Tommy Chong: Our Favorite Token Stoner

There are very few who do not know who Tommy Chong is.

Known for his cannabis-themed Cheech & Chong comedy albums and movies with Cheech Marin, as well as playing Leo on Fox’s That ‘70s Show, Chong curated a completely unique brand of comedy directed at the counterculture movement of the early 1970s. He is a legendary staple in cannabis culture. Now, he is turning his attention to selling the product that helped make his claim to fame. 

His namesake brand is one of the first multi-story, celebrity, cannabis brands, debuting in the medical California market, then expanding out to every medical and recreational state in the country. Chong often partners with innovative manufacturers, an example being Higher Celebrations who, in 2019, developed a unique cannabis product called the BirthJay, a pre-rolled joint birthday candle. With an attention to detail and quality, Tommy is determined to bring you the very best products available on the market.

OFM had the pleasure of talking more with Chong about his partnership with Higher Celebrations, starting a dispensary line with Marin, and the advice he would offer to those who want to get started in the cannabis industry. 

You are currently partnering with High Celebrations to promote the BirthJay?
Yes! The BirthJay! Isn’t it great? I could have used it today. It was my little granddaughter’s seventh birthday. Even though she wouldn’t partake, I sure would. Let her blow out the candle, and I will take the jay. 

When you first heard about the BirthJay, what were your initial thoughts?
It is such a cool idea. I just love them, and they are so much fun. Because I am the pot go-to guy, I am receiving all sorts of gimmicks and stuff to try. I love getting pot gifts. Just love it. I am so spoiled, man. 

You are one of the biggest cannabis activists in the entertainment industry. Why is cannabis so important to you, and how has it changed your life?
It is important to me because the healthiest people on the planet use it regularly. I am not talking about your average Joe. I am talking about people like Arnold Schwarzenegger. His only—you can’t even call it a drug—his only substance of choice was pot, and probably still is. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, prolonged his career seven years from when he should have retired. He used pot, and he used it to help with his migraines. More important, Montel Williams, the announcer and talk show host—he would be in a wheelchair if it were not for cannabis. He has MS so bad, and when you have MS, there is no cure. You just live with it and die with it.

The people who use marijuana, they function. It is role models like that who make me feel vindicated and invigorated. When you are helping people, there are a lot of good things that go along with that feeling. You are not only helping people, but there is a sort of satisfaction. It is a nice feeling, and you sleep very well at night. It is like a blessing for me because I was not even recognized as an activist until I went to jail. Talking with the news and stations, they find out I am not that Up in Smoke stoner that I play in the movies, or Leo from That ‘70s Show. They find out that I am a dad, a grandpa, a great-grandpa. I just want to spread the good news about cannabis to those who need it. People have come to me saying, ‘Well, I have never touched it and never will.’ No problem! More for me!

Do you have a preferred method to get high?
Right now, I have a new pipe. That is my favorite way. I also have these breath strips. Tommy Chong infused breath strips. They have 10 milligrams in them, and you can take these anywhere. I was at a hockey game a few months ago, and I passed them out to everybody. Next thing I know, every concession stand person was at the end of our aisle because everyone got the munchies. It was so funny. These really sneak up on you. 

Last year, you talked about launching a dispensary line with your comedy partner, Cheech Marin. How has that been going?
The pandemic kind of stopped everything, but I recently got the word that we are going to be in San Francisco. It is a pretty cool place. The guy that is selling has had some financial problems, so we are coming in there, and we are going to walk away with a real nice store. That will be our first store. What we are doing, we are not looking for the sake of just having places. We want to pick and choose because that is the nature of the cannabis game. There is no reason to rush anything. That is why we take our time. Let me try this strain, let me try that strain, find out when this was grown. We ask questions like if you went to buy wine. 

I want to move into the business the same way I move when I am smoking. Slow, easy, relaxed, no rush, no pressure. If someone does not want to do something, there is no high-level pressure. None of that, we are going to run them out of business. Also, I have a dream of making our locations into community centers. The United States does not have too many places like that. There are too many private clubs where you have to be someone in order to join. I would like to have a community center feel about our place. A place with a bulletin board of jobs available, like if people need a babysitter or dog walker. 

I want people to get to know each other. That way, are you going to Cheech & Chong’s? Will you pick me up such and such? Of course, we will have a delivery system, but I want to make it more promoting than just getting the substance to people for them to get high. When there is nowhere else to go, let’s go there. A lot of stores, they want you in and out. Get in, give me your money, here is your weed, get out. They almost act like they are embarrassed. 

How meaningful is it for you to journey down this business venture with Cheech?
Oh my God. It means so much to me. Cheech once said years ago, we will be dead and people will be saying, what’s a Cheech & Chong? They are not just a face or a logo. They really existed. These guys were real, had a life, and they changed the world. We literally changed the world, and I am so proud of that. 

What advice can you offer to those who want to get started in the cannabis industry?
You must know your terrain. When you are a businessman, you become a hunter. You are hunting wild game, so you must know the terrain. You also must know your prey. What are you hunting? If you are hunting customers, you got to really know your customers, and it is especially a good idea if you used to be a customer. You must have a plan and chart your course. It can’t be like; you smoke a joint and get a good idea. OK, let’s start a business. You really have to do your research. Like anything, Google it. Know what you are talking about because you are going to be asked a lot of questions.

When you are going into business, you are going into the financial world. And when you go into business, you need startup money. Doesn’t matter where you get it from, but you need startup money. Anytime you have a lot of money, then you become the prey. People are hunting you! So, you have to know the terrain and the whole business. I would also suggest to people that you must love what you are doing. It’s like anything. Take me and music. My whole aim with music was not to get rich, and half the time, not even get paid. My thing with music was to play music in front of a crowd. That is what I wanted to do. If I got paid, that is a bonus. But after a while, it becomes a business. 

There are many things on this planet that are so blatantly eternal. Music is definitely one of them. There has always been music in the human experience. There was never a time where music did not play a big part. So, when you are getting into the cannabis business, it is like getting into the music business. Like any business. 

Then, you must be around people who know what they are doing. You want to hire the best. You might have to pay more, but it is worth it in the long run. Then you must have a respect for the product you are selling. If you don’t, you will go broke. There are people who are experts at spying phonies. I am one of them. Because I have been a comedian and musician practically all my life, I have learned to listen. These people learn to listen, and that is how you get your cue and information. When you listen and do not talk, you learn a lot more. Lastly, if you are young enough, apprentice. Do whatever you can to make your way in the business.

Do you think the country is on its way to fully legalizing recreational and medicinal cannabis?
Absolutely! We got Joe Biden in there. We got Kamala Harris; we got Cory Booker. It is the only decent thing to do. 

Even though there are several studies and research showing that cannabis is not a gateway drug and is beneficial, why do you think the government is still so against it?
The black market is the biggest market in the world for the cannabis industry. It is a billion trillion-dollar business. Who benefits besides the cartels? Law enforcement. When law enforcement strips drug dealers, they take the drugs and money. Do they turn the money in? Not all of it. If any of it, for the most part. For a while there, during the 60s and 70s, you had cops with two homes, a yacht, and a big fancy car. These are narcotic officers. There is something fishy going on there. 

The reason it is not legal is because there is so much money involved. If you notice, it is still illegal in New York because New York is a huge black market business. You can get pot faster than you can get a pizza in New York. I have ordered both, and the pot always shows up first. It is starting to get solved, and Colorado was a good starting point because they found out that crime goes down and pot is beneficial in so many ways.

We fill jails with people who sell and smoke pot, and it is expensive to keep people in jail. It is funny because America always talks about socialism, how bad it is, blah blah blah. Come on. We are the most socialist country in the world. When you go to jail, you get educated, you get your food, you get your clothing, you get everything. They will keep you in there as long as they want because they are getting paid. There is a jail industry, and there is a black market industry. Nothing will change until we cut ties with those guys. You have to fire them, clean house. After that, then the legal money will go to school, help the poor—there are many things we can do with cannabis money.

Do you have any music or acting projects in the works?
Yes! With our pot shops, we are going to be doing a big Cheech & Chong revival. We will be working on a stage show, we got a documentary ready to go, and we got some other offers to do another Cheech & Chong-style movie. We are poised, as they say.

What more do you hope to accomplish with your platform?
I’m like George Burns. I want to be able to go on stage when I am 100 and accept an award. Preferably an Oscar. If it is an honorary award, so be it. That is my intention. For the longest time, I resisted the thought of growing old. Now that I am old, I am kind of digging it [laughs]. There are perks of being old. People feed you, people help you get around, they see if you are okay, they put a blanket on me. There are a lot of perks. And I got my dog, so I have man’s best friend. 

Before we wrap up, are there any other projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug?
We also have a CBD line, which is doing well. Nice Dreams and Good Vibes CBD. Make sure to check that out!

To stay up-to-date with Chong, follow him on Instagram, Twitter, or visit his official website, tommychong.com. You can also book Chong on Cameo for a chance to chat and Zoom with him. 

*Photos provided by Tommy Chong