Cheech & Chong Can’t Stand Marijuana-Hater Jeff Sessions: ‘I Can’t Sleep at Night, Man!’
The iconic stoner duo open up about the 40th anniversary of their cult classic ‘Up in Smoke’ and the chaotic Trump administration.
Craig Modderno

The duo Cheech & Chong—comprised of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong—were among the first comics to attain rock star status due to their embrace of the ’70s counterculture movement, as well as their feature film debut, Up in Smoke.

Released in 1978, the low-budget stoner comedy saw the pair unwittingly smuggle a van made entirely of marijuana from Mexico to Los Angeles, with the hotheaded Sgt. Stedenko (Stacy Keach) and his narcotics unit two steps behind. Along the way, they smoke a ton of weed—including the biggest joint you’ve ever seen. The rowdy road flick overcame negative reviews to gross over $44 million at the box office, becoming a left-field hit. It’s since emerged as a cult classic.

To mark its 40th anniversary, Paramount is releasing a special edition of Up in Smoke on Blu-ray April 10. And, after releasing a half-dozen movies, several hit comedy albums, splitting acrimoniously in the ’80s, and reuniting in the ’90s, Cheech & Chong are still at it, bringing the laughs to fans across the country.

The Daily Beast spoke to the iconic duo about legalization, Trump’s alleged porn star tryst, and much more.

Is drug humor funny anymore?

Cheech: It’s making a great comeback around the world. It’s riding the same wave of Trump popularity around the world wherever we go. Did you say drug humor or Trump humor? That’s a different story.

Chong: Or maybe not! Drug humor is not as taboo as it once was. It’s now a part of eating certain edibles, which Louis CK does a funny bit about. There seems to be a lot more things you can do with marijuana today than ever before.

“Studios are a lot like Stormy Daniels: If you’ve got the money, then they’ll lay down!”
— Tommy Chong