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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease 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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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

Planting Cannabis on the DEA’s Front Lawn Led to Washington, DC Legalizing It

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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease 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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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

Speaking Truth to Flower

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 ARCHIVESIf 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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease 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 ARCHIVESIf 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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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

7/10 Special: Hash's High Holiday w/ Roger from Puffco

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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease 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 <a href="https://www.thepabj.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists</a>. He’s worked at the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Free Press.Jelani Gibson reports for <a href="https://njcannabisinsider.nj.com/about/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New Jersey Cannabis Insider</a>, a joint effort from <a href="http://nj.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NJ.com</a> 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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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

Corruption, Lawsuits and Moldy Bud—WTF’s Going On With Legal Weed?

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 PAXIt'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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease 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 PAXIt's time to puff, puff, PAX with the world's most advanced cannabis vaporizer. Check out <a href="http://pax.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PAX.com</a> for exceptional cannabis experiences made easy. And use the promo code "great moments" for 10% off your order!EPISODE ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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

America's 1st Legal Weed Patient Smoked 10 Joints a Day Supplied By the Feds

Chef Roy Choi

"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 worldFrom 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 PAXIt'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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease 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 worldFrom his early adventures as a member of the 'United Stoners of America,' to his <a href="https://tsumosnacks.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">brand new line of edibles</a> 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 <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/d75bqq/science-says-weed-makes-food-taste-and-smell-better" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">makes your taste buds more acute</a>, and one about <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20122742/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hyper-priming</a>. EPISODE SPONSORED BY PAXIt's time to puff, puff, PAX with the world's most advanced cannabis vaporizer. Check out <a href="http://pax.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PAX.com</a> for exceptional cannabis experiences made easy. And use the promo code "great moments" for 10% off your order!EPISODE ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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

Chef Roy Choi's Korean Tacos Kickstarted Stoner Cuisine

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 PAXIt'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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease 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—<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Cannabis/yMV-zgEACAAJ?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cannabis: Lost Sacrament of the Ancient World</a>—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 PAXIt's time to puff, puff, PAX with the world's most advanced cannabis vaporizer. Check out <a href="http://pax.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PAX.com</a> for exceptional cannabis experiences made easy. And use the promo code "great moments" for 10% off your order!EPISODE ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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 in the Ancient World

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 PAXIt'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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease 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. <a href="http://michellelhooq.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michelle Lhooq</a> is a drugs and nightlife journalist, and author of the stoner cult classic, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/599367/weed-by-michelle-lhooq-thu-tran/9783791384894" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WEED: Everything You Want to Know But Are Always Too Stoned to Ask</a> (Penguin Random House). She writes a newsletter called <a href="http://ravenewworld.substack.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rave New World</a>, and throws a party called <a href="https://www.instagram.com/weedrave.420" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Weed Rave</a>.EPISODE SPONSORED BY PAXIt's time to puff, puff, PAX with the world's most advanced cannabis vaporizer. Check out <a href="http://pax.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PAX.com</a> for exceptional cannabis experiences made easy. And use the promo code "great moments" for 10% off your order!EPISODE ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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

Inside Thailand's Weed Revolution 

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 PAXIt'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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease 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 <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cannabis-Beginners-Guide-Growing-Marijuana/dp/1571748466" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cannabis: A Beginner's Guide to Growing Marijuana</a>—will demystify the process and help you get started. EPISODE SPONSORED BY PAXIt's time to puff, puff, PAX with the world's most advanced cannabis vaporizer. Check out <a href="http://pax.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PAX.com</a> for exceptional cannabis experiences made easy. And use the promo code "great moments" for 10% off your order!EPISODE ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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 Overgrow the Government!

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 PAXIt'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 ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease 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 PAXIt's time to puff, puff, PAX with the world's most advanced cannabis vaporizer. Check out <a href="http://pax.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PAX.com</a> for exceptional cannabis experiences made easy. And use the promo code "great moments" for 10% off your order!EPISODE ARCHIVEVisit 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.PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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

4/20 Started w/ a Treasure Map to a Weed Garden

Great Moments in Weed History delves deep into humanity's 10,000+ year relationship with cannabis (a.k.a. marijuana) to explore the humor, heart, and historical importance of the planet's most revered and maligned plant. Hosted by Abdullah Saeed and David Bienenstock.

Thanks for getting me through Quarantine.✌️❤️

Best Potcast out there

Great podcast

Great Moments in Weed History 

A weed-fueled stoner prank escalated to the highest court in the land after a student in Juneau, Alaska used the opportunity of the olympic torch passing through town to unfurl a banner reading "Bong Hits For Jesus."What makes this a truly great moment in weed history is not just the way Joseph Frederick thumbed his nose at an oppressive high school and its humorless principal, but the years he spent afterward, defending his personal liberty and the free speech rights of all students in the United States.Along the way, he'd face police harassment, multiple arrests, and a series of courtroom battles that led all the way to the Supreme Court. Where the Justices repeatedly had to say and hear the words Bong Hits for Jesus.PATREONPlease 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. 

A weed-fueled stoner prank escalated to the highest court in the land after a student in Juneau, Alaska used the opportunity of the olympic torch passing through town to unfurl a banner reading "Bong Hits For Jesus." What makes this a truly great moment in weed history is not just the way Joseph Frederick thumbed his nose at an oppressive high school and its humorless principal, but the years he spent afterward, defending his personal liberty and the free speech rights of all students in the United States. Along the way, he'd face police harassment, multiple arrests, and a series of courtroom battles that led all the way to the Supreme Court. Where the Justices repeatedly had to say and hear the words Bong Hits for Jesus. PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

Bong Hits for Jesus!

Jesus didn’t smoke weed. But is it possible cannabis was the key ingredient in the Holy Anointing Oil used by Christ and his disciples to perform healing miracles? Join Abdullah and Bean for a deep dive into an herbal mystical mystery of Biblical proportions.PATREONPlease 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. 

Jesus didn’t smoke weed. But is it possible cannabis was the key ingredient in the Holy Anointing Oil used by Christ and his disciples to perform healing miracles? Join Abdullah and Bean for a deep dive into an herbal mystical mystery of Biblical proportions.PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

Did Jesus Use Cannabis to Perform Healing Miracles? 

In 1964, Bob Dylan met The Beatles for the first time, and after a bit of awkward small talk, offered to share some of his marijuana. Based on a misheard lyric, Dylan assumed the Fab Four already blazed, but it turned out this would be their first time "turning on." And so begins our Season 1 finale, in which we explore one of the most iconic smoke sessions of all time.PATREONPlease 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. 

In 1964, Bob Dylan met The Beatles for the first time, and after a bit of awkward small talk, offered to share some of his marijuana. Based on a misheard lyric, Dylan assumed the Fab Four already blazed, but it turned out this would be their first time "turning on." And so begins our Season 1 finale, in which we explore one of the most iconic smoke sessions of all time. PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

Bob Dylan Gets The Beatles High For The First Time

In the middle of the night on December 9, 1976, a pair of Vietnam vets turned international weed smugglers stood on a makeshift runway in Baja, Mexico, watching as a work crew loaded up their twin-engine airplane with 6,000 pounds of primo sinsemilla bud. The unregistered flight’s illicit cargo was a locally-grown high-grade red-hair strain known as Mota Magic.Unfortunately, the ill-fated smuggling run ended in disaster when the planeload of weed crashed into a remote frozen lake tucked away in Yosemite's rugged backcountry. But from that tragedy arose the greatest "gold rush" in weed history, as some of the world's top rock climbers, the DEA, the forest rangers, and itinerant hippies all raced to pull as many bales of Mota Magic from the frozen lake as possible.This episode was recorded live in Humboldt County, California as part of the Savage Henry Comedy Festival. Special thanks to everyone at Savage Henry, an incredible independent humor magazine and comedy club operating in the heart of America's most famous cannabis cultivation region. Also thanks to a "Great Moments in Weed History" listener known as BGTM for hipping us to this incredible story. Please send suggestions for future episodes to gmiwhpodcast@gmail.com -- don't worry, Abdullah won't see them.And please do us a huge solid and tell all your cool friends about the podcast at your next smoke session!PATREONPlease 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. 

In the middle of the night on December 9, 1976, a pair of Vietnam vets turned international weed smugglers stood on a makeshift runway in Baja, Mexico, watching as a work crew loaded up their twin-engine airplane with 6,000 pounds of primo sinsemilla bud.  The unregistered flight’s illicit cargo was a locally-grown high-grade red-hair strain known as Mota Magic. Unfortunately, the ill-fated smuggling run ended in disaster when the planeload of weed crashed into a remote frozen lake tucked away in Yosemite's rugged backcountry.  But from that tragedy arose the greatest "gold rush" in weed history, as some of the world's top rock climbers, the DEA, the forest rangers, and itinerant hippies all raced to pull as many bales of Mota Magic from the frozen lake as possible. This episode was recorded live in Humboldt County, California as part of the Savage Henry Comedy Festival. Special thanks to everyone at <a href="http://savagehenrymagazine.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Savage Henry</a>, an incredible independent humor magazine and comedy club operating in the heart of America's most famous cannabis cultivation region.  Also thanks to a "Great Moments in Weed History" listener known as BGTM for hipping us to this incredible story. Please send suggestions for future episodes to <a href="mailto:gmiwhpodcast@gmail.com">gmiwhpodcast@gmail.com</a> -- don't worry, Abdullah won't see them.And please do us a huge solid and tell all your cool friends about the podcast at your next smoke session!PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

Crash Buds!

Richard Lee's life changed forever when he slipped on a catwalk while setting up the lights for an Aerosmith concert, suffering a spinal injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. A Texas native raised by conservative Republican parents, Richard would fight to educate his family, his state, and ultimately the entire country about medical cannabis.Eventually, he transformed an eight-block stretch of his adopted home town so thoroughly that it came to be known, affectionately, as Oaksterdam. Richard’s empire included two cannabis coffeeshops, a medical cannabis dispensary, a gift shop, his political headquarters, and the 30,000 square foot main campus of Oaksterdam University, the country’s first trade school dedicated to training people for careers in the legal cannabis industry.He then put up his own money to run a state-wide marijuana legalization initiative in California. Not long after, the Feds came to shut him down. And the city of Oakland rose up in his defense.PATREONPlease 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. 

Richard Lee's life changed forever when he slipped on a catwalk while setting up the lights for an Aerosmith concert, suffering a spinal injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. A Texas native raised by conservative Republican parents, Richard would fight to educate his family, his state, and ultimately the entire country about medical cannabis. Eventually, he transformed an eight-block stretch of his adopted home town so thoroughly that it came to be known, affectionately, as Oaksterdam. Richard’s empire included two cannabis coffeeshops, a medical cannabis dispensary, a gift shop, his political headquarters, and the 30,000 square foot main campus of <a href="https://oaksterdamuniversity.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oaksterdam University,</a> the country’s first trade school dedicated to training people for careers in the legal cannabis industry. He then put up his own money to run a state-wide marijuana legalization initiative in California. Not long after, the Feds came to shut him down. And the city of Oakland rose up in his defense. PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

Oaksterdam's Weed Mayor

Hunter Thompson

In 1970, the author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ran for Sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado as the anointed candidate of the newly formed Freak Power political party. He promised an immediate end to marijuana arrests and abusive policing. He also promised to rip up the streets of Aspen and sod them. And that his first act as sheriff would be to “install on the courthouse lawn a platform and a set of stocks in order to punish dishonest dope dealers in a proper public fashion.”Thompson even shaved his head bald, so he could refer to incumbent Sheriff Carroll D. Whitmire as “my longhaired opponent” during their much anticipated debate. Hear an excerpt from that debate in this episode, plus archival audio from the Freak Power Party’s campaign headquarters on Election Day.Read the book Freak Power for more on Hunter S. Thompson’s run for sheriff, including his incredible artwork and campaign materials.Watch the documentary Gonzo to celebrate the life and work of one of the 20th Century’s towering figures in journalism, politics and literature.Watch Great Moments in Weed History co-host David Bienenstock (aka “Bean”) visit Hunter S. Thompson’s house for an incredible weed-infused dinner in this viral VICE video.PATREONPlease 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. 

In 1970, the author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ran for Sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado as the anointed candidate of the newly formed Freak Power political party.  He promised an immediate end to marijuana arrests and abusive policing. He also promised to rip up the streets of Aspen and sod them. And that his first act as sheriff would be to “install on the courthouse lawn a platform and a set of stocks in order to punish dishonest dope dealers in a proper public fashion.” Thompson even shaved his head bald, so he could refer to incumbent Sheriff Carroll D. Whitmire as “my longhaired opponent” during their much anticipated debate.  Hear an excerpt from that debate in this episode, plus archival audio from the Freak Power Party’s campaign headquarters on Election Day. Read the book <a href="http://www.freakpower.com/book/freak-power" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Freak Power</a> for more on Hunter S. Thompson’s run for sheriff, including his incredible artwork and campaign materials. Watch the documentary <a href="http://www.huntersthompsonmovie.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gonzo</a> to celebrate the life and work of one of the 20th Century’s towering figures in journalism, politics and literature. Watch Great Moments in Weed History co-host David Bienenstock (aka “Bean”) visit Hunter S. Thompson’s house for an incredible weed-infused dinner in this<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fqbA24iM68" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> viral VICE video</a>. PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

Hunter Thompson Ran For Sheriff on a Free Weed Platform

Louis Armstrong

Reefer, muggles, gage — whatever jazz-age slang you prefer, marijuana most definitely played an outsized role in the development of this most unique and influential American art form. From the formation of the first ever jam sessions to the racial integration of the leading jazz bands, cannabis culture and consciousness of the era pushed musicians and audiences alike towards a higher appreciation of authentic, improvised, expansive self expression.As jazz evolved into the world’s most popular musical genre, weed-friendly musicians began to tour, leaving a trail of newly initiated reefer smokers (and freshly planted reefer seeds) in their wakes. A wide range of jazz greats also made approving references to “Mary Warner” in songs like Reefer Man (Cab Calloway), If You’re a Viper (Fats Waller), Texas Tea Party (Benny Goodman), Muggles (Louis Armstrong), Gimme a Reefer (Bessie Smith), When I Get Low, I Get High (Ella Fitzgerald), and I'm Feeling High and Happy (Gene Krupa).We explore this incredible underground history via the unique friendship of two of the scene’s most legendary Vipers (or weed enthusiasts) — Louis Armstrong, the most famous jazz musician of all time, who inhaled two cigar-sized joints on the daily, and clarinetist Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, a middle class Jew from Chicago who became very, very well loved in jazz circles for having a steady supply of the finest herb available.Read more about this incredible era in weed history with Mezz Mezzrow’s book Really The Blues (1946).PATREONPlease 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. 

Reefer, muggles, gage — whatever jazz-age slang you prefer, marijuana most definitely played an outsized role in the development of this most unique and influential American art form. From the formation of the first ever jam sessions to the racial integration of the leading jazz bands, cannabis culture and consciousness of the era pushed musicians and audiences alike towards a higher appreciation of authentic, improvised, expansive self expression.As jazz evolved into the world’s most popular musical genre, weed-friendly musicians began to tour, leaving a trail of newly initiated reefer smokers (and freshly planted reefer seeds) in their wakes. A wide range of jazz greats also made approving references to “Mary Warner” in songs like Reefer Man (Cab Calloway), If You’re a Viper (Fats Waller), Texas Tea Party (Benny Goodman), Muggles (Louis Armstrong), Gimme a Reefer (Bessie Smith), When I Get Low, I Get High (Ella Fitzgerald), and I'm Feeling High and Happy (Gene Krupa).We explore this incredible underground history via the unique friendship of two of the scene’s most legendary Vipers (or weed enthusiasts) — Louis Armstrong, the most famous jazz musician of all time, who inhaled two cigar-sized joints on the daily, and clarinetist Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, a middle class Jew from Chicago who became very, very well loved in jazz circles for having a steady supply of the finest herb available. Read more about this incredible era in weed history with Mezz Mezzrow’s book<a href="https://www.nyrb.com/products/really-the-blues" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Really The Blues</a> (1946). PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

Louis Armstrong’s Weed Dealer Transformed Jazz

Amsterdam has long been a safe haven for cannabis freedom, but few today remember the subversive, anarchistic, defiantly pro weed Dutch Provo movement (short for provocateurs), which used a mix of radical street theater and outrageous political pranks to expose the authorities as out of touch and incompetent, while bringing coffeeshops, seed banks, and legal cannabis to the Netherlands.PATREONPlease 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. 

Amsterdam has long been a safe haven for cannabis freedom, but few today remember the subversive, anarchistic, defiantly pro weed Dutch Provo movement (short for provocateurs), which used a mix of radical street theater and outrageous political pranks to expose the authorities as out of touch and incompetent, while bringing coffeeshops, seed banks, and legal cannabis to the Netherlands. PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

How Amsterdam Became an International Weed Haven 

Carl Sagan

In 1967, Harvard Medical School professor Dr. Lester Grinspoon set out to research marijuana sufficiently to convince his best friend—famed astronomer Carl Sagan—to stop smoking weed all the time. But after making a fateful trip to the library, Grinspoon returned convinced the case against Mary Jane was all lies and propaganda. So Lester and Carl began enthusiastically exploring the cannabis "Cosmos" together, igniting the medical cannabis movement and sparking many stoned epiphanies along the way.PATREONPlease 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. 

In 1967, Harvard Medical School professor Dr. Lester Grinspoon set out to research marijuana sufficiently to convince his best friend—famed astronomer Carl Sagan—to stop smoking weed all the time. But after making a fateful trip to the library, Grinspoon returned convinced the case against Mary Jane was all lies and propaganda. So Lester and Carl began enthusiastically exploring the cannabis "Cosmos" together, igniting the medical cannabis movement and sparking many stoned epiphanies along the way. PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

Carl Sagan and His Best Bud Get Blazed and Save the Universe 

Tom Forcade

Weed smuggler/political revolutionary Tom Forcade once described his life goal as going “all the way, whatever that may bring." In 1974, at just 29 years old, he used profits from flying planeloads of Colombian bud into the country to found High Times magazine.At the time, Forcade already had a long history of subversive acts under his belt, including throwing a pie in the face of Otto Larsen, head of the U.S. Commission on Obscenity and Pornography during a congressional hearing, getting indicted for a supposed plot to firebomb the 1972 Republican National Convention, forming the Zippies as a more confrontational alternative to Abbie Hoffman's Yippies, and helping to lead the then ascendent underground press movement in the United States.But while everyone today knows High Times, few remember the brilliant, radical, mercurial swashbuckler who started it all. So buckle up for one of the wildest, weediest rides in the history of this weed history podcast.Also in this episode: As a ten year High Times veteran, Bean shares his thoughts on that experience, and speculates on what Tom Forcade might think of today’s cannabis industry—including the investors who’ve taken control of his creation.Check out the book Smoking Typewriters to learn more about the underground press movement of the 1960s and 70s, which was frequently targeted for marijuana arrests as part of a general campaign of government repression.PATREONPlease 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. 

Weed smuggler/political revolutionary Tom Forcade once described his life goal as going “all the way, whatever that may bring."  In 1974, at just 29 years old, he used profits from flying planeloads of Colombian bud into the country to found High Times magazine. At the time, Forcade already had a long history of subversive acts under his belt, including <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2011/07/rupert-murdoch-attacked-a-history-of-pie-throwing.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">throwing a pie</a> in the face of Otto Larsen, head of the U.S. Commission on Obscenity and Pornography during a congressional hearing, getting <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1973/02/11/archives/yippies-arrested-in-fire-bomb-case-accused-of-having-devices-near.html?searchResultPosition=3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">indicted for a supposed plot to firebomb</a> the 1972 Republican National Convention, forming the Zippies as a more confrontational alternative to Abbie Hoffman's Yippies, and helping to lead the then ascendent <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/smoking-typewriters-9780195319927" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">underground press movement </a>in the United States. But while everyone today knows High Times, few remember the brilliant, radical, mercurial swashbuckler who started it all. So buckle up for one of the wildest, weediest rides in the history of this weed history podcast. Also in this episode: As a ten year High Times veteran, Bean shares his thoughts on that experience, and speculates on what Tom Forcade might think of today’s cannabis industry—including the investors who’ve taken control of his creation. Check out the book <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/smoking-typewriters-9780195319927?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Smoking Typewriters</a> to learn more about the underground press movement of the 1960s and 70s, which was frequently targeted for marijuana arrests as part of a general campaign of government repression. PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

High Times Founder Tom Forcade Pt. 1

Every year on April 20th (4/20), cannabis lovers celebrate their favorite plant with festivals, protests, marches, and smoke-outs great and small. So what are the grassroots origins of this high holiday? And how did it spread around the world?PATREONPlease 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. 

Every year on April 20th (4/20), cannabis lovers celebrate their favorite plant with festivals, protests, marches, and smoke-outs great and small. So what are the grassroots origins of this high holiday? And how did it spread around the world?PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

4/20 Started w/ a Treasure Map to a Weed Garden 

Smuggling hashish out of Afghanistan in the 1970s presented the Brotherhood of Eternal Love with a unique supply side problem, which they solved in a way that forever changed the game for cannabis concentrates and culture.Best known today for their international LSD operation, this legendary group of surfers, smugglers, and psychedelic evangelists also worked together with the Black Panthers and the Weather Underground to break their spiritual leader Timothy Leary out of prison.In this episode, Abdullah and Bean focus in on the Brotherhood's incredible marijuana smuggling ring, which got them dubbed "the hippie mafia" and involved some of the most fascinating characters in the long and fascinating history of cannabis true crime. Including the largely unknown story of Ronald Hadley Stark, who has been pegged by various people at various times as an undercover CIA asset sent to subvert the counterculture, a rogue KGB operative sent to foment a new American revolution, a ruthless career criminal disguised as a peace-and-love flower child, and a cunning snitch who transformed the Brotherhood of Eternal Love from idealistic hippies into international drug smugglers.For more on the BOEL, check out these books (The Brotherhood of Eternal Love, 1984 and Orange Sunshine, 2010) and documentaries (Orange Sunshine, 2016 and The Sunshine Makers, 2017).PATREONPlease 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. 

Smuggling hashish out of Afghanistan in the 1970s presented the Brotherhood of Eternal Love with a unique supply side problem, which they solved in a way that forever changed the game for cannabis concentrates and culture. Best known today for their international LSD operation, this legendary group of surfers, smugglers, and psychedelic evangelists also worked together with the Black Panthers and the Weather Underground to break their spiritual leader Timothy Leary out of prison. In this episode, Abdullah and Bean focus in on the Brotherhood's incredible marijuana smuggling ring, which got them dubbed "the hippie mafia" and involved some of the most fascinating characters in the long and fascinating history of cannabis true crime. Including the largely unknown story of Ronald Hadley Stark, who has been pegged by various people at various times as an undercover CIA asset sent to subvert the counterculture, a rogue KGB operative sent to foment a new American revolution, a ruthless career criminal disguised as a peace-and-love flower child, and a cunning snitch who transformed the Brotherhood of Eternal Love from idealistic hippies into international drug smugglers. For more on the BOEL, check out these books (<a href="https://www.druglibrary.net/schaffer/lsd/books/belcont.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Brotherhood of Eternal Love</a>, 1984 and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6671686-orange-sunshine" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Orange Sunshine</a>, 2010) and documentaries (<a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/orange_sunshine_2016" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Orange Sunshine</a>, 2016 and <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_sunshine_makers_2017" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sunshine Makers</a>, 2017). PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

Psychedelic Surfers Invented Dabs

Barack Obama

Ever wonder what President Barack Obama was like as a pot-smoking teenager in Hawaii? We did, so we dug deep into Barry's time with his high school weed crew, the Choom Gang.“In Hawaii, chooming means indulging in pakalolo,” fellow Choom Gang member Tom Topolinski explains to Frontline. And yes, pakalolo is yet another slang term for cannabis, as heard in Hawaiian musician Don Ho’s classic song, “Who Is the Lolo Who Stole My Pakalolo?”You might remember seeing this young version of Obama portrayed by Jordan Peele in a classic Key and Peele sketch. The former president famously admitted that he used cannabis as a youth and that he surely inhaled as “that was the point.” Though he opposed cannabis legalization as a senator, his public stance evolved over the course of his tenure, and his direction to federal authorities to lay off state-level efforts to legalize cannabis makes him the most progressive president on the cannabis issue to date. Some say it’s just good policy, but we say it calls for a special shout-out to the Choom Gang.PATREONPlease 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. 

Ever wonder what President Barack Obama was like as a pot-smoking teenager in Hawaii? We did, so we dug deep into Barry's time with his high school weed crew, the Choom Gang.“In Hawaii, chooming means indulging in pakalolo,” fellow Choom Gang member Tom Topolinski explains to Frontline. And yes, pakalolo is yet another slang term for cannabis, as heard in Hawaiian musician Don Ho’s classic song, “Who Is the Lolo Who Stole My Pakalolo?”You might remember seeing this young version of Obama portrayed by <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanPeele" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jordan Peele</a> in a classic <a href="http://www.cc.com/video-clips/b4hsbd/key-and-peele-obama---the-college-years-pt--1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Key and Peele sketch</a>. The former president famously admitted that he used cannabis as a youth and that he surely inhaled as “that was the point.” Though he opposed cannabis legalization as a senator, his public stance evolved over the course of his tenure, and his direction to federal authorities to lay off state-level efforts to legalize cannabis makes him the most progressive president on the cannabis issue to date. Some say it’s just good policy, but we say it calls for a special shout-out to the Choom Gang.PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

Barack Obama's Weed Years 

Alice B. Toklas was born in 1877 in San Francisco, but she relocated to Paris after the earthquake of 1906 destroyed 80% of her hometown. And on the very day she arrived in the City of Lights, Alice met and fell in love with Gertrude Stein—also an American expatriate, and a collector of important work by not yet renown masters like Cezanne, Gaugiun, Renoir, Matisse and Picasso.These very painters would bring friends and rivals to the apartment shared by Gertrude and Alice at all hours to show off their latest masterpieces, and so, one of the art world’s most celebrated salons was born, which would draw in the leading lights of Paris in the 1920s, including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sinclair Lewis, Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Charlie Chaplin, and Salvador Dali.So what’s this all got to do with the invention of the modern weed brownie?That’s an incredible intercontinental and cross-cultural tale of culinary adventure that involves Moroccan hashish makers, an avant-garde artist, a literary scandal, an elaborate weed prank and a high-larious Peter Sellers movie.Check out the original Alice B. Toklas Cookbook!Watch the movie I Love You Alice B. Toklas.Learn more about this incredible couple with the book Two Lives: Gertrude and Alice. Check out clips from Laverne and Shirley, Taxi, Frazier, That 70s Show, Desperate Housewives, Mr. Show and other very special TV episodes that celebrate the weed brownie.PATREONPlease 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. 

Alice B. Toklas was born in 1877 in San Francisco, but she relocated to Paris after the earthquake of 1906 destroyed 80% of her hometown. And on the very day she arrived in the City of Lights, Alice met and fell in love with Gertrude Stein—also an American expatriate, and a collector of important work by not yet renown masters like Cezanne, Gaugiun, Renoir, Matisse and Picasso.These very painters would bring friends and rivals to the apartment shared by Gertrude and Alice at all hours to show off their latest masterpieces, and so, one of the art world’s most celebrated salons was born, which would draw in the leading lights of Paris in the 1920s, including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sinclair Lewis, Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Charlie Chaplin, and Salvador Dali.So what’s this all got to do with the invention of the modern weed brownie?That’s an incredible intercontinental and cross-cultural tale of culinary adventure that involves Moroccan hashish makers, an avant-garde artist, a literary scandal, an elaborate weed prank and a high-larious Peter Sellers movie.Check out the original <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Alice_B_Toklas_Cookbook.html?id=y1E0vgAACAAJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alice B. Toklas Cookbook</a>!Watch the movie <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063115/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I Love You Alice B. Toklas</a>.Learn more about this incredible couple with the book <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=7puBkBQS40YC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=Two+Lives:+Gertrude+and+Alice+Janet+Malcolm&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjproWtqp_lAhWlCTQIHRsXCFAQ6AEwAHoECAQQAg#v=onepage&amp;q=Two%20Lives%3A%20Gertrude%20and%20Alice%20Janet%20Malcolm&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Two Lives: Gertrude and Alice</a>. Check out <a href="https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/most-iconic-weed-brownie-scenes-tv-history" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">clips from</a> Laverne and Shirley, Taxi, Frazier, That 70s Show, Desperate Housewives, Mr. Show and other very special TV episodes that celebrate the weed brownie. PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

A Lesbian Power Couple Invented Weed Brownies

Everybody knows Cheech and Chong as the world’s ultimate stoner icons, buthow did they rise from obscure road comics to writing, directing and starring in one of themost influential movies of all time?In 1967 in Vancouver, Canada, a draft resister from East LA named Richard Marin met a musician named Thomas Chong - whose family owned a local burlesque house. Fusing their comedic super powers in a crucible fueled by love for weed and improv, Cheech and Chong grew from performing in between burlesque acts, to Grammy-nominated comedians, leaving one world left to conquer: Hollywood.Up in Smoke may not be the first ever stoner comedy, but it’s the one thatchanged popular entertainment forever. And if you’re asking yourself “How Did This GetMade?,” rest assured that it happened in the most Cheech and Chong way possible.And Abdullah and Bean try to piece together the many ways that Up in Smoke predicted the future, despite having a plot that barely makes sense.LISTENING NOTE: Roll up a comically oversized joint for this episode!PATREONPlease 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. 

Everybody knows Cheech and Chong as the world’s ultimate stoner icons, buthow did they rise from obscure road comics to writing, directing and starring in one of themost influential movies of all time?In 1967 in Vancouver, Canada, a draft resister from East LA named Richard Marin met a musician named Thomas Chong - whose family owned a local burlesque house. Fusing their comedic super powers in a crucible fueled by love for weed and improv, Cheech and Chong grew from performing in between burlesque acts, to Grammy-nominated comedians, leaving one world left to conquer: Hollywood.Up in Smoke may not be the first ever stoner comedy, but it’s the one thatchanged popular entertainment forever. And if you’re asking yourself “How Did This GetMade?,” rest assured that it happened in the most Cheech and Chong way possible.And Abdullah and Bean try to piece together the many ways that Up in Smoke predicted the future, despite having a plot that barely makes sense.LISTENING NOTE: Roll up a comically oversized joint for this episode! PATREONPlease <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GMIWH_podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support Great Moments in Weed HIstory on Patreon</a>. 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.

Cheech and Chong Go Up in Smoke

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