When I first heard that Snoop Dogg was “giving up smoke,” my reaction was typical:
Is this a joke?
I conducted a convenient investigation and I saw it posted on his Instagram in black and white:
“After much consideration & conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke. Please respect my privacy at this time.” [Signed Snoop Dogg]
Oh. I guess it’s not a joke.
I didn’t give it much thought beyond a second one, but the cannabis corner of the internet started to simmer with the news and now, almost two days later, it’s come to a rumbling boil. The reactions I saw ranged from a lot of skepticism to very little respect for the privacy he asked for. It made me think of this new phenomenon developing around cannabis internet culture.
I’ve been consuming cannabis content for almost 3 years (since it was legalized in Illinois). I notice there is a clear divide between walking breathing stoners in the real world and the kind of content they post online. Online you’ll find heavy consumers blowing clouds so big you get a contact high from watching, low red eyes, disoriented demeanors, memes depicting all too accurate scenarios of the life of a high person, and of course lots of laughing. I should mention that I enjoy this content very much, especially when I’m high.
However, thing about humans is we have this addictive way of identifying ourselves with our behaviors and the desire to do so is stronger when that particular behavior is ‘in’. There seems to be an unnecessary emphasis on how much one smokes, how often, and how high they get. It’s a slippery slope down the tired path of us vs. them, with each individual transcending into the sacred place of “built different.”
So when Snoop Dogg announced that he was giving up smoke, a certain sector of the internet seemed to believe it was the end of an era, because after all, Snoop Dogg is thee stoner. What does it mean when the spokesperson himself is giving it up?
If we take him at his word and assume no conspiracies behind his decision, truth is his decision doesn’t mean anything for the plant, his fans, or his influence on either of them. The cannabis internet culture will have you believe anyone and everyone can smoke an infinite amount of weed for as long as they are alive and never experience any negative effects from it, but the reality I’ve experienced is that it’s not unusual for heavy smokers to take breaks for varying reasons and lengths of time.
Cannabis culture is a live one. It exist in real time, where everyone is on the same vibe – life is weed and weed is life. However, just like everything else in life and life itself, these feelings are not a permanent state of affairs you acquire the moment you start smoking. Yes, there are some people who don’t take breaks and some who claim they will never give up smoking until they’re dead, but most people are not that rigid about a self-imposed requirement to smoke.
The reality of a stoner is more subtle than the attention grabbing internet content. Most heavy consumers are just cruising around doing their life-thing, but chiller. After meeting more of them and getting to know them in real life, I find they are relatively ‘normal’, (aside from an unusually high obsession and love for weed). In real life, stoners smoke and write (hello me), read, paint, go for walks, cook, clean, etc. – pretty much any basic human behavior you can think of, and every now and then they get more stoned than usual. Recently, I’m even finding a general distaste for the word ‘stoner’ because deciding to have weed as a major part of your life doesn’t come with an application. Each person should focus on enjoying the ride, and getting to that perfect level of vibes.
Ultimately, the heart of cannabis is the journey it takes you on – it always has been (and always will be) about the vibes. Yes, it is can be disorienting and hilarious, but for those who partake with love, it is a personal relationship that develops and changes over time. Cannabis is about listening, so if it doesn’t feel right it makes sense to stop. In my opinion, whatever Snoop Dogg decides to do with his life and his journey by his own rules is just about as stoner as it gets, regardless of the amount of weed he’s smoking in any given moment.
To keep the spirit of cannabis, the only response should be “okay,” because life is all about the vibes, and to master your life is to master the art of letting go.