This 420, we feel it’s only fitting to share tales of history’s most iconic stoners and even facts about celebrities you might not know smoked weed. You may already know a fun stoner fact or two, but in this article, we uncover some facts that might just surprise you. So, keep on reading for fun facts about some of our favorite famous stoners.
Bob Marley Received The United Nations Peace Medal of the Third World
In 1978 Bob Marley was awarded The United Nations Peace Medal of the Third World for his courageous work fighting for peace and justice in Jamaica during a time of great political unrest. He was bestowed the award by the African delegation to the United Nations led by Senegalese Youth Ambassador to the UN, Mohmmadu “Johnny” Seka on behalf of 500 million Africans. [1]
Cheech Marin’s Uncle is the One Who Gave Him His Nickname
Another fun stoner fact regards one of Hollywood’s most notorious stoners, Cheech Marin. Born Richard Anthony Marin, Cheech got his iconic nickname well before he was on the big screen. As a child, his uncle looked upon him and said that he looked like a “chicharron”, which is a fried pork rind. This led to the shortened name “Cheech” which has stuck ever since. [2]
Tommy Chong is Winning the Battle Against Cancer
Another fun stoner fact regards the other half of the beloved Cheech & Chong Duo, Tommy Chong. On June 9th, 2012, Tommy Chong announced that he was battling prostate cancer. He described his condition as “a slow stage one [that I’ve] had for a long time”. He said that previous to this diagnosis, he hadn’t been smoking weed for three years. “So,” he states, “I know it had nothing to do with cannabis. Cannabis is a cure”. [3] Later, on June 16th, 2015, he was then diagnosed with colorectal cancer. As a result, he was “using cannabis like crazy” to endure the treatment. [4] Finally, in 2019, Chong announced that he was officially “cancer-free” and he remains in remission.
Snoop Dogg’s Name Comes From His Childhood Nickname
Our next fun stoner fact reveals the origins of Snoop Dogg’s iconic stage name. Like the aforementioned Cheech Marin, Snoop Dogg is another stoner who gained his now-famous moniker as a child. Snoop, born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., was given the nickname “Snoop” by his mother. She chose the nickname because she thought Snoop bore a resemblance to Snoopy from The Peanuts as a child. Once he began his rap career, Snoop began trying out different stage names from “Snoop Rock-Ski” to “Snoop Doggy Dogg” and finally to “Snoop Dogg”. [5]
Bob Dylan Introduced The Beatles to Weed
This next fun stoner fact may be one of the most fascinating on this list. On August 28th, 1964 The Beatles and Bob Dylan crossed paths for the very first time. The artists all had a mutual respect for one another, with Dylan even claiming that he was impressed by their courage to sing about “getting high”. However, this was a misunderstanding on Dylan’s part as the lyric he heard as “I get high” was actually “I can’t hide”, and the Beatles had actually never even smoked weed. So, he was under the impression that the Beatles would be down to smoke with him. After their performance at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, The Beatles returned to their hotel suite where they met with Bob Dylan. It was here that Dylan brought out a bag of weed and asked the group if they wanted to get stoned with him. So, a joint was rolled and history was made. [6]
The Only Person Who Out-Smoked Snoop Dogg is Willie Nelson
Our next fun stoner fact may surprise you. In an interview, Snoop is quoted saying “[Me and Willie] was in Amsterdam on 4/20, and he was doing a concert out there. So, we went back to his hotel room, and we was playing dominoes…He whooping my ass, and I’m just getting higher and higher and higher. He just keeps passing it to me, and I’m like ‘This old motherf***er’s out smoking me.'” Snoop goes into more detail in a separate interview, where he says “He beat my ass while smoking with me and passing a blunt, a bong, a joint. I’m like, ‘Willie there’s too much shit going on. I can’t think and do all this at the same time.'” [7]
Willie Nelson Smoked Weed at the White House
More accurately, Willie smoked weed on the White House as he notes in his autobiography, “Sitting on the roof of the White House in Washington, D.C late last night with a beer in one hand and a fat Austin Torpedo in the other. My companion on the roof was pointing out to me the sights and layout of how the streets run in Washington…I let the weed cover me with a pleasing cloud…I guess the roof of the White House is the safest place to smoke dope.” You may be wondering who this “companion” was with Willie on the rooftop that night. Well, former president Jimmy Carter is quoted as saying, “Nelson says that his companion was one of the servants at the White House. Actually, it was one of my sons.” [8]
Wiz Khalifa Spends Over $10k on Weed Every Month
In an interview with SkinBone, Wiz Khalifa was asked how many blunts he smokes in a day. He responded, “like 30”. [9] In a separate interaction with The Fader, Wiz told an interviewer that he “easily spent more than ten grand on weed every thirty days”. [10] Considering he said this back in 2010, it’s fair to assume that he spends much more nowadays with inflation on the rise.
Morgan Freeman is a Staunch Advocate for Legalization
Even distinguished actors like Morgan Freeman think weed should be legal! Freeman has been an advocate for legalization for quite a while, but his support intensified after a serious car accident in 2008. This accident left Freeman with a broken shoulder, arm, and elbow. As a result, he needed 4 hours of surgery to repair the damage to his nerves. Unfortunately, Freeman still suffers from chronic pain because of this accident. That being said, he uses medical cannabis to ease the symptoms. “I’ll eat it, drink it, smoke it, snort it!” he told Daily Beat in 2015. “I have fibromyalgia pain…and the only thing that offers any relief is marijuana” [11]
This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming. Which is to say, cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Therefore, do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Furthermore, there may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. To sum up, keep out of the reach of children.