Seth Rogen; the man, the myth, the legend. When you think of cannabis, few individual figures stick out as much as Mr Rogen himself. Of course there’s Bob Marley – who may still hold the number one cannabis icon position. And then there’s the likes of Snoop Dogg, and maybe even Miley Cyrus, who are known for their love for the plant also. However, not only has Seth Rogen been a catalyst in the creation of the new generation of great stoner movies, but he’s also proven his genuine admiration for cannabis and its effects.
In 2021, Rogen opened up his own cannabis company entitled: Houseplant. A man who always supported cannabis legalization and the benefits of the plant. So, how influential has this man really been on cannabis in America and the world? Let’s take a deeper look.
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The Influence of Fame
The platform, popularity and audience that specific individuals get in this world is staggering. Cristiano Ronaldo has 400 million Instagram followers, Barack Obama has around 140 million Twitter followers and Seth Rogen, well, he has 9.2 million Twitter followers. To be honest, it’s unlikely that anyone will know even close to 1 million people. In fact, according to Medium:
“the average American will meet 10,000 people in their lifetime”
The more people you meet or – in the case of social media – meet you, the more influence you have. Famous figures have a huge amount of influence over their fans. Whilst sometimes the famous can exploit this, other times they can use it in positive ways. For instance, Seth Rogen, has always been an avid supporter of cannabis and has never tried to hide that. His films, personality and social media makes it pretty clear. And now, with the US having legalized cannabis in 18 out 50 states, it does beg the question: did people like Seth Rogen help influence a nation?
Seth Rogen
So, for those who might be wondering, who the heck is Seth Rogen? Well, Cinemablend writes:
“Rogen’s persona as a functioning weed head has endured him to film and television viewers as well as social media fans. It’s no secret that actor-writer-producer Seth Rogen is one of Hollywood’s biggest marijuana advocates.”
But let’s start from the beginning. Seth Rogen is an American comedian, writer, producer and actor born in 1982, and now aged 39. He broke into the scene as a young comedian, doing the circuits like many before him. Then, out of the blue, he got himself a part in hit-series Freaks & Geeks. After this, he went on to write and star in a variety of well-known films, such as Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Superbad, 40-year Old Virgin and the Green Hornet. Himself and Evan Goldberg, who met at school, are known as one of the best comedy writer duos of their generation. Whilst, of course, Seth Rogen is known for being a famous stoner, his actual career cannot and should not be undervalued. The Manual writes:
“Besides being an overall good and goofy guy, Seth Rogan has been behind and in front of some of the most hilarious and absolutely ridiculous comedies of the past few decades”
But whilst his passion and love for comedy has taken him to some remarkable places, he has also always been a huge advocate for cannabis. That is why, perhaps, he was a huge influence over the new era of stoner film culture.
Stoner Films
Stoner films are, in short, movies that are watched by stoners or about stoners – sometimes both. These films are usually enjoyable, easy-to-watch and full of action. But also, it’s sort of hard to nail down and define why some films are stoner movies and others aren’t. The Rolling Stone writes:
“Practically anything can count as a stoner movie if you’re high enough…But the greatest stoner flicks have something more – a certain sticky green magic that makes you crack up laughing like the very first time you saw them, even on your ten-thousandth viewing”
Cheech and Chong in the 80s were some of the first stoner films, and Harold and Kumar also followed in the early 2000s. Most of these films had similar narratives – two guys on a search for cannabis or for food. However, It seems Seth Rogen has been the pioneer for changing stoner film culture. His films do not revolve around cannabis, like the other ones do. Instead, it shows ordinary people, in extraordinary situations…who also enjoy some weed now and then. In a sense, you could say that Seth Rogen has successfully normalised cannabis through his films. He shows normal people smoking cannabis in a normal way. After years of anti-cannabis adverts trying to highlight how dangerous cannabis is, Seth Rogen and others like him have hit back; highlighting how cannabis can relax you, not kill you. Rogen stated in the Times:
“I think we live in a world where the wrong drugs are prominent”
He highlights how alcohol is often perceived to be a good drug, despite its death rate and causes of many diseases. For Rogen, perhaps now the next battle is to make the opposition believe that cannabis doesn’t make users lazy – as this is often portrayed in stoner movies. Some things need to be done through protest and poltical engagement, which Seth Rogen has always played a part in.
Rogen & Cannabis
Seth Rogen has not only shown his support of cannabis through the films he makes, and the substances he smokes, but also through his political activism. In 2021, Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman and other advocacy groups launched a campaign to encourage US voters to force senators into legalizing cannabis in the entirety of America. Rogen appeared on US Cannabis Council and said:
“Here’s the thing about elected officials: they actually spend most of their time worrying about getting reelected. So when their inboxes and their phone lines are blowing up with constituents all rallying behind something specific, that is when things actually start to happen.”
According to Rogen and statistics, two thirds of the US population agree on cannabis legalization, which is an example of a rare agreement. When it comes Rogen and cannabis, he is very open about spending all day, everyday enjoying it. He doesn’t pretend anything else is the case – he’s very vocal about it. Not only that, but Seth Rogen frequently discusses how he believes the importance of cannabis is undervalued. The medical benefits, as well as the recreational ones, are super important to Rogen. He, like many others, are examples of people who can smoke cannabis and it does not stop their creativity. If anything, it enhances it. Seth Rogen said in a Forbes interview:
“It really bothers me that people downplay its importance and downplay how meaningful it is to some people’s lives…there’s always been lies that have been told to control weed, it’ll make you go crazy, it’ll make you lazy, it’ll do this and do that. Right now, I think the biggest lie is that it’s just not important”
It’s no surprise that, in light of his huge support for cannabis, Seth Rogen opened up his own cannabis company in 2021.
Houseplant
Seth Rogen has himself stated that he spends as much time on his cannabis company, Houseplant, as he does working on his recent films. The company runs in California, where of course cannabis is legal. Houseplant not only sells Seth and Evan’s favourite cannabis strains, it also sells ashtrays, lighters and ceramic products. Plus, Seth Rogen and his company have made their own special vinyl records with selected songs for specific highs. On the website, it states their values and goals. It’s moving.
“We will always use our platform to educate people about the devastating history of the War on Drugs and help end the senseless, racist cannabis laws that, despite progress, still exist today. We won’t stop until every adult in America is able to enjoy cannabis without fear of being labelled a criminal.”
Seth Rogen has created a cannabis company that not only sells great products, but also stands for a better, greener future.
Conclusion
Seth Rogen is a famous individual who is known for his incredible comedic scripts and performances, as well as his super charming laugh and persona. However, he deserves credit and recognition for all he’s done to raise proper and educated awareness around the cannabis debate. Through his films, platform and now cannabis company, he has always aimed to normalise the use of cannabis and highlight the importance of it. Let’s hope more people like Seth continue his message.
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Disclaimer: Hi, I’m a researcher and writer. I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or businessperson. All information in my articles is sourced and referenced, and all opinions stated are mine. I am not giving anyone advice, and though I am more than happy to discuss topics, should someone have a further question or concern, they should seek guidance from a relevant professional.