal, with the inclusion of a robust social equity program and expansion of the expungement opportunities for marijuana-related arrests and convictions.

“Under the nascent industry, the cultivation, manufacture and sale of marijuana is legally allowed in the U.S. territory.”

During a signing ceremony, Bryan also issued a proclamation that allows persons convicted of simple possession of marijuana to apply for a pardon.

HEALTH & SCIENCE

DISPENSARY GIVES OUT FREE AUTHORIZATIONS FOR TEXAS VETERANS

Military veterans across the country struggle with PTSD and other ailments, and many are trying to find available treatment options. For some, rather than taking prescription medications, they’re opting for medical Cannabis, reports KXAN.

In Austin, goodblend – one of only three medical Cannabis operators licensed to operate in the Lonestar State – is giving away free Texas medical marijuana authorizations to veterans.

“these authorizations can cost between $200-$300.”

According to goodblend community relations manager Terrence Baugh, these authorizations can cost between $200-$300.

“It keeps them off the black market,” he said. “We want to make it very accessible and usable for them to be a part of this program – to energize and engage them in what Texas already has.”

pounds of marijuana was

months of probation is the sentence for Super Bowl champion Nigel Bradham after felony marijuana convictions.

percent of American voters now support the federal legalization of Cannabis.

patients are enrolled in Georgia’s long-awaited medical marijuana program, yet to be rolled out.

BEST MENU IN MASS

HAZE FOR DAZE

The Creative Cultivation of Buds and SUCH

I GOT OFF THE L TRAIN at Brooklyn’s Broadway Junction station the day after New York state’s first legal Cannabis dispensary opened at 4:20 p.m., just across the East River in Manhattan.

I was there to meet a graffiti artist who goes by the tag SUCH, and is also half of the Queens-based small batch Cannabis grower Buds and SUCH. He and his wife Mindy had recently won first place in the Haze category at the New York Growers Cup – an event highlighting the best Cannabis growers in the Empire State – for their Super Lemon Haze.

Mindy was at the awards ceremony several weeks earlier, but SUCH was in Miami for one of the preeminent international art fairs: Art Basel.

“I was doing a big wall with our crew,” he tells me. That’s because SUCH is not just any graffiti artist.

His work spans decades – he estimates he has done several million tags and thousands of full-color

pieces – which can be seen all over the world including Italy, France, Amsterdam, Norway, England, Sweden, Denmark, Taiwan and Korea.

On the day I met SUCH, we were in the shadows of the elevated train tracks, the roar of the subway cars a constant rhythm as graffiti artists up and down the block worked their cans of spray paint on the gray walls of a warehouse. SUCH had his own space on the wall and had already laid out much of the outline for his piece.

“I’m doing my piece here and I figured we should do our interview here to connect the graffiti with the bud –that’s how we got the name Buds and SUCH. You know, growing weed and writing graffiti. A lot of people that write graffiti smoke weed, and a lot of people that smoke weed get their creativity from that!” explained SUCH.

“They just go hand-in-hand, the Three Sisters: rap, bud and graffiti,” added Mindy.

The past week had been very cold

but this day was unusually warm. “It hit 50 degrees today, so that brought us out here,” said SUCH. “Everybody’s like, ‘We’re painting! We’re going to Junction to paint!’ And this is our spot, Broadway Junction. This is like a little Hall of Fame here. This is our canvas, one of many.”

We had been talking about what it means to be a New Yorker, and at that very moment, a car raced by. “That’s real New York, 70 [mph] on a side block!” laughed SUCH, before calling out to a fellow graffiti artist down the block. “What makes a true New Yorker?!”

“You gotta be born and raised here!” he shouted.

“Yeah, ya gotta be born and raised here!” agreed SUCH. “If you weren’t here in the ‘80s, ‘90s – you didn’t experience New York.”

Our visit continued and I asked him what he was first, an artist or a grower? “An artist,” he answered. “I started writing graffiti in 1990 on

STORY by GILBERT GJERSVIK for NORTHEAST LEAF

Long Island. I didn’t get into the bud growing up. I didn’t do anything, I didn’t smoke, drink – nothing.

Graffiti and breakdancing was first. ‘Beat Street’ [the film] came out in ‘84 and instantly I was hooked on breakdancing and graffiti, but I didn’t start writing until 1990. I was breakdancing in the ‘80s, trying to copy what I saw from the movie. The first graffiti was in 1990. I became a part of a crew in the ‘90s – FTR –which we are still a part of today. And the main crews I post now are RIS and MTA which were crews started in the 80’s and have members worldwide.”

So how did he get involved in growing Cannabis? SUCH credits that part to his uncle.

“His boys were growing in the ‘80s,” SUCH explained. “In 1999, my uncle told me, ‘Yo, let’s make some extra money for Christmas and sell some weed.’ I said, ‘All right, what do we gotta do?’” SUCH described how they would break down ounces of weed full of seeds into dime bags that he would sell to his friends. “It was only going to be a temporary thing to make a few dollars, and 22 years later it’s still going!”

As for growing, SUCH was exposed to cultivation of all kinds growing up. “My dad was always having gardens in the backyard,” he reminisced. “I’ve always tilled the earth, tomatoes,

lettuce, cucumbers, eggplants – I’ve always enjoyed growing.” Then, around the year 2000, a friend gifted him with a Hydrofarm Ebb&Flow MegaGarden. “He told me to put some plants into this, get a light … where I was living at the time there was a little sauna room. I set it up right there. I had three plants. I didn’t know anything and I just learned.”

SUCH described the process of experimentation, failure after failure, and trial and error.

“There was no internet back in the day, you didn’t have information at your fingertips, so it was books. It took years [and the help of books by Jorge Cervantes and others] to get it dialed in.”

SUCH went from that one-light setup to two lights to four lights to six lights, all the way up to a 48-light operation that he managed by himself, including hand watering. “I’ve never done automated [growing], my friends think I’m nuts,” said SUCH. Which brings us to Super Lemon Haze.

“I like the classic strains, I always go with the classics,” said SUCH. “I grow Super Lemon Haze, Northern Lights, Strawberry Cough …” For the New York Growers Cup, Buds and SUCH submitted three strains: In the Gas category was their GMO, in the Exotic category their Blue Gelato, and for Best of Haze they submitted their indoor-grown Super Lemon Haze – four plants that yielded about a pound.

The Super Lemon Haze’s lineage began in ‘08/’09 when Arjan Roskam of Green House Seed Company in Amsterdam won the Cannabis Cup with the strain. “Right after [Arjan]

won the Cup my boys from Bayside, Queens brought back the seeds –they popped them here and they were the first ones to grow it here.” SUCH was given a Super Lemon Haze ‘mommy’ as payment from another grower who killed one of his very special Lavender Kush ‘mommies.’ “And that’s how I got Super Lemon Haze! And I’ve never stopped growing it. It’s always in the garden!”

And the appeal of this strain? “The smell is super lemony with hints of pine,” said SUCH. “And the high is motivating and creative, it’s a great daytime smoke. And yes, it tastes fucking awesome!”

But beyond the shadows of the elevated tracks is the Manhattan skyline and the new reality of legal dispensaries opening up – not just in the city but across the state – which will impact the way growers like Buds and SUCH navigate their future.

“I like the small batch stuff,” said SUCH. “I don’t need to be a millionaire. I started out making money with it, but over the years grew a love for this plant.”

SUCH was with friends at a Cuban restaurant in Miami when Mindy called him with the news that they had won an award at the New York Growers Cup. In the middle of the restaurant he began yelling, “Yo! We fucking won! For Super Lemon Haze! Best Haze!”

He was so excited he said he felt like a little kid. “You know why? It’s because of all the trial and error,” he explained. “All the years of failing and trying to learn this damn plant and why it does what it does. And to finally win? It was the New York Growers Cup! And what’s a better strain for New York than Haze!”

Photos of SUCH painting, award, and SUCH and Mindy by @FRAMEDBYLEGENDS

Photos of finished pieces and SLH growing courtesy of SUCH @AKA_SUCH | @BUDS.AND.SUCH

“A lot of people that write graffiti smoke weed, and a lot of people that smoke weed get their creativity from that!”

SUPER LEMON HAZE

EMERALD LEAF ORGANICS

FROSTED PEANUTS COLD

CURE LIVE ROSIN

With Rhode Island recreational sales beginning December 2022, the Leaf decided to kick off the New Year by reviewing one of the most sought after solventless concentrate purveyors in the 401. Chatting with E.L.O. –aka Emerald Leaf Organics – head solventless extractor Nick Walason more than lived up to our expectations, as he was dropping some serious knowledge regarding their Frosted Peanuts Cold Cure Live Rosin.

The Frosted Peanuts concentrate is produced from a “mixed wash” – meaning two separate cultivars were mixed together to marry unique terpene profiles and effects. Using Frost Donkey #6 whole plant fresh frozen material and blending it with Peanut Butter Breath #17 whole plant fresh frozen material, produced a perfect mix of hit-the-road-rubber-gas and roasted peanuts. The wash process, which uses 40-140 micron bags, resulted in a full-spectrum, flavorful concentrate. To obtain the cold cure final product, E.L.O. vacuum sealed their fresh-pressed live rosin and kept it in a climate-controlled room to cure to perfection. Every batch released is true top-tier rosin and worth every penny. You can even view the test results of each E.L.O. product by scanning the QR code on their packaging.

A gassy note catches the nose immediately when the jar is opened, and the distinct aroma of roasted peanuts can be detected. However, the Frosted Peanuts Cold Cure Live Rosin produces more of a gassy, savory-umami scent. The vibrant, light-yellow color of this concentrate is very appealing and pops off the dark

hue of the black jar – enticing you to dig right in. The first dab delivered pleasantly strong and intoxicating gassy notes with a hint of a pepper. A euphoric and long-lasting high followed.

You can find E.L.O. solventless products on the shelves at Slater Center, Mother Earth, Aura, Sweet Spot and Greenleaf in Rhode Island. Be sure to follow their Instagram (@elo.main) to keep up to date with their constant phenotype hunt selections and exclusive drops across Lil’ Rhody.

ELORGANICS.COM | @ELO.MAIN

71.39% THC, $60/G

AVAILABLE FROM AURA OF RI

1136 LONSDALE AVE.

CENTRAL FALLS, RI 02863

AURAOFRI.COM | @AURAOFRI

“A gassy note catches the nose immediately when the jar is opened, and the distinct aroma of roasted peanuts can be detected.”

CHOCOLATE MAKES US HAPPY

DOES CHOCOLATE MAKE YOU HAPPY? Wait, let me answer that: Yes, it actually does. Dark chocolate has significant health benefits, both mental and physical. In fact, the darker the better is a significant source of antioxidants and lowers blood pressure. Chocolate also boosts serotonin levels, which helps with depression. It’s like what Cannabis does … although Cannabis does it better!

Fun to make and easy to eat, there is an infused chocolate bark out there for everyone.

CHOCOLATE BARK SERVES 9

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

2 cups dark chocolate chips or melts

3 tablespoons canna butter

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

When I first became a Cannabis lover, my favorite treat was sitting in front of the record player, listening to cool music and eating, from the container, a healthy serving or two of “cool and creamy pudding.”

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

SERVES 4

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 3/4 cups milk

2 tablespoons canna butter or oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Add the milk. Heat on medium. Bring mixture to a boil and stir constantly until the pudding coats the back of the spoon.

2. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the infused butter and vanilla. Divide between glasses. Chill.

CHOCOLATE

CANNA CLUSTERS

MAKES 36 CLUSTERS

Creamy, crunchy and chewy, and the tender raisins add a touch of sweetness.

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

3 tablespoons canna-butter or canna-coconut oil, melted

1 cup toasted slivered almonds

1/4 cup chopped cherries

1. In the top of a double boiler, heat the chips with the canna butter. When fully melted, add most of the almonds and cherries, stirring to blend.

2. Place a piece of parchment on your work surface. Drop the mixture, by the tablespoon, on the paper. Sprinkle the still-not-set clusters with the remaining almonds and cherries. Allow to set for 60 minutes.

1. In a small, dry skillet, toast the coconut flakes.

2. In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, melt the chocolate with the canna butter. Mix well.

3. Place parchment on your work surface. Turn the chocolate onto the paper and form a 5x7 inch rectangle.

4. Combine the coconut with the pecans and apricots. Sprinkle the toppings on the just-poured chocolate. Allow to set until completely dry, at least an hour.

FEBRUARY HASHTAGS | #Love #BeYou #DontFearTheEdible #EatYourCannabis

2023 Marketing Opportunities with Leaf Magazines

Print Magazines

Our print magazines are distributed to more than 2,200 dispensaries across 13 states - more than 25% of America We have a loyal readership that continues to grow each month, and with each new issue, there is a new opportunity to influence both consumer and dispensary retail staff purchasing habits in your brand s favor

Social Media

Our 7x Instagram accounts have a collective following of 65,000+ and our 6x Facebook accounts have a collective following of 43,000+ (figures as of EOY 2022), both of which have been 100% organically built without any paid promotion Thanks to the natural acclimation of followers, our engagement is well beyond industry standard

Podcast

Our Leaf Life Podcast features hosts Wes Abney (Leaf Magazines CEO Founder) aka The Bearded Lorax, Mike Ricker (Leaf Magazines Partner), Mary White (Cannabis Chef) and Ashley Hirchert (Model, Cannabis Consultant) and a variety of guests as they dive into "All things Cannabis for all people" with a new episode every week

Direct Email Marketing

Newly added to our lineup of targeted exposure channels is direct email marketing campaigns with customizable data sets This allows you to geo-target consumers, and create collaborative outreach campaigns that combine organic Leaf content and advertising outreach to a prequalified audience

B2B + B2C Events

Our unique events offer the opportunity to engage with the Cannabis community directly in safe and consumption-friendly environments that celebrate the plant, and raise the vibrations of all involved Our Leaf Bowl competition is quickly gaining recognition as one of the industry's leading Cannabis competitions

Danny

Follow

Grow Bud Yourself podcast is available on all streaming platforms and whereever you get your podcasts!

Send questions to info@growbudyourself.com

Past Special Guests Include

Interviews

teaches you everything you need to know to get growing now!

LEMON OG HAZE

GROWN BY CANNAPROVISIONS

Their Lemon OG Haze will astound aficionados with its look, scent, flavor and almost psychedelic effects!

The pale, light-green flowers express the typical thin elongated profile and the high calyx-to-leaf ratio of the best sativa-dominant varieties. The hand-trimmed buds are sticky to the touch but break up light and fluffy in the grinder. Immediately, the delectable aroma of sweet and sour citrus fills the air. A closer sniff reveals notes of lemongrass, bergamot, grapefruit, pineapple and cinnamon bark.

A dry hit on a freshly-rolled joint initially tastes like Lemonheads or Sour Lemon Mike & Ikes with a lingering aftertaste of pine, pepper and earthy fuel. Dominant terpenes include limonene, alphapinene, caryophyllene and myrcene – with the unique combination creating a complex bouquet, dominated by citrus, but with subtle nuanced undertones.

Upon lighting, the joint smokes smooth and silky, reminiscent of a lemon pot de crème. The Lemon OG Haze burns to a wispy white ash – affirming that the flowers have been properly fed, flushed and cured. A “ring of oil” forms just below the glowing cherry of the lit end and the initial effects are felt in the forehead and just behind the eyes.

It’s a bit of a creeper high, taking a few minutes to reach total potency, but oh what an effect it is! The buzz feels energetic and happy, making this a perfect daytime smoke for creatives looking for inspiration or patients treating anxiety or mild depression.

The cerebral uplifting vibration provided by Lemon OG Haze can inspire a burst activity perfect for everything from running errands, cleaning the house or taking a nice long walk in the woods.

”

CANNAPROVISIONS is one of a handful of dispensaries I bring up when someone tells me that they can’t find connoisseur-quality Cannabis at a licensed store. They truly embody the “legacy-meets-legal” ethos with their Smash Hits line of small batch buds overseen by legendary under grower turned Director of Cultivation Greg “Chemdog” Krzanowski.

still smokin’

THE REBIRTH OF CHEECH AND CHONG

LONG BEFORE Harold and Kumar, Jay and Silent Bob or Beavis and Butt-Head … before “Friday” or “How High,” “Half Baked” or “Pineapple Express” –there were the founding fathers of Cannabis comedy: Cheech and Chong.

In a series of irreverent films throughout the 1970s and early ‘80s, they portrayed a pair of silly, stereotypical stoners who perfectly captured the spirit of the ’70s and established them as cultural icons that have stood the test of time. During this exclusive interview with the Leaf, the legendary comedy duo reflect back on how their partnership has evolved over their heady and hilarious, half-century-long careers.

WHEN CHEECH MET CHONG

A Mexican-American from Los Angeles, Richard Marin (nicknamed “Cheech” as a baby by his uncle, who remarked that he looked like a little “chicharron” aka fried pork rind), grew up the son of an LAPD officer in East L.A. An anti-war activist in college, he moved to Canada after graduation to avoid being drafted, where he spent about a year working odd jobs: making pottery, delivering carpets and freelance writing.

“I was writing for a rock and roll magazine up there called Poppin, and the publisher said to me, ‘I got this guy you should meet – he’s doing some weird stuff,’” Marin recalls.

“That guy” was a half-Chinese, half-Scotch-Irish musician from Calgary named Thomas Chong. Throughout the 1960s, Chong made a living managing nightclubs around Vancouver while trying to make it big as the guitarist in a band called Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers. The group signed with Motown in 1965, released an album and a hit single (which Chong co-wrote), and even played with top acts like the Jackson Five and Jimi Hendrix.

In 1967, while on tour in Chicago, he happened onto the Second City comedy club and was “mesmerized” by his first exposure to improv. So when he was fired from the band after being late to a gig (because he didn’t have a green card), Chong switched gears: In 1969, he took over the back room of his brother Stan’s strip club, The Shanghai Junk, and launched his own improv group called City Works.

Then, one fateful day, after delivering a carpet next door, Cheech walked into the club and introduced himself to Tommy. As Marin’s publisher predicted, the two immediately hit it off.

“He was running this improvisational theater troupe in Vancouver’s first topless club, and he invited me to join,” says Marin. “I started out

writing for the group but eventually started doing all the parts. Eventually, when the troupe fell apart, Tommy and I stayed together.”

When asked what inspired him to become a comedian, Marin jokes: “The strippers!” then adds sarcastically, “It was either that or go into politics.” CONTINUES NEXT PAGE >>

Legendary Cannabis comedy duo Cheech and Chong are back – and this time, they’re finally making a new movie together!

THE REBIRTH OF CHEECH AND CHONG

POTHEAD PERSONAS

It was while doing sketch comedy at Shanghai Junk that the two aspiring comics began developing the stoner characters that would become their trademarks: Cheech, the Chicano vato “Pedro,” and Chong, the burnout known only as “Man” – a character he based mainly on a homeless hippie named Strawberry (a name they later appropriated for Cheech’s shellshocked cousin in their first film) that he sometimes let sleep in the lighting booth at the club. Though neither of them smoked as much as the bumbling burnouts they played on stage, they’d both loved Mary Jane since their first dance with her in their late teens.

“I was 19, in my first year at college,” Marin recalls of his first time getting high. “I was a straight arrow: altar boy, choir boy, straight-A student … and then one time at a party in my apartment, my roommate passed this cigarette to me. ‘What is this?’ ‘It’s weed, man.’ ‘Oh, OK – how do you do it?’ He showed me how to do it, and after I took my first hit, the music sounded better, and I said to myself, ‘OK – so what else have they been lying about?’”

It was a similar circumstance for Chong.

“I was 17 years old, still trying to get through high school,” he recounts. “I used to hang out at this jazz club because even though I didn’t play jazz, I could get in free if I brought my guitar. One night, the owner of the club – a Chinese bass player named Raymond Ma – handed me a Lenny Bruce record and a joint. I put the joint right in my pocket, so he said, ‘Oh, OK’ and lit up another one, and we got high. I remember the music I was listening to when it hit me was “Lonely Woman” by Ornette Coleman. I’d never heard music like that. I could even see the woman in the window waiting for her lover. After I got home, I listened to the Lenny Bruce record, and the next day, I quit school.”

“I THINK OUR PARTNERSHIP IS BETTER TODAY THAN IT EVER WAS,” MARIN SAYS CONFIDENTLY. “I THINK EVERYTHING CHANGED WHEN WE GOT OUR OWN ACCOUNTANTS,” JOKES CHONG, THEN ADDS MORE SERIOUSLY, “NO, BUT WE … WE GREW UP.”

The duo spent a little over a year honing their material, and after City Works disbanded in February 1971, they toured down the West Coast back to Los Angeles – where their pothead personas were better received than in Vancouver.

“The audience back in L.A. liked those characters right away because we reminded them of people in their neighborhood,” says Chong. “You know, because they didn’t have Chicanos in Canada.”

FLYING HIGH

Later that year, they signed a record deal with famed producer Lou Adler’s Ode Records and recorded eight albums over the next several years – most of which went gold and were nominated for Grammys – including 1972’s “Big Bambu” (designed to look like a giant pack of rolling papers) and 1973’s “Los Cochinos,” which won them their first and only Grammy.

In 1978, Adler directed the duo’s first feature film: the now classic “Up in Smoke.” Much like their live act and albums, most of the movie’s dialogue was improvised – reportedly using only a yellow legal

pad with what Chong once described as a “loose roadmap” written on it as their guide. Though not well received by critics, the film was wildly popular with hip, young audiences and became a huge financial success.

In the decade to come, the duo went on to release seven more films, including “Nice Dreams” (1981), which featured cameos by Paul “Pee-wee Herman” Ruebens and LSD guru Timothy Leary, and “Still Smokin” (1983) – a combination of sketches and live performances shot mainly in Amsterdam.

“I wanted to do a Cheech and Chong film festival, but Paramount wanted us to do a live concert,” Chong explains. “Eddie Murphy had just done “Raw,” so they wanted us to kind of copy that.”

“So we did both instead,” Cheech chimes in.

Of all of their films, Chong admits that “Still Smokin” was his favorite one to make.

“I think ‘Still Smokin’ was the most fun because we did quite a few classic bits, like ‘The Invisible Wrestler’ that we had only done live, and I knew we’d never do again,” he explains. “I figured, this is our one chance to see our live act on screen, so we did – we got ‘em on screen.”

“And it was in Amsterdam,” Cheech chuckles, “so we had a great time.”

BREAKUP & REUNION

Despite their fun times during filming, tensions had been rising between them for some time. Their sixth film, “The Corsican Brothers” (1984) – in which they played 18th-century French swashbucklers instead of their usual stoner characters – flopped. And Chong, who had directed four of their six films, was reportedly exerting ever more control over the team’s creative direction. Sadly, in 1985, things came to a head – and Cheech and Chong decided to split up.

For the next two decades, each pursued their own solo career: Appearing in dozens of films and television shows, as well as countless cameos and voiceover roles (including several animated Disney characters). And though their friendship had severely soured during that period, it managed to endure.

“We’d talk, but it was intermittent because there were a lot of bad feelings on both our parts,”

Cheech says. “But I always knew that we’d eventually get back together in some form, because the connection was just too strong, and the people wanted it so much.”

It took over 20 years (and a generous offer from Live Nation), but that reunion finally happened in 2008, when they put their differences aside and agreed to embark on a new standup tour, “Light Up America.”

“It was a nice way to get back with Tommy in a format that we didn’t argue about,” says Marin, who joyously recounts the first time they shared a stage again. “He said, ‘I’m doing this gig with my wife Shelby at The Comedy Store down in San Diego … why don’t you just show up and come out of the audience as a special guest,’ and that’s what I did. It was amazing – we had no rehearsal whatsoever, but it’s such a part of our DNA that after all those years being apart, I walked up on stage and it was like we had performed the day before.”

The “Light Up America” tour was followed by the “Get it Legal” tour, a concert film and an animated movie. There was even talk of them doing a new feature film together – something like a stoner version of “Grumpy Old Men” – but that project never materialized, thanks to some of the same creative differences that first drove them apart.

“WE HAVE A UNIQUE BRAND OF HUMOR THAT’S SIMULTANEOUSLY REALLY DUMB AND REALLY SMART IN THE SAME THING,” MARIN OFFERS.

Putting aside their past issues, though, both men feel that the dynamics of their relationship have improved significantly since then.

“I think our partnership is better today than it ever was,” Marin says confidently.

“I think everything changed when we got our own accountants,” jokes Chong, then adds more seriously, “No, but we … we grew up.”

HEADY HORIZONS

Their reconciliation has paved the way for three exciting new projects. The first is their new Cheech and Chong’s Cannabis Company launched in California in August of last year – which not only brings their individual, existing weed brands (Cheech’s Stash and Tommy Chong’s Cannabis) under one banner, but introduces several new “joint” product lines named after aspects of their films, including Love Machine, Low Rider, StaDank-Ohh, and their most popular release, Cruise Chews.

The second project is an upcoming documentary about their careers that’s recently wrapped filming after decades of work.

And the third? That long-awaited new feature film, which they say is already written and set to begin filming within the next few months. When asked what it’s about or whether they’ll be reprising their

classic stoner characters in it, the duo is uncharacteristically tight-lipped.

“We can’t talk too much about it because we don’t want to give anything away,” says Chong. “All we can tell you is that it’s going to be incredible. We got some surprises, man.”

Although they haven’t made a film together in decades, they’re confident that they’ll be able to connect with today’s younger audience — particularly Chong, who’s portrayal of Leo in “That ’70s Show” introduced his classic character to a whole new generation (a role he’s recently reprised in the new sequel, “That ‘90s Show”).

“The zoomer generation, they love the old Woodstock, peace and love mindset … and when you go back to the ‘oldies but goodies’ types, we’re at the top of the list,” says Chong. “Because when you think about it, really what we were doing was young guys playing like old guys. And so now, we’re old guys playing young guys.”

“We have a unique brand of humor that’s simultaneously really dumb and really smart in the same thing,” Marin offers. “It appeals to everybody on the intellectual spectrum at the same time.”

“Yeah – we’re kinda like Charlie Chaplin,” Chong adds. “He was a clown who became the lowest common denominator in American culture, and as a result, everybody could look down on him. But he could hobnob with the richest or the poorest – it didn’t matter. And I think that’s what’s happened with Cheech and Chong. When we first did it, it was shocking – but eventually, we showed the world how a Chicano and Hippie could be very lovable, and that connected everybody to us.”

So if you happen to be one of those rare stoners who have never actually seen a Cheech and Chong movie, do yourself a favor – go get as high as possible and watch “Up in Smoke.” You’ll be glad you did.

Cheech and Chong’s iconic 1978 film “Up in Smoke” made the pair stars. (ALAMY STOCK)

snoop dogg

As one of the first celebs to sink their teeth into the legal landscape back in 2015, Leafs by Snoop came out of Colorado and a partnership with Canopy Growth. He continued to solidify his colossal status in Cannabis with Casa Verde, an investment company with a deep client deck ranging from edible and cultivation companies to media and METRC. These days, the Doggfather is digging into Death Row Cannabis – a brand new endeavor with renowned Cali cultivator AK.

berner

Cookies began as a clothing and lifestyle line but Berner had bigger plans. He cornered a cultural shift in the community, impacting everything from branding to breeding and paving a path to a billion-dollar empire. Now, his brands boast nearly 60 retail locations around the globe, where Cookies and sister brand Lemonnade partner with local producers in each area to cultivate their Cannabis products.

HIGH NOTES

Taking hits and making hits with the stoniest folks in music.

Musicians have been humming a melody to Mary since someone strummed the first guitar. But these days, a shifting legal landscape means artists can make money getting loud in more ways than one. A bounty of branding opportunities brought a wave of celebrity-backed Cannabis companies and (love it or hate it) new ones are cropping up regularly. But not all celeb brands come from seasoned supporters. Let’s highlight a few hit makers with a legacy of lighting up long before legalization.

B-Real

Stoniest Album

“Black Sunday”

Cypress Hill is synonymous with the sesh. B-Real has backed the bud since day one of his career and since 2018, he’s been busy bringing Dr. Greenthumb to life. The aptly-titled dispensary chain has stuck close to its L.A. roots, with five California locations and its own brand of in-house cultivation (Insane) powered by the same TRP LLC crew that has its hands in Cookies and Death Row Cannabis.

wiz khalifa

Stoniest Album

“Kush & Orange Juice”

Wiz’s 2010 mixtape “Kush & Orange Juice” seemed to solidify a place in many toker’s tracklists and inspire a new generation of cultivar-curious consumers.

Khalifa Kush (KK) is rumored to have been Wiz’s personal puff of choice for years before his endeavor to brand the bud. But in 2016, he entered the market debuting a partnership with Tryke Companies under the fan-famous strain name. The brand has since expanded to include a full lineup of infused offerings that spans six states.

method man

Stoniest Album

“Tical”

“Look up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane. It’s the Funk Doctor Spot smoking buddha on a train.”

As a group, Wu-Tang wove a legendary part of hip-hop’s history. Clan members like Method Man had a masterful presence in more than just music. Cult classics like “How High” cemented his place in the po(t)ulation and inspired terms like “TICAL.” It’s a term Mr. Meth coined for Cannabis that, since 2020, has doubled as an acronym for his brand’s vision: Taking Into Consideration All Lives. You can find the full line of flower and infused goods in six states.

“The scientifical, mystical one. Growin’ my crops with the rays of the sun.”

“And I’m gonna re-up as soon as the fire’s gone. Smokin’ OG Kush from another time zone.”

Stoniest Album

“Mac + Devin go to High School”

“Can we get a motherfuckin’ moment of silence for this small chronic break?”

Stoniest Album

“Light it up, what it taste like? Lemonade, when it’s made right.”

Stoniest Album

“Worldwide Underground”

erykah badu willie nelson

Her eccentric style, soulful songs, and free-flowing artistic expression exude an unmatched energy. But Badu’s bringing a bit of her vibe to viewers like you, in her latest creative collaboration with the folks at Cookies. A recently released video on Berner’s page shares a conversation in which the pair look forward to the lemony traits of “That Badu” – the company’s very first female-backed brand featuring Mad Cow Genetics.

DAMIAN MARLEY

Stoniest Album

“Stony Hill”

mendo dope

“Chasing

GRIZ

Stoniest Album

“Heroes”

me up and smoke me when

To nearly no one’s surprise, Willie Nelson was not far behind Snoop in securing a multi-state operation when things began to legalize back in 2012. Willie’s Reserve spread through several states with rapid succession, sharing flower, pre-rolls and carts grown by over 20 independent farms in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and California. Like Berner, Willie looked to his community to spread the plant’s promise, pairing up with fellow country stars like Merle Haggard and Margo Price.

Jr. Gong jumped into the ganja scene with the social justice-oriented company, Evidence. The brainchild of Ocean Grown Extracts, Evidence operates out of a Coalinga, California facility that makes focusing on their mission mandatory. That’s because the former prison now plays home to plants grown with purpose, as Evidence has partnered with The Last Prisoner Project to donate one dollar from every bag sold. But Damian is no stranger to this cause and has acted as an LPP advisor since 2019.

Michigan EDM artist GRiZ isn’t a stranger to the sensi and by 2017, he’d already released a self-titled strain. His bright, saxed-up, musical makings set the stage for any solid sesh. If you’re in the state of Michigan, you can even tune in and toke up with something selected by the man himself. Pure Options, an established local brand has partnered with GRiZ to provide four custom cultivars for his latest flower enterprise: Astro Hippie.

Stoniest Album

“Planters of the Trees”

Mendo Dope is about as grassroots as our list gets. Brothers Old E and Bleezy started their Cannabis culture journey back in 2013, frequently filming in their own California garden or with the late legendary breeder Subcool for YouTube. They built a fan following and since then, have had their hands in everything from community growing classes to a seed company (Planters of the Trees) and flower line (Mendo Dope Farms).

margo price

Stoniest Album

“All American Made”

Margo Price’s strain with Willie’s Reserve isn’t the only reason this Tennessee toker has made our list. Listen to “All American Made” (a song title that now doubles as a strain) a little closer and you’ll catch her calls to Reagan’s War on Drugs. For a country singer/ songwriter, she’s surprisingly candid about her Cannabis use. Recently, she’s even announced an edible endeavor with the independent, family-owned-and-operated Illinois company Nature’s Grace.

slightly stoopid

The stony, summer sounds of Slightly Stoopid pair perfectly with their sub-brand of curated “Cannabis, wellness, and spirits.” Stoopid Strains offers several Cali Cannabis collaborations with established companies for a variety of products. Seabright Farms’ “Stoopid Hammerheads” offer fans a flower, diamond, oil and kief-coated pre-roll. But the band also collaborated with Cali companies Space Coyote Cannabis and Humboldt Seed Company, as well as Washington’s Playa Grande Cannabis.

the Golden Hour Pt. 3”

“Gettin’ high and havin’ fun.”

“A shifting legal landscape means artists can make money getting loud in more ways than one.“

“You’re the prettiest of flowers, girl me can’t complain. When I’m with you I feel so high I rise above the rain.”

“So I took it in my hand and headed home to grow this ‘juana. I put it in the soil and became a ganja farmer.”

“But I was just a child, unaware of the effects. Raised on sports and Jesus not the usual suspects.”

“No explanation needed. When I’m high I don’t conceal it.”

Stoniest

Album “Chronchitis”

“And we would ride around the park ‘til it’s after dark. Pumpin’ the trunk with the windows rolled up, puff.”

“Roll

I die.”

Stoniest Album

message in a box

Brian Box Brown takes on the Cannabis industry using the power of comics.

STORY by TOM BOWERS @CANNABOMBTOM /LEAF NATION

“IWOULD TRAVEL for my book tours and go to legal dispensaries,” Brown said. “My first one I went to was in Seattle, and I was just like, ‘This is amazing.’ Because at that time in Philly, I was buying ounces off the same dude for a long time. You’d have a couple of strengths to choose from, maybe – just whatever he had. But going into a dispensary, I was like, ‘Holy shit, there’s so much fucking shit everywhere.’ I was so thrilled I couldn’t even handle it. I still remember that. It’s intoxicating.”

Brian “Box” Brown wants to change the face of the regulated Cannabis industry. But the Philadelphia artist isn’t trying to accomplish that goal by running for office or starting a CannaPac – he’s using the power of the comic strip. Coming up in the world where every city had multiple alt-weekly newspapers publishing numerous comics, he saw himself sliding into the scene next to legends like Tom Tomorrow and Tony Millionaire. The New Jersey native started making comics in 2005, just before the alt-weekly newspaper scene started its downward spiral. So, he took his strips to book form. His first book, “Andre the Giant,” released to huge acclaim in 2014 – landing him on The New York Times Best Seller List. It wasn’t until his “Andre” book tours that Brown, a long time Cannabis user who was arrested for possession as a teenager, saw the opportunity to make a change in Cannabis.

The experience inspired him to get his medical card after his usual supplier dried up and Philly launched its medical market. But the experience wasn’t the same.

“I go in there and I’m like, it’s not the same as that feeling as when I went to the dispensary years before in Seattle because there’s no choices, really,” Brown said, adding that the Cannabis was also more expensive in the dispensary than on the traditional market. “You’re like, dude, I’m paying out the ass now for weed, and what am I getting out of it? A lot of packaging. A lot of mids. And I was like, what is wrong with this?

Why is it so shitty here and not as shitty in other places? What is different? That’s what got me radicalized.” He wanted to make a difference but didn’t know how. He started off by yelling at people on Twitter, which wasn’t very effective. So he created a series called “Legalization Nation” and pushed it out on Instagram.

“I was like, I know how to make comics,” Brown said. “This is maybe one way that I can contribute to this discussion in a meaningful way where people might, rather than just making tweets and yelling at regulators or whatever … something might happen.”

His comics use sardonic wit and efficient delivery to tackle points of interest to Brown – things he believes need to be covered. It’s been working. “Legalization Nation” has been picked up for syndication by King Features, part of Hearst Media, and he’s currently prepping to release a coloring book called “A Visit to the Cannabis Farm: A Coloring Book for Adults.”

“I would say that when you want really important information to get out there, put it in comic form. That’s exemplified on the airplane in the seat in front of you – there’s a card that tells you how to get out of the airplane if there’s an emergency, and it’s a comic series of illustrations telling you what to do.”

“I feel like that’s what I’m trying to do with the strip,” he added. “Make the safety card from the airplane, but about weed. Because this is really important information.”

“There’s something about comics that when you break down stuff into small chunks, break down a story into small pictures – there’s something about it that draws the reader in and allows them to take in information in a way that’s less taxing, or seems less stressful than reading a wall of text,” Brown said. BOXBROWN.COM

“I was like, I know how to make comics,” Brown said.

“This is maybe one way that I can contribute to this discussion in a meaningful way where people might, rather than just making tweets and yelling at regulators or whatever … something might happen.”

Arts & Culture Tastemakers

Defining Cannabis culture can be difficult. As the plant continues gaining acceptance, new crowds discover weed every day, moving the goalposts as we fold into one big, ever-growing hashball. What was once an isolated subculture now bubbles into every corner – pushing the artists and makers in our communities to the forefront of art, design and fashion.

edie parker

Bright colors, bold shapes, and products that strive to evoke a sense of happiness – that’s the formula that helped Brett Heyman and her brand Edie Parker become labeled as the Coco Chanel of luxury weed.

Since expanding her upscale accessory and home goods brand into the Cannabis space, they’ve released thoughtfully designed smokeware, including products with NY artists like Paul Arnhold and Sticky Glass. In 2019 they worked with Emjay to put out a line of flower in California and Barney’s on supplying their high-end head shop in Beverly Hills. This last year, they launched Weedie Parker Creative to help newer companies establish compliant branding.

EDIE-PARKER.COM | @EDIE_PARKER

One of the most prolific makers/artists operating on the scene today, GZ1 – whose brand goes by whateverforever – creates work that spans art, clothing, bags, hats, vinyl figures, glass, and even doormats, tap lights and clocks. Inspired by Cannabis comedians who pushed the envelope in their genre, this Pennsylvania artist believes weed culture will continue to expand. “It’s going global, and there’s going to be a need for more people to represent – just like skating, or graff, or any artform that grew from nothing,” says GZ1. Last year, he held a fashion show on the East Coast just to give away pairs of his new footwear featuring his iconic Barfield character. WHATEVERFOREVER.COM | @GZ1WHATEVERFOREVER

STICKY GLASS COLLABS

PAUL ARNHOLD BONGS

THE GRASS BAGS

MOTHERSHIP GLASS COLLAB

talking terps

Talking Terps is a torch connecting the lifestyle of smokers worldwide. Since hitting the market with vinyl figures and apparel in 2015, they’ve brought Cannabis representation to major events like Complexcon and Designercon, going beyond the norm by creating a whole world of toys, dolls, puzzles, rugs, and porcelain statues of their signature character Terp Crawford. The brand’s incredible eye for talent is easily seen in its use of artists like Daniel Herwitt, Brian Blomerth, YEENJOY STUDIO, and Dwindlebag. Part of the Tri-Force behind Talking Terps, Hopelord described part of their method for success: “Others force the effort and lose the fun in the process. We try to keep everything natural, organic, and full of fun.”

TALKINGTERPS.COM | @TALKINGTERPS

wookerson

You can’t smoke hash all day unless you start in the morning, and you can’t get online without seeing someone referencing Wookerson’s famous phrase. This SF-based creator who helped curate the lot scene for Puffcon’s first year has been busy defining his visual style and amassing a ton of appreciators along the way. His art, clothing, and sculptures echo the spirit of skateboarding in the early ‘90s. A big part of that scene was “finding cool shit to do with your friends; if there wasn’t what you wanted to see, you made it. Instead of half pipes in the backyard, these days, it’s giant statues for hash competitions – but it’s still about having fun, being a part of something, and not stopping, even when the crowd catches up.”

WOOKERSONSTUDIOS.COM | @LOTCOMEDY

fidels

Shant Damirdjian, better known by his nickname Fidel, has been on the grind non-stop. After launching his brand and putting the term “hash hole” into the modern lexicon, winning Transbay Challenge IV, premiering a docu-series, and dropping a merch capsule with artist Aaron Kai, he kicked off 2023 with an exclusive box set of apparel with streetwear giants Carrots. When asked why the clothing is just as important as the Cannabis, he said projects like these “advance the movement in ways a brand couldn’t do by itself. You have so much more reach as a cohesive effort, and if you do it right, you get to wow the world.”

YOUTUBE.COM/@FIDELS1228

@FIDELSWORLDWIDE

With a Little Help From My Friends

THE SETUP

On August 28, 1964, The Beatles played the first of two sold-out shows at the Forest Hills Music Festival in Queens, New York. After the concert, they headed back to The Delmonico Hotel on Park Avenue near Central Park. There, throngs of overzealous fans restrained by barricades awaited them out front, while inside, police patrolled the lobby and corridors to prevent any incidents.

Once in their suites on the sixth floor, the band was relaxing and enjoying some dinner with their manager Brian Epstein and personal assistant Neil Aspinall. Soon to join them was folk rock superstar Bob Dylan, who was being driven down from Woodstock by his road manager Victor Maymudes for the occasion. On the way, they’d stopped to pick up writer Al

It’s one of the most legendary seshes in history: the night that Bob Dylan got The Beatles stoned for the first time and changed the course of their career – and by extension, popular music – forever. Here’s how that historic encounter allegedly went down, as compiled from the various perspectives of those who were there.

Aronowitz – a mutual friend of Dylan and The Beatles – who had arranged the momentous meeting. Upon arriving at the hotel, Dylan’s posse was stopped by police, who – having no idea who they were – wouldn’t allow them into the elevator until Beatles’ road manager Mal Evans came down to escort them up.

McCARTNEY’S MEMORY

According to quotes compiled from his memoir “The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present” and different interviews he’s done over the years, here’s how McCartney remembers the meeting:

“We were in a hotel suite … and Bob Dylan turned up with his roadie. …We’d ordered drinks from room service – scotch and Coke and French wine were our thing back then – and Bob had disappeared into a back room… we thought maybe he’d gone to the toilet. But then Ringo

[Starr] came out of that back room looking a bit strange. He said, ‘I’ve just been with Bob, and he’s got some pot!’ And we said, ‘Oh, what is it like?’ And he said, ‘Well, the ceiling is sort of moving, coming down.’ And that was enough. We all ran into the back room, going, ‘Give us a bit, give us a bit!’ … And he gave us a puff on the joint.”

ALTERNATE ACCOUNTS

According to others in attendance, however, events unfolded a bit differently. In his Beatles biography titled “The Love You Make: An Insider’s Story Of The Beatles,” Epstein’s assistant Peter Brown gives a more detailed account. According to Brown, after their introduction, Dylan was offered the drinks they had on hand, but only wanted cheap wine – which Evans was then asked to procure. They also offered Dylan and Aronowitz

Poster and ticket for the 1964 Forest Hills Music Festival.

some “purple hearts” [a type of upper], which they politely declined – instead, suggesting they all smoke some weed. Upon hearing Dylan’s offer, The Beatles all looked at each other, then at Epstein, who timidly admitted, “We’ve never smoked marijuana before.”

In reality, that wasn’t entirely true: The boys had actually tried smoking pot a few years earlier in 1960 but apparently didn’t get high from it, as George Harrison would later recount in “The Beatles Anthology”: “We first got marijuana from an older drummer with another group in Liverpool. We didn’t actually try it until after we’d been to Hamburg. I remember we smoked it in the band room in a gig in Southport. … Everybody was saying, ‘This stuff isn’t doing anything.’ It was like that old joke where a party is going on, and two hippies are up floating on the ceiling, and one is saying to the other, ‘This stuff doesn’t work, man.’”

In any case, Brown makes it clear that The Beatles’ lack of herbal experience took Dylan by surprise:

Dylan looked disbelievingly from face to face. “But what about your song?” he asked. “The one about getting high?”

The Beatles were stupefied. “Which song?” John managed to ask.

Dylan said, “You know …” and then he sang, “And when I touch you, I get high, I get high …”

John flushed with embarrassment. “Those aren’t the words,” he admitted. “The words are, ‘I can’t hide, I can’t hide, I can’t hide …’”

At that moment, Dylan no doubt realized it would now be his historic duty to get The Beatles high for the first time. Luckily, Maymudes had brought along a “sizable bag” of weed for just such a situation. Wary of the substantial police presence in the halls, though, Dylan suggested the group adjourn into one of the adjoining bedrooms.

THE SESH

When it comes to who rolled the joints, once again, accounts vary. According to some, it was Maymudes who did the rolling. According to beatlesbible.com, however, it was Dylan: “Aronowitz was unskilled in rolling joints, so asked Dylan to do the honours; Dylan wasn’t much better, and much of the grass ended up in a fruit bowl on the room service table.”

“Bob hovered unsteadily over the bowl as he stood at the table while he tried to lift the grass from the baggie with the fingertips of one hand so he could crush it into the leaf of rolling paper which he held in his other hand,” Aronowitz wrote in his book “Bob

Dylan and The Beatles.” “In addition to the fact that Bob was a sloppy roller to begin with, what Bob had started drinking had already gotten to him.” Regardless, most seem to agree it was Dylan who lit the first joint, then handed it to Lennon, who declined – instead passing it on to his ‘royal taster’ Ringo. Unaware of stoner etiquette, Starr allegedly smoked the entire thing himself rather than passing it around the circle, prompting Maymudes to then roll everyone their own joints. They all began smoking, and before long, as Starr told Conan O’Brien in 2012, “We got high and laughed our asses off.”

“We expected something instantaneous, so we kept puffing away and saying, ‘It’s not working, is it?’” McCartney wrote in his memoir. “And suddenly, it was working. And we were giggling, laughing at each other.”

“I don’t remember much what we talked about,” Lennon later said in “The Beatles Anthology.” “We were smoking dope, drinking wine, and generally being rock ‘n’ rollers and having a laugh, you know, and surrealism. It was party time.”

Here’s how The Guardian’s Andrew Harrison set the scene: “Ringo Starr … collapsed in a giggling mess. Brian Epstein became so stoned he could only squeak, ‘I’m so high, I’m up on the ceiling.’ Paul McCartney believed he’d attained true mental clarity for the first time in his life and instructed Beatles’ roadie and major-domo Mal Evans to write down everything he said henceforth. Dylan, meanwhile, lost his cool and began answering the hotel phone by shouting, ‘This is Beatlemania here!’”

“We thought, ‘Wow, this is pretty amazing, this stuff,’’’ McCartney’s memoir reads. “So it became part of our repertoire from then on.”

UNDER THE INFLUENCE

From that day forward, The Beatles began consuming Cannabis on an almost daily basis – using the expression “let’s have a larf” as a 420-like code for “let’s get high.”

“The Beatles had gone beyond comprehension,” Lennon once confessed. “We were smoking marijuana for breakfast. We were well into marijuana, and nobody could communicate with us; we were just glazed eyes, giggling all the time.”

The band’s newfound love for the herb quickly manifested in their music – crediting both Dylan and marijuana as influences on their next record, “Rubber Soul,” with Lennon going as far as referring to it as their “pot album.” Their follow-up, 1966’s “Revolver,” included the song “Got to Get You Into My Life” – which McCartney eventually admitted was “entirely about pot.”

influences on their next record, included the song “Got to Get

he was “thinking for the first time, really thinking.”

In the 1997 biography “Many Years From Now,” McCartney elaborates on his perceived pot-induced profundity, during which he repeatedly declared that he was “thinking for the first time, really thinking.”

“I’d been going through this thing of levels during the evening,” McCartney writes. “Mal gave me this little slip of paper in the morning, and written on it was, ‘There are seven levels!’ […] And we pissed ourselves laughing. I mean, ‘What the fuck’s that? What the fuck are the seven levels?’”

In his book “Another Side of Bob Dylan: A Personal History on the Road and Off the Tracks,” Maymudes reported that McCartney enjoyed the experience so much that “The following morning, Paul came up to me and hugged me for 10 minutes and said, ‘It was so great … it’s all your fault because I love this pot!’ He went into his thoughts on music while on it and how it made him feel. ‘It was just magical,’ he said.”

“This song is my ode to pot,” Paul said on BBC Radio in 2021. “What we had to get into our lives, it seems, was marijuana … it was something that entered our lives, and I thought it was a good idea to write a song. Only I’d know that I was talking about pot.”

their 1967 masterpiece “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts

Marijuana’s influence was even more blatant in their 1967 masterpiece “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” – with Ringo signing about “getting high with a little help” from his friends, and McCartney singing about how he “had a smoke” and “went into a dream” in “A Day in the Life.”

“Do you know what caused ‘Pepper?’” McCartney once told a reporter. “In one word: drugs. Pot. ‘Sgt. Pepper’ was a drug album.”

once told a reporter. “In one word: drugs. Pot. ‘Sgt.

Though the exact details of their first sesh may remain a bit foggy, one thing appears crystal clear: Cannabis affected The Beatles in a profound way – infusing their music with introspective complexity and transforming the lads from Liverpool from mere pop performers into the revolutionary artists they were destined to become.

For our podcast & more Cannabis history content visit worldofcannabis.museum/cannthropology.

“We were smoking marijuana for breakfast,” Lennon once confessed. “Nobody could communicate with us; we were just glazed eyes, giggling all the time.”

I KNOW, HARSH TITLE – BUT SOMEONE HAD TO SAY IT. Because we’ve all found ourselves subjected to that annoying jackal of a song. And the melody is so phenomenally irritating, that it has now become a guaranteed way to jack someone with an unsuspecting prank. Just play Baby Shark when their attention is completely preoccupied with something of actual significance in their life … and watch their temperature rise.

What once was cute is now diabolical and far from funny. Because the moment it embeds into your mind, you’ll swear it’s a glitching computer chip that you can’t locate to destroy. Kinda like getting chased by a swarm of singing bees.

Baby Shark makes nails on a chalkboard sound like a guided meditation.

Now, for me this is personal because I suffer from an affliction called repetitive thought loops. This is where an idea, or a sound, will uncontrollably replay in your head. And with Baby Shark, I become incapable of prying myself from this playschool of plinking keyboards and perpetual repetition where the “doo doo doo doo doo doo doos” ricochet off my brain borders. I go to sleep with it.

I wake up with it. It affects my conversations. It creates insomnia sadness.

And there are no baby steps with Baby Shark. Sure, there’s the Jaws soundtrack lead in, but once the first note hits, it becomes heavy metal for kids. It’s like the audio version of one of those infinity mirrors you see in a fun house. But with a fun house, you can leave it where you found it. Not Baby Shark. It preys on you like an unapologetic spam call.

I’ll bet even sharks hate Baby Shark. In fact, I’d like to cover the creators of Baby Shark with chum and throw them into a Baby Shark tank. And by the way: Everything is NOT awesome! Unless we’re singing about weed.

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