Stoners get a bad reputation- the traditional archetype of someone who consumes cannabis is that they’re lazy, dumb, unmotivated, and overall burnouts who sit on beanbags playing video games all day. The industry is set out to change that lazy stereotype, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t admit that playing video games is one of the greatest joys in life. Gaming has been a leisure staple for decades, and in recent years, we’ve begun seeing more and more cannabis creep its’ way into mainstream AAA titles. Here are three of our favorite cannabis references in huge gaming titles- no download required.
Life is Strange
Life is Strange is a Square Enix game that launched in 2015 across five episodes. The game follows Max Caufield, a young woman who discovers she has the power to turn back time (Cher would be so proud). Max reunites with her childhood best friend, Chloe Price, who has evolved from a sweet and awkward child into an angsty teenage pothead. Chloe’s favorite pass time is medicating with her bong. The player follows Max as she navigates her powers and discovers secrets in the sleepy town of Arcadia Bay. Life is Strange recently released a remastered version optimized for current-generation consoles. There have been a few sequels and spin-offs, but it’s hard to beat the original magic of Life is Strange.
Grand Theft Auto V
Naturally, Rock Star’s masterpiece Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) remains on the cutting edge of culture, and that included cannabis. GTA V was originally released in 2013 and has continued to be updated and released across current-generation consoles. The online elements have also kept this game relevant over the last decade. To date, GTA V has generated over $6 billion dollars. The map includes dispensaries, one of which can be purchased and operated by one of the protagonists- Franklin Clinton.
The more exciting cannabis callout in GTA V though, is the Strangers & Freaks mission ‘Grass Roots’. Strangers & Freaks missions are not necessarily core plot relevant but are incredibly fun outings and contribute to earning the sweet 100% status. The ‘Grass Roots’ mission begins with protagonist Michael encountering a man named Barry who is tabling to raise awareness for cannabis legalization. Barry offers Michael a home-grown joint, and Michael promptly starts hallucinating and gets in a major firefight with aliens. The player encounters Barry again as Trevor, who also accepts the joint from Barry, and also promptly starts hallucinating. Instead of aliens, Trevor has to mow down a bunch of clowns emerging out of clown cars. Finally, as Franklin, Barry can be found in the streets of Downtown Los Santos. Franklin takes a hit off of Barry’s legendary joints and promptly feels nothing. The rest of the mission also includes boosting some cars to move across town and Barry invites Franklin to a legalization protest. When Franklin arrives at the protest spot (at 4:20 PM), Barry has gotten so stoned he’s forgotten to attend his own protest.
If you haven’t played GTA V by now, what is stopping you? It’s an excellent game that has stood the test of time through three generations of consoles and even more generations of gamers.
The Last of Us Part II
One of the more controversial releases of the last few years, the follow-up to Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us brough so many gamers to their knees in either praise or fury. Controversy and leaks aside, The Last of Us Part II currently holds the record for the most game of the year awards held by a singular title. The Last of Us Part II is certainly not a perfect game as its gameplay to cut scene ratio is unfortunate, but it is a technical work of art and showcases an incredible script and brilliant performances. Among those performances is the budding romance between protagonist Ellie (played by Ashley Johnson) and Dina (played by Shannon Woodward). During their courtship, they seek refuge in a library during a bad snowstorm and discover a secret underground cannabis grow. The grow was set up by an old friend of Dina’s, Eugene, who has since passed. The library’s basement includes different stages of cannabis, all the way up to and including a jar of joints that Eugene had ready to go. Dina and Ellie share a joint, and the rest as they say, is spoilers. While cannabis is not a major plot point (compared to say, revenge), the grow becomes a major step for their relationship and serves as a safe refuge for Dina and Ellie before some horrific plot points.
These have been some of our favorite cannabis moments in gaming. If you’re a gamer and are looking for more cannabis-themed music to add to your gaming playlist, check out our blog post on songs you should add to your smoking playlist.
