GreenLeaf Sep 2020

Q&A with the man himself:
1. How did you first get into cannabis and the culture around it?
In 8th grade, after some peer pressure, I was encouraged to hit the bong. That was all it took. I found
My happy place. Pot. I went out and bought a bag the next day. Fortunately, my big brother Dan was
a huge Stoner and taught Me the ways of the weed. I'm never not high now and that has kept Me
alive.
2. What made you take the leap from stoner to activist?
In 1991, I watched a show called "Hemp For Victory with Richard Marcella" on LA cable access. The
guest was Jack Herer, speaking about His book The Emperor Wears No Clothes. I was fascinated. I
never knew pot had so many attributes or such a rich history. I met Jack shortly after and He and I
became great friends. His book influenced My metal band Knightriot to record a Cannabis/Hemp
song, "Ballad of the Unsung Hero" in 1991. From that point on, I was a Cannabis Activist.
3. Why do you feel that entertainment makes for good activism?
As a kid, I went to acting school briefly, but it was Rock n Roll that really inspired me to Perform. I
started singing in Hollywood with Knightriot in 1988 and later with The Justice League in 1993. Both
bands were Cannabis advocates and songs like 'Dope" from 1994 reflected that. I had known an up
and coming comedian at that time named George Lopez and in 2003, I got the courage to do stand
up and on George's advice, do Pot Comedy. We remain friends to this day. There is a strong message
about the many benefits of this super plant that I deliver through Humor. Making people laugh
gets them thinking and that way I can slip in some truth between one-liners and Celebrity Impressions.
4. Who has been your biggest inspiration(s) along the way and why?
I am highly influenced by stand up comedy and sitcoms. Seinfeld and Carlin are some of My Favorites.
The SNL guys: Eddie Murphy, Martin Short, Steve Martin, Jim Breuer and Adam Sandler. The
Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski has greatly inspired me but more than anyone though, it's the
movies and the records of Cheech and Chong. I would listen to their albums as a kid and try to mimic
them. George Lopez told me that I could be like them if I stayed focused. In 2014 thanks to King Of
Quality Productions, I opened for them in Denver. In My 18 year career, I have worked with Legends
in comedy in music such as Willie Nelson, Ziggy Marley, Joe Rogan, Doug Benson, Mike Epps, Afroman,
Ludacris, Roseanne,
Wayne Newton, Louie Anderson, Kevin Hart, Chris Rock, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Too Short, E40,
Twiddle, Fishbone, Ozomatli and many more greats.
5. What has been the biggest change you've seen in the culture over the year?
It's astonishing to see something so vilified become so acceptable. No apologies, just CBD at 7-11,
Hemp at Walmart, 24-hour dispensaries, billboards, TV commercials, celebrities becoming spokesmodelsfor
Cannabis. Meanwhile, thousands of pot POWs rot in jail or suffer in the system for Cannabis
offenses. What is weird to Me is that I used to be kind of disrespected as a Pot Comic when I
started in 2003. Now, in 2020 there are 420 comedy shows everywhere and every comic is up there
J23