David Bienenstock, Journalist, Filmmaker, and Host of “Great Moments in Weed History”- Interview Series

Just about everyone knows that cannabis history extends far beyond Colorado’s decision to legalize recreational use in 2012. In fact, its history goes back centuries into secluded regions of the world that few would initially associate with such rich roots. From ancient civilizations that utilized hemp and cannabis in unique ways, to legendary activists like Dennis Peron and Brownie Mary Rathbun advocating for LGBT rights and cannabis reform, to wild celebrity tales—like Willie Nelson lighting up on the White House roof with someone who looked “an awful lot like Jimmy Carter’s (CRI ) son”—cannabis history is endless and filled with fascinating stories.

One podcast that expertly highlights these incredible moments and their significance is Great Moments in Weed History. To take a closer look into podcast production, cannabis journalism, and GMIWH’s most meaningful episodes, mycannabis.com had the pleasure of speaking with co-host David Bienenstock.

What were the most useful topics you studied while at Syracuse? What courses did you take that grew your understanding of writing and journalism?

To be honest, my informal study of cannabis in dorm rooms (with a towel under the door) and a cemetery bordering campus gave me the most direct information and inspiration to pursue a career in cannabis journalism. Of course, I graduated at a time when prohibition was still in full force almost everywhere, with the first medical cannabis laws just taking root. So there wasn’t much discussion of cannabis per se in my curriculum, other than an incredibly illuminating section on drugs and society in one of my sociology classes. 

As far as my broader studies goes, I’d really credit my classes in creative writing, journalism and especially history. By applying those disciplines to my evolving understanding of cannabis as a social, political and cultural movement, I began to see weed as not just something I enjoy and benefit from medicinally, but a cause worth fighting for, particularly given the racial disparities of the War on Drugs and the associated rise of the surveillance state and the prison-industrial-complex. 

What first interested you about covering cannabis from a journalistic perspective? What were the subjects and relevant topics that you were most eager about covering?

My first full-time reporting job was with High Times, which was an incredible education in the way cannabis intersects with so many other subjects I find fascinating. Whether it’s culture, politics, botany, medicine, chemistry, crime, religion, literature, sports, music, or activism, weed is a brilliant prism through which to see the way society really functions.

That said, while I’d certainly smoked my fair share of cannabis when I got the job, I’d never seen a living plant. So digging into the underground subculture of cannabis breeding and cultivation, including getting to meet the outlaw farmers at the heart of that clandestine world, was an incredible honor and a lot of fun. 

While writing with High Times, what were the most impactful stories that you had the pleasure of covering? Why were those stories so important on the grand scale?

The most impactful stories were actually not pleasurable, as I often wrote about the worst abuses of the War on Marijuana, trying to give voice to people who were subjected to unconscionable prison sentences, had their homes raided, their children held at gunpoint, etc. 

Statistics and policy arguments definitely matter, but I personally believe that telling these stories of systemic injustice through a personal lens moves people to change their views and act. 

On the flip side, some of the most fun stories were spending a few days on the set of the Trailer Park Boys (and acting in a scene), traveling to Amsterdam for the annual Cannabis Cup back when that was the only legal haven on Earth, and getting a guided harvest tour of the Emerald Triangle from Northern California’s legendary outlaw weed growers. 

How did your duties and regularly covered subjects change as a journalist during those many years with High Times and with Vice as well? How much did the recreational legalization and sale of cannabis across a handful of states change what you were covering?

I like to joke that I went from getting into the trunks of cars to visit grow sites so that I couldn’t reveal their locations, to sitting in corner offices with corporate CEOs. In 2013, I wrote a piece for VICE called “Get Rich or High Trying: The Coming Age of Corporate Cannabis” that predicted and explored this massive shift. For better and worse. 

In your opinion, what were some of the most impactful episodes of Bong Appetit? What inclusions and/or uses of cannabis were the most surprising to you? As a viewer of the series, I really enjoyed the episode involving the infused Shabbat dinner.

What I loved about that show was using food as a way to normalize cannabis for viewers in a fun and accessible way. My favorite episode, and the one that went viral around the world, was about “Nonna Marijuana,” the 91-year-old mother of legendary cannabis activist Valerie Corral. 

Through Nonna’s home-style infused Italian cooking (and larger-than-life personality), we were able to tell the story of one WAMM, of the most important medical cannabis collectives in history, including how they were raided by the DEA, defiantly gave out cannabis on the steps of City Hall and successfully sued the federal government. 

What inspired you to create the Great Moments in Weed History podcast? What did you hope to accomplish with this podcast that other cannabis-related podcasts weren’t necessarily doing?

Along with my original co-host Abdullah Saeed, I wanted to share all of the inspiring weed history stories that prohibitionists and propagandists have erased or obscured. 

So many people in the cannabis community have been stigmatized and criminalized over this plant. Sharing these historic “great moments” of activism, culture, and community helps us understand ourselves as part of something larger. 

Collectively, we’ve been successfully pushing back against the most powerful forces in society—the criminal justice system, the medical establishment, the media, etc—in defense of an incredibly medicinal and life-affirming plant. That history should be recovered, shared and celebrated. 

Also, from the time Willie Nelson smoked a joint on the roof of the White House to the ancient hashish hotboxes of antiquity, there’s endless mind-blowing stories to tell about this plant, and even most “stoners” don’t know them. That’s why the show is still going strong eight years later! 

What were some of the most important episodes that you recorded? What moments in history were discussed and why were those moments so crucial towards the future of cannabis history?

I personally love stories about the spiritual use of cannabis, including Shiva in Hinduism, Magu in the Chinese taoist tradition, Jesus and the holy anointing oil in the Old Testament, Rastafari beliefs about ganja etc. Those stories totally reframe the entire history of this plant.

But based on feedback from podcast listeners, probably the most impactful stories are about first-wave medical cannabis activists who risked their freedom to share this plant with those in need. Particularly during the HIV/AIDS crisis, including Denis Peron, Brownie Mary, WAMM, and New York City’s own Pope of Pot Mickey Cesar.

That’s especially true for cannabis people coming of age in the legalization era. It’s vitally important for them to know that these laws didn’t change because the authorities suddenly came to their senses. It took a lot of sustained civil disobedience, grassroots political organizing, and even people going to prison to undo all of the propaganda that propped up the government’s racist and dehumanizing system of prohibition. 

How would you describe the process of serving as a Consulting Producer on the Hulu original series "4×20 Quick Hits”? Why do you think it’s promising towards the future normalization of cannabis that major streaming platforms like Hulu are producing original content geared towards cannabis users?

The Hulu series was a wonderful opportunity to tell important and impactful stories about cannabis history and culture with resources and reach that don’t typically get applied to the subject. From Executive Producer Jimmy Kimmel on down, the level of talent brought to producing those four short documentaries makes me very proud to have been a part of that project from the beginning. 

If you love weed, I’d really recommend checking out all four episodes, particularly the one about the 1987 low-budget film Ganjasaurus Rex!

What do you envision will be the most important moments for cannabis reform and history in the future? Beyond just the federal rescheduling, what are some notable ways that cannabis history will continue to be made in the future?

I look forward to the day when the conversation around cannabis shifts from “harms” to “benefits.” That’s not to say cannabis is without harms, some people definitely struggle with dependency, CHS, or just unpleasant experiences. But the relative harms of cannabis compared to alcohol, opioids, and refined sugar (as three common examples) make this constant framing around harms a tremendous disservice and distraction. 

Even our discussions about the harms of prohibition fall into this category. But someday, I believe, we will reach a point where the prevailing narrative will shift to benefits, and how best to fully integrate this unbelievably beneficial plant into society as a medicine, a social elixir, a spiritual sacrament, a creative tool and a source of food, fuel and fiber.

Along with that shift, we also need to look back and ask what’s fundamentally, deeply wrong with a society that would cause it to wage a 100-year war against an incredibly beneficial plant.

Because that did not happen in a vacuum. 

Thank you for joining us, David! For more information on David’s upcoming performance of his show The History of Weed, please visit the show’s website. Use the discount code “weed” to get $5 off.