Smoking Weed With Seth Rogen Sounds Like Too Much Pressure

“Hit that twice and then pass it, dude. What if we get to smoke with Seth Rogen?” That’s something I actually used to say to a roommate of mine, with whom I hosted comedy shows. It was a genuine concern. There was a time when I was certain that I was a stand-up gig away from hanging with one of my favorite comedians and impressing him, not with my comedy chops, but with how well I can hold my sh**.

I’ve been smoking weed for a (relatively) long time. I slowly but surely whittled down my vices until that was the only one left. I’ll have a drink occasionally. I’ve done mushrooms before. One time, I tried shrooms, realized I liked them too much, and, for that reason, never did them again. My wife convinced me to quit smoking cigarettes, and I’ve always been afraid that my big nose and already ample energy would be no good for cocaine.

I won’t be shy about my weed use, but I don’t like to broadcast it. Even though I can be bombarded by a bunch of dads and moms telling me about their favorite craft beers or trendy cocktails, it’s unbecoming to hear a dad talk about his preference for hybrids over sativas or indicas. That stigma still exists, and, even though I was becoming a cannabis user while Rogen was rising to prominence, I appreciated how frank he was about marijuana use.

The filmmaker recently appeared on an episode of the Blank Check podcast, where he talked about casual weed use being a conscious choice in movies like Pineapple Express and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Rogen has played a big role in de-stigmatizing cannabis use. It still has a long way to go, but he has certainly helped get the ball rolling. So, it makes sense that, as he recently explained, people really want to smoke with him.

Sharing a blunt with Rogen would have seemed like a career victory in my younger days (and still would, let’s be real). But the Guilt Trip actor recently noted on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast that he has smoked with fans in the past, not because he views them as equals, but because it might be a nice moment for them. “If it seems like it’ll really be special for the person, sometimes I will,” he explained. “I’ve had moments where I’m like, ‘This is a big moment for this person. [The] least I could do is take a couple hits with them.’”

If anything, I think I’ve built up smoking with Rogen in my head so much over the years that if he were just trying to be nice, it may devastate me. However, approaching him on the street with a lit joint would be different than chilling with him in a green room I belong in, or the pinnacle, being on-stage with him and Conan O’Brien, sharing a joint for one of Conan’s last shows (I would be that joint just to be a part of that moment. Is that weird?).

I’ll likely never get to smoke with Rogen, and that’s probably for the best. I can handle my sh**, but I’m more nervous that I would be too much trying to impress him. I have a big personality, and my confidence goes up when I’m high. There’s no way I wouldn’t embarrass myself in some way. I’d be too “extra,” as the children say. There’s simply too much pressure around the whole idea. Self-imposed pressure, yes, but still. I guess I should have cut my old friend some slack.