Confession: I became a marijuana user later in life, but I’ve always appreciated stoner comedies (and it’s usually comedies; besides Pineapple Express, there are few pot equivalents to Scarface).
From Cheech and Chong to Harold and Kumar, much like an Indica-dominant gummy, green humor always works for me. To that end, I’ve gathered some of my favorite grass-themed series to stream during the 4/20-happy month of April … unless I’ve done this one before. Have I? No, this is totally fresh and new. Maybe.
Weeds (2005-2012; Plex): It was one of Showtime’s most popular originals ever during its initial run, but Weeds has been unfairly retconned since. Does pot-dealing suburban mom Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) qualify as Mother of the Year? Oh, hell no—not even in California. But the series’ wildly careening crime capers are still as jolting and farcical as they were back then, even in the final season, when marijuana became—spoiler—legal. Weeds should be in eternal reruns alongside The Office.
Broad City (2014-2019; Hulu, Paramount+): Sure, Broad City centers on the unshakable bond between NYC BFFs Abbi and Ilana (Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer), but this is a stoner comedy through and through—there are waaay too many Phish references to believe otherwise. Broad City’s peak weed moment came in Season 4, when the pair traveled to Florida and got baked with Ilana’s mom (Susie Essman) and aunt (Fran Drescher) in Boca Raton. The Emmys snub of this episode still stings.
Mary + Jane (2016; YouTube): MTV’s Mary + Jane premiered just before recreational marijuana became legal in California, and it featured a slow-rolling theme song by executive co-producer Snoop Dogg—but, yet, obscurity. The series stars comic Scout Durwood and future Happy Death Day lead Jessica Rothe as weed-delivery startup partners, neither named Mary nor Jane, and it could easily have lasted longer than a single season anywhere but the comedy graveyard of MTV. Remember MTV? Yeah, me neither.
Time Traveling Bong (2016; Paramount+): Mary + Jane attempted the impossible of replicating Broad City, but Ilana Glazer sidestepped the idea entirely with her first outside-BC lead role in Time Traveling Bong, a miniseries that debuted on April 20, 2016. The title says it all: After smoking a magical bong, cousins Sharee (Glazer) and Jeff (Paul W. Downs) journey through the ages, from the Salem witch trials to Ancient Greece to a dystopian future where corporations have wrecked everything (so, now).
High Maintenance (2016-2020; HBO Max): While I did say earlier that weed-related shows are mostly comedies, HBO’s High Maintenance drifts into dramedy territory. The series follows “The Guy” (Ben Sinclair) as he makes marijuana deliveries to his New York clientele; there’s no linear plot, just a collection of scenes and characters ranging from the absurd to the emotional. Weeds creator Jenji Cohen herself praised High Maintenance as “beautiful glimpses into people’s lives,” and there’s no better summary.
Disjointed (2017-2018; Netflix): Like a comedically engineered hybrid of Weeds and Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, Disjointed leans into sitcom wackiness with a subtle educational agenda about the health benefits of cannabis. Veteran hippie and weed advocate Ruth (Kathy Bates) now runs her own Los Angeles marijuana dispensary, patronized by characters with names like “Dank,” “Dabby” and “Jesus Bruce Lee Christ.” Disjointed isn’t deep, but it’s a fun watch while high (as are most shows, really).
Growing Belushi (2020-2023; HBO Max, Discovery+): Actor Jim Belushi, proprietor of Oregon’s Belushi’s Farm, isn’t the first guy you think of when it comes to science (or, most would argue, comedy), but his oddball Discovery series drops some real knowledge about cultivating cannabis. Growing Belushi couches its weed-farming info in obviously scripted reality TV shenanigans and side-hustle promotion of Jim’s Blues Brothers (it’s still a thing), but there’s learning to be had here. John would be … proud?
High Hopes (2024; Hulu): Jimmy Kimmel is an executive producer, and its April 20, 2024, Hulu premiere was promoted well, as you’d expect with a Kimmel property, but reality series High Hopes didn’t set streaming ratings ablaze. The show follows Belarusian brothers Mishka and Slava as they open an L.A. marijuana dispensary, but the stilted workplace hijinks are even more unreal than those of Growing Belushi (think Pawn Stars or, ugh, Duck Dynasty). High Hopes is still funny, but far from sober funny.
