Great Moments in Weed History

This story is pretty wild, extremely weedy, and most people have never heard of it before—including our guest, the esteemed weed journalist Mary Jane Gibson. So we're not about to give away any spoilers in the show notes. Just light one, get lit, and listen up! PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday.

After discovering the healing power of weed while serving in Vietnam, Dennis Peron smuggled two pounds of high-grade herb home. From there he became a charismatic and defiant leader of San Francisco's medical weed and gay rights movements. A fiery street-fighting optimist, he suffered multiple stints in prison—and even took a bullet in a police raid—all without ever giving up or backing down. The movement he helped lead and inspire liberated the world. If you don't know his story, then you don't know weed history. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

From starring in the first-ever movie about hip-hop and graffiti, to hosting Yo! MTV Raps, Fab 5 Freddy has been a weed aficionado at the forefront of underground culture for more than four decades. He's also the filmmaker behind the groundbreaking Netflix documentary "Grass is Greener," and the founder of the cause-based B. Noble cannabis brand. Tracing the history of weed from the jazz era to the modern day, F5F recalls a journey that took him from throwing in on nickel bags to working directly with one of the world's largest legal cannabis brands. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Breeder Steve started growing weed in Canada in the 1980s, and went on to create some of the most popular strains of the last thirty years. So he's the perfect person to explain the process of crossing two different types of cannabis to produce a distinct hybrid. Much of Steve's work took place in the outlaw era of Canadian cannabis, as part of a thriving grey market of seed merchants selling through the mail. His Spice of Life seed company was among the finest, and his high-level breeding work continues today. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History , and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

On April 19, 1943 Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hoffman took the world's first LSD trip, which included a rather harrowing bicycle ride home from his lab that day. For the next sixty years, Hoffman would be fascinated by his famous "problem child," a powerful molecule that changed the course of history. Comedian Shane Mauss ("A Better Trip") tells us the story of Bicycle Day, which is now celebrated around the world. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History , and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

As we gaze upon the Cosmos, let's remember Carl Sagan, the famed astronomer who attributed his most powerful epiphanies to the creative influence of cannabis. And his best bud Dr. Lester Grinspoon, who set out to make the definitive scientific case against weed and ended up becoming one of the plant's greatest champions. Their friendship truly changed the course of weed history, with some incredible stories along the way. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History , and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

What's the most psychedelic experience you can have on Earth without ingesting so much as a microdose? A solar eclipse, no question—but you've got to be in the path of totality. Our guest on this episode, astronomer Nour Skaf, from the Black Rock Observatory, explains what exactly happens during an eclipse, and why it's such a profoundly trippy phenomenon. Nour will be presenting a talk at the upcoming Texas Eclipse Festival outside Austin, Texas on April 5th-9th. Bean will be there too, reporting for DoubleBlind magazine. If you have the time and resources, please don't miss a chance to see an eclipse. It is truly life-changing. PATH OF TOTALITY Check out this map to track the path of totality, and find the closest location for you to experience the eclipse. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History , and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

From the depths of the ocean, a mythical weed-loving monster arises to wreak havoc on the authorities who attempt to eradicate her favorite plant. Would you believe this no-budget 1980s monster movie is based on a true story? With special guest Jon Gabrus, we explore how a locally-produced film called Ganjasaurus Rex actually tells the history of outlaw weed growers in Humboldt County via a kaiju about a Godzilla-like creature that swats down police helicopters. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History , and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

The internet has burning questions about getting lit. So GMIWH took a week off from getting high on history to jump into the r/trees subreddit and drop some knowledge on those seeking advice. As you might imagine, the questions range from the serious, to the silly, to the strange. Think of this one as "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Weed (But Were Afraid to Ask)." EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Let's head back to 2700 BC to meet an ancient Chinese hemp goddess who lived on a mountaintop full of cannabis plants where she brewed the elixir of life. And doesn’t that sound nice? Our guides for this trip are Christina Wong and Wendy Zeng, two chefs, culinary cannabis creators, and the co-hosts of Mogu Magu, a culture, food, and cannabis collective exploring the Asian immigrant experience. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History , and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Cody Bass is a second generation outlaw who fought the law and lost, but never lost faith in cannabis. Today he’s a successful weed business owner, and the mayor of Lake Tahoe, California—the very jurisdiction where the authorities once literally tried to run him out of town. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History , and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Mila Jansen first scored hash down on the docks in 1964, smuggled into Amsterdam by sailors from exotic ports of call. She soon after opened an early forerunner of that city’s legendary cannabis coffeeshops, before spending many years living in India, Afghanistan, and other traditional hashish producing regions. And then, upon returning home, she absolutely changed the game as one of Amsterdam’s top cannabis growers and the inventor of an era-defining device for modern hash makers called the Pollinator. Best of all, she’s still getting high, and setting trends today. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History , and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

We turned a crystal ball into a bong. Then we invited Leafly Senior Editor David Downs to smoke the strain of the year out of it and make predications for the future of cannabis. After reviewing the highs (and lows) of a tumultuous year, we see a bright, green future for the plant, the culture, and the industry in 2024 (and beyond). So please get lit and join us, as we go Bake to the Future. STRAIN OF THE YEAR Each year, based on extensive smoking and hard data, Leafly selects the strain of the year. Check out 2023’s winner. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Explore St. Nick’s psychedelic shamanic roots in Siberia in the only Christmas Special where Santa gifts you magic mushrooms and even the reindeer get high AF! So hang on to your sleigh bells, because it's time for Abdullah and Bean's annual re-telling of this classic story as we celebrate the holiday season with Amanita muscaria mushrooms, weed-infused cookies, extra oil to dab for Chanukah and plenty of fermented yak milk. Special thanks to Harvard professor Donald Pfister for his enlightening annual lecture on Psychedelic Santa! Check out Doubleblind magazine and MAPS for more information on psychedelics. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History , and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

In an age of corporate cannabis, who keeps authentic weed culture alive? In a time of abundant strains and concentrates, whose tastes define hashish connoisseurship. Wooks, that's who! Named for the Wookies in the Star Wars universe—Chewbacca being the most well known example —and found primarily hanging around outside concerts and festivals, wooks are noble, gentle creatures dedicated to living in the moment, getting lit and following their bliss. So we seshed with real-life cannabis couple (and self-described wooks) Cass Greener and Sean Dunne—the filmmaking team behind the new documentary film Wooks—about the central role that wookies have played in shaping and spreading cannabis culture throughout the live music scene. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 100+ episodes of Great Moments in Weed History , and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Todd McCormick’s weed journey began when his mom handed him a joint on the way home from chemotherapy. As a survivor of pediatric cancer, he later advocated for the plant’s legalization alongside legends of the cannabis movement like Jack Herer, Brownie Mary, Dennis Peron and Dr. Lester Grinspoon. Getting busted for growing medical cannabis at a mansion in Bel-Air made him an international cannabis cause célèbre, but that's just one part of his incredible story. Todd also forged lasting friendships with weed icons like Tommy Chong, Woody Harrelson, Bill Maher and Hugh Hefner. We get into all that and much more in this "two-joint" interview. ALSO: Check out Todd's book How to Grow Medical Marijuana and his two documentary films, The Union: The Business Behind Getting High and The Culture High Todd also operates the Authentic Genetics Seed Company EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Emerging in the conformist 1950s, the Beat subculture pushed back against corporatism and consumerism in favor of a contemplatively nonconformist lifestyle focused on art, poetry, jazz and “kicks.” The small circle of young writers at the core of this lit-erary movement—Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and Neal Cassady—were all heavily influenced by the improvisation, illumination. and imagination they found in cannabis. Among their most acclaimed and lasting works are Kerouac’s generation-defining novel On the Road and Ginsberg’s epic poem Howl. On this episode, Martin Torgoff—author of Bop Apocalypse: Jazz, Race, the Beats and Drugs—explains just how central cannabis was as a creative tool for the Beats as they sought to bust through the conventions of both literature and society. And how along the way, they founded LeMar, America's first cannabis legalization organization. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

In 1983, an outlaw weed grower pseudonymously published Indoor Marijuana Horticulture, a truly game changing book that sparked a global movement. In the forty years since, "Jorge Cervantes" has traveled the world writing articles, shooting videos, meeting with growers, sampling harvests, and generously sharing his weed wisdom. In this episode, Jorge recalls his incredible life story, from seed to flower. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Cannabis activist Ellen Komp has been on the frontlines of the fight to end weed arrests and provide safe access to this incredible medicinal plant for decades. Including as an editor of Jack Herer's groundbreaking book about hemp—The Emperor Wears No Clothes, as the deputy director of California NORML and as author of Tokin' Women: A 4,000 Year Herstory. In a special live episode taped at this year's Meadowlands conference, Ellen shares the modern history of weed as seen through her own eyes. LEGALIZATION NATION Check out the Kickstarter for Box Brown's comic journalism book about the dirty deeds of corporate weed. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

When a bunch of lawyers and shadowy political operators pushed a ballot initiative in Humboldt County, California that could destroy the legal weed industry in America's most legendary cannabis cultivation region, comedian Billy Wayne Davis—our guest this week—said "hell no." On October 1st, Great Moments in Weed History will join Billy Wayne plus Mike Glazer from Weed + Grub, Frank Castillo from Peak'd and Henry Zebrowski from Last Podcast on the Left for a benefit show at the Mateel Center in Southern Humboldt to help vote down this eradication initiative known as Measure A. In addition to traveling all over the country to make people laugh, Billy Wayne is also the host of the excellent podcast Grown Local on which he interviews all sorts of weed people—with a particular focus on small-scale craft growers. In this episode, we dig into a few of Billy Wayne’s personal greatest weed moments, from his cannabis origin story to a life-lesson he got firsthand from stand-up legend Ralphie May. STOP MEASURE A IN HUMBOLDT Check out this website for more information on how Measure A would devastate craft farmers in Humboldt County and how you can help through grassroots political action or sending a donation. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Whether portraying Bong Boy as part of the Upright Citizens Brigade or taping his solo stand-up special at a weed lounge, comedian Matt Besser never shies away from embracing cannabis culture. In an appropriately stoned interview, Matt shares some personal great moments from his own weed history, explores how cannabis enhances the creative process, and explains why he never goes on stage stoned—unless it's 4/20. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Cannabis has profound therapeutic properties, providing healing relief from ailments ranging from chronic pain and insomnia to cancer, seizure disorders, MS, ALS and digestive disorders. But how can you get the most out of this safe, versatile plant medicine? And why is your doctor so in the dark about weed? As a young hippie physician with hair well past his shoulders, Dr. Jeffrey Hergenrather witnessed firsthand the plant’s incredible potential for treating a wide variety of conditions during the seven years he served as in-house physician at the Farm, a legendary counterculture commune in rural Tennessee. Ever since, he’s been a tireless advocate for safe access to our favorite life saving plant. Including as a founding member and one-time president of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians—the oldest organization of physicians specializing in the use of cannabis as medicine. While hearing the good doctor’s long history with cannabis, we also discuss how to talk to your doctor about medical cannabis, how to convince Grandma to give it a try, and how exactly a single plant can be efficacious for so many different ailments. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

The weed legalization movement has always embraced street theater, a tactic Adam Eidinger certainly put to good use the time he led a giveaway of 10,000 joints during a presidential inauguration. He also lead the charge to end cannabis prohibition in Washington DC and then followed up with an initiative that legalized psychedelic plants, including mushrooms, ayahuasca, and mescaline. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

The War on Weed first started crumbling because of courageous cannabis patients like John, a super chill, funny and cool person to share some herb with who helps spread the word about the plant's miraculous medicinal properties among those who—like himself—have Friedreich’s ataxia. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Friedreich’s ataxia is a genetic, progressive, neurodegenerative movement disorder affecting 1 in every 50,000 people. John explains how cannabis helps him treat and manage the condition, and also takes us through the truly great moment when he first spoke out (loud and proud) in public to let both the FDA and his fellow FA patients know about his own positive experiences with weed. An act that touched the lives of many other people who have since found therapeutic relief in cannabis! EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Our annual celebration of cannabis concentrates explores the global phenomenon of contemporary hash with one of the leading innovators in the scene. Puffco founder and CEO Roger Volodarsky is truly and fully a hash-head and his commitment to spreading hashish culture is both longstanding and profound. The innovations that Puffco has introduced over the last ten years have elevated the modern hash experience in ways that truly have changed the game. All of it fueled by his personal passion for this plant, its resins and the culture. 7/10 GMIWH ARCHIVES If you want to know more about the earliest spiritual uses of hashish, dating back literally thousands of years, check out our recent episode titled “Cannabis in the Ancient World” To trace the spread of traditional hashish along the old Spice Routes and Silk Roads of yore, scroll back just a few episodes further, and tune in to “Weed History in the Middle East” For the incredible story of the birth of contemporary hash, check out our 7/10 special from last year, it’s called “Meet the Psychedelic Surfers Who Invented Dabs” about the legendary Brotherhood of Eternal Love and how they created the earliest known BHO. Or go back another year, to our first-annual 7/10 special, “Celebrating Hash’s High Holiday with an IRL sesh…” You’ll hear me get a crash course in cutting-edge cannabis concentrates on that one, so if you’re still a bit mystified by all the talk about oils, waxes, shatters, crumbles, resins, and rosins, I’m right there with you, and, spoiler alert, it’s by far the highest I’ve ever gotten on this show. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Journalism is the first draft of history—so who better to explain the rapidly evolving cannabis scene of 2023 than a couple of dedicated reporters on the weed beat? Tauhid Chappell is an Executive Board Member of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists. He’s worked at the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Free Press. Jelani Gibson reports for New Jersey Cannabis Insider, a joint effort from NJ.com and The Star Ledger. They took a break from telling truth to power and following the money to give us an insider's peak behind the scenes of how legal weed really works—and who it works for. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Starting in 1976, the National Institute on Drug Abuse supplied Robert Randall with enough government-grown cannabis to treat his severe glaucoma. While lighting a perfectly legal joint on CNN, Randall once explained to Larry King that keeping the condition in check required puffing 10 joints per day. To hear the incredible story of how he ended up as America's first federally legal cannabis patient, we spoke with Alice O'Leary Randall, his wife and partner in a decades-long campaign to make cannabis legally available to the millions of people who wish to use the plant medicinally. EPISODE SPONSORED BY PAX It's time to puff, puff, PAX with the world's most advanced cannabis vaporizer. Check out PAX.com for exceptional cannabis experiences made easy. And use the promo code "great moments" for 10% off your order! EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

"Weed taught me how to be American," chef Roy Choi says of his favorite leafy green. Weed also inspired his most iconic creation–the Kogi taco–easily one of the stoniest culinary sensations of all time. A life-long, loud-and-proud cannabis enthusiast, Roy Choi had to pretty much invent the modern gourmet food truck just to get his Kogi tacos out to the people. Fifteen years later, he's now among the most respected and influential chefs in the world From his early adventures as a member of the 'United Stoners of America,' to his brand new line of edibles with Tsumo Snacks, we talk about cannabis, food, culture, and how to keep pot weird. NOTE: We discuss two scientific studies in the episode, one about how weed actually makes your taste buds more acute, and one about hyper-priming. EPISODE SPONSORED BY PAX It's time to puff, puff, PAX with the world's most advanced cannabis vaporizer. Check out PAX.com for exceptional cannabis experiences made easy. And use the promo code "great moments" for 10% off your order! EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

The archeological evidence proving weed played a central role in ancient spiritual practices—including the Judeo-Christian tradition—is irrefutable. But just as the plant's medicinal properties have long been denied by the medical establishment, the world's "mainstream" religious scholars consistently erase this inconvenient fact. But not Chris Bennet, a self-described “religious reformer” who has been intensively researching the ancient history of cannabis for nearly thirty years. He’s the author of five books, including Cannabis and the Soma Solution, Sex, Drugs, Violence and the Bible, and his latest—Cannabis: Lost Sacrament of the Ancient World—just published this month. Chris explains how the rise of monotheism led to the earliest prohibitions against "marijuana," as a way for the authoritarian theocrats of antiquity to wage a proxy war against a wide array of older spiritual traditions that revered weed as a sacrament. EPISODE SPONSORED BY PAX It's time to puff, puff, PAX with the world's most advanced cannabis vaporizer. Check out PAX.com for exceptional cannabis experiences made easy. And use the promo code "great moments" for 10% off your order! EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 60+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

With a homegrown cannabis culture dating back to antiquity, and a well-established reputation for growing the world's finest weed, Thailand has long ranked as a dream destination for herbally-infused travelers. But it's only in the last year that the local authorities have decriminalized cannabis and embraced green tourism, ushering in a new era of freedom and experimentation. To find out how things changed so rapidly, what's happening right now, and what the future holds for Thailand's cannabis movement, we share a sesh with journalist and professional partier Michelle Lhooq. Michelle Lhooq is a drugs and nightlife journalist, and author of the stoner cult classic, WEED: Everything You Want to Know But Are Always Too Stoned to Ask (Penguin Random House). She writes a newsletter called Rave New World, and throws a party called Weed Rave. EPISODE SPONSORED BY PAX It's time to puff, puff, PAX with the world's most advanced cannabis vaporizer. Check out PAX.com for exceptional cannabis experiences made easy. And use the promo code "great moments" for 10% off your order! EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 60+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

It's a call to farms! If everyone with the legal ability to home grow their own weed gets started right now, by this fall we'll be flooded with so much high-quality, low-cost herb that we can essentially de-commodify cannabis and all smoke for free. Okay, maybe not in the first year, but another weed world is definitely possible, and our guest—Danny Danko, author of Cannabis: A Beginner's Guide to Growing Marijuana—will demystify the process and help you get started. EPISODE SPONSORED BY PAX It's time to puff, puff, PAX with the world's most advanced cannabis vaporizer. Check out PAX.com for exceptional cannabis experiences made easy. And use the promo code "great moments" for 10% off your order! EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 60+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Get lit and settle in for our annual re-telling of the incredible true story of 4/20. We trace the origins of this high holiday to a single weed crew in the 1970s called the Waldos, and then track precisely how April 20th came to be officially unofficially a global celebration of the world's most wonderful plant. EPISODE SPONSORED BY PAX It's time to puff, puff, PAX with the world's most advanced cannabis vaporizer. Check out PAX.com for exceptional cannabis experiences made easy. And use the promo code "great moments" for 10% off your order! EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our podcast feed for 60+ episodes of our classic Great Moments in Weed History format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every Weednesday. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video versions of this podcast and private seshes, plus cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible

Time to roll a joint, split a blunt, pack a bong, endabulate a dab—or do all of that everywhere all at once. Because it's the freaking Weed-A-Thon, my friends! 'Tis the weediest episode of the year, as we puff tough while revisiting top shelf clips from all of the best episodes and interviews in the long run of Great Moments in Weed History. All to raise money for a very good cause, namely keeping this podcast from disappearing into the ash tray of history. And if you do find it in your heart to throw in on this, and help us preserve cannabis history and spread knowledge of the plant around the world, well... all you've got to do is visit greatmomentsinweedhistory.com. Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

In a fertile band stretching from North Africa to Southeast Asia, cannabis cultivation and hashish production dates back countless centuries. From the ancient history of the plant throughout the Middle East to the evolution of cannabis culture in Morocco, India, Egypt, Nepal, and other traditional hashish regions, get ready to have a fascinating time getting high on history with this weed's guest. Dr. Maziyar Ghiabr is Director for the Centre of Persian And Iranian Studies at the University of Exeter’s Institute for Islamic and Arabic Studies. Maziyar is also the author of a fascinating new book called We Smoke Flowers: On Being High in Postrevolutionary Iran that traces the custom's roots to a pre-Islamic faith called Zoroastrianism, and explores its flowering in modern day Iran. Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

Cannabis and hemp are the same plant put to different uses. One varietal gets you lit, one helps you through chemo, while others make incredibly strong rope or highly nutritious food. Our guest, author Doug Fine has written several books on how incorporating hemp into our society as a source of food, fuel, fiber, building materials and other industrial uses could create an entirely new, decentralized, re-localized economic system, one that would end conflict over fossil fuels while reversing climate change. Hemp, hemp, hooray! Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

Since 1977, legendary MC Busy Bee has been rocking crowds and smoking loud as one of the true originators of hip hop music, style and culture. He was there for the earliest rap battles and the arrival of blunt smoking, starred in the movie Wild Style and sold loose joints of Acapulco Gold–all a decade before Snoop and Dre released The Chronic. In this interview, we discuss how he's stayed true to hip hop's original mission of bringing "peace, love and unity" through music, how outlaw weed culture and underground hip hop have evolved over the years, and how he learned to grow his own "fire" weed from a bunch of hillbillies up in Northern California. Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

Getting high featured prominently in the work of many underground comix artists of the 1970s, from R. Crumb's "Mr. Natural" and "Stoned Again" to Kim Deitch's "Sunshine Girl" and Gilbert Shelton's indomitable Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. In his new book Dirty Pictures: How an Underground Network of Nerds, Feminists, Geniuses, Bikers, Potheads, Printers, Intellectuals, and Art School Rebels Revolutionized Art and Invented Comix, author Brian Doherty traces the fascinating history of this transgressive art. A movement led by a bunch of stoned wise-asses who took a decidedly outlaw approach to publishing, capitalism and cannabis. As summed up in the Freak Brothers' sage advice: "Weed will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no weed." Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

From terpenes to THC, the biochemistry of the cannabis plant is endlessly fascinating. So get yourself rolled up and ready to delve into "the weeds" with someone who's seen and smoked as much cannabis as anyone on Earth. As co-founder of SC Labs—one of the first cannabis analytical laboratories—Alec Dixon helped pioneer the use of scientific assessment to increase our understanding of cannabis, while providing the public with third-party verification that their stash is free of potentially dangerous contaminants. From how cannabis labs helped identify the first high CBD strains, to the shift in focus from potency to terp profile as the standard of quality, it's an episode for full-on weed nerds and newbies alike to learn more about our favorite plant. Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

In 1970, Bill Drake wrote the first modern guide to growing cannabis. Despite an FBI campaign to suppress this groundbreaking book, The Cultivator's Handbook of Marijuana would change the game forever by teaching millions of people how to overgrow the government. Based on his journeys around the world—including Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Mexico—Bill's writings on cultivation and connoisseurship over the last fifty years have served as the first draft of the modern history of this plant we all love. And at 81, he's most definitely still smoking. Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

It's been a wild year in the world of weed, and we're ready to get lit and reflect on the highs and lows. Starting with an in-depth look at the most shocking and impactful cannabis news story of 2022. Plus: This episode includes Abdullah and Bean's annual re-telling of the classic yuletide tale: "Santa Claus is a Siberian Mushroom Shaman." Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 90+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

A confirmed cannabis connoisseur since the 1960s, Alex Lifeson reveals how smoking weed fuels his creative process, helps him heal the aches and pains of five decades out on the road with a hall-of-fame rock band, and got him hooked up with the infamous Trailer Park Boys. We also trace the history of Rush's loving musical ode to weed history ("A Passage to Bankok"), and his encounters with everything from real deal Thai stick and Hawaiin bud to the earliest Honey Oil and the finest hashish Amsterdam has to offer. Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 80+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

Cannabis fuels the creative journey of comedian, musician, and improviser Reggie Watts, as he explains in this highly insightful interview that starts with a how-to guide for using THC to help access an "optimal observer state" and ends with some spontaneous "beat weed-ing." Check out Reggie as bandleader on The Late, Late Show with James Corden (and before that on Comedy Bang Bang), or start with his first album "Pot Cookies" and work your way through to his most recent special Spacial. Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 60+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

In November 2012, voters in Colorado and Washington State legalized cannabis for all adults, lighting a grassfire of weedy liberation that's been blazing through the country and around the world ever since. Including in the five US states voting on legalization in this month's election. Leading cannabis activist and entrepreneur Wanda James joins us to recall her experiences working on that historic campaign, and as America's first licensed Black dispensary owner at her flagship shop Simply Pure. Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 60+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

Randy Lanier began driving race cars in 1978. His weed dealing career began even earlier. Along the way, he competed at Le Mans, won the 1984 IMSA Camel GT title, and drove in the Indy 500. All funded by his prodigious cannabis smuggling. We’re talking 165,000 pound loads of primo bud coming in on massive tugboats, including the legendary Punta Roja strain grown in Colombia. Upon publication of his new book Survival of the Fastest: Weed, Speed, and the 1980s Drug Scandal that Shocked the Sports World, Randy takes us through the incredible highs and lows of his life on the track, in the field, behind bars and now working to help fellow cannabis prisoners still locked up. So roll one up, buckle up, and get ready for the green light on a truly thrilling episode. Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 60+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

The earliest ceremonial smoking devices date back 2,400 years, to ancient Scythian tribal chiefs who blazed hashish out of solid gold bongs. While the history of the modern “functional art glass” movement started in the 1970s, with Bob Snodgrass, the Deadhead hippie whose innovative heady glass pipes and bongs gave rise to today's $100,000 dab rigs. In an episode recorded live at the Helium Comedy Club in Portland, Oregon, we celebrate the incredible life and legacy of "Snoddy"—the Godfather of Glass. So grab some dank nugs, hop on the bus, and get ready to meet the alchemical wizard who changed everything about the way we get high. Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible. EPISODE ARCHIVE Visit our Great Moments in Weed History podcast feed for 60+ episodes of our classic format, and subscribe now to get a new weekly podcast every other Weednesday.

Cannabis is a spiritual and creative inspiration—according to multi-Grammy winner Damian Marley—but also just a beloved part of day-to-day life. Weed is also a family tradition, one famously begun by his father, the late reggae icon Bob Marley. In this intimate conversation, Damian talks about the history of cannabis in Jamaica, his hopes (and fears) for legalization there, and why the Rasta community must have a seat at the table. Plus, his recommendation for the best place to get grilled fish on the beach when you've got the munchies. Shout out Screechie! Help Make This Podcast Possible! Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible.

Nobody ever repped cannabis louder or prouder on TV than Laganja Estranja did on RuPaul’s Drag Race. An overnight weed icon, she's since become an advocate and activist dedicated to spreading knowledge about the plant's medicinal benefits. Our conversation with Laganja hits on all the highs and lows of this inspiring story, starting with her first puff of brick weed in Texas. PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to a video version of the show and extra seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book. And it truly helps us make the best show possible.

Turn on, tune in, and check out this special "joint" episode celebrating a selection of great TV weed moments as selected by writer, comedian and fellow stoner podcaster Ashley Ray of TV I Say! From the earliest positive depiction of cannabis on television, to the groundbreaking work done on shows like High Maintenance, Broad City, Insecure, and Workaholics, we explore how cannabis culture has evolved on and off screen. While getting nicely toasted together and indulging in our shared love of watching TV. This episode was edited by Marina Paiz ASHLEY RAY Ashley Ray is a stand-up comic, actor, tv writer and host of the popular podcast ‘TV I Say with Ashley Ray.’ Find more information on her website, or find her on Twitter. GREAT MOMENTS IN WEED HISTORY - LIVE IN PORTLAND ON SEPT 10 Abdullah and Bean will be appearing live at the Helium Comedy Club in Portland, Oregon on September 10th for a live taping of an all-new episode of Great Moments in Weed History. Please grab tickets now, and tell all your friends who live in Oregon to come get high on history with us! PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video shows and seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book or signature lighter. And it truly helps us make the best show possible.

Traditionally, two bitterly oppositional groups love sweet, sweet donuts—cops and stoners. So when news leaked that one of America's most beloved national donut chains is lobbying to prevent cannabis legalization, our hosts sprung into inaction by calling for a boycott. We're also asking the cannabis community to help us "high"-light all the great family-run, weed-friendly donut shops we can buy from instead. With a special shout out to Portland's own Voodoo Donuts, which actually makes a donut in the shape of a blunt. GREAT MOMENTS IN WEED HISTORY - LIVE IN PORTLAND ON SEPT 10 Abdullah and Bean will be appearing live at the Helium Comedy Club in Portland, Oregon on September 10th for a live taping of an all-new episode of Great Moments in Weed History. Please grab tickets now, and tell all your friends who live in Oregon to come get high on history with us! PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video shows and seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book or signature lighter. And it truly helps us make the best show possible.

For ten years, the Secret Sesh in Los Angeles has brought together true OGs from all walks of life to see, smell, smoke and celebrate their favorite plant. What began as a clandestine cannabis farmer's market—held in garages and back lots—has since grown into a stadium-sized weedy realm unto itself. At the center of it all: Our guest this week, podcaster and comedian Adam Ill, who takes on a journey from his early days as a stoner skater in "the late 1900s" to his role today as master of ceremonies at the now legal—and no longer secret—Secret Sesh. Also, check out Abdullah's 2019 report on the Secret Sesh for KCRW radio in LA. GREAT MOMENTS IN WEED HISTORY - LIVE IN PORTLAND ON SEPT 10 Abdullah and Bean will be appearing live at the Helium Comedy Club in Portland, Oregon on September 10th for a live taping of an all-new episode of Great Moments in Weed History. Please grab tickets now, and tell all your friends who live in Oregon to come get high on history with us! PATREON Please support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon. Supporters get exclusive access to video shows and seshes, plus access to cool rewards like a signed book or signature lighter. And it truly helps us make the best show possible.