Here’s What Actors Are Smoking Instead Of Weed In Movies

Are movie stars actually getting stoned on set? Probably not. 

But if they’re not smoking weed, what are they using? 

This question has boggled my mind for years. Especially when watching weed-oriented movies like Pineapple Express and Cheech & Chong’s Up In Smoke.

It’s hard to believe that heavy cannabis users like Seth Rogen and Cheech & Chong aren’t really smoking up on set. Chances are, they’re using what’s called “herbal tobacco.”

Herbal cigarettes have been around for decades in movies.

According to cinematographer and prop master Jeff Butcher, he says herbal cigarettes can be made of anything like “marshmallows and a bunch of different herbs,” but they don’t have any traces of nicotine. 

In fact, there are tons of companies that sell “buds.” While synthetic buds are only used for the visual aesthetic, they’re still in high demand. 

Ever watched a movie where scenes featured bags and pounds of cannabis? It was all made in a lab. One top company pushing these fake plants is International Oddities. 

Funny enough, it sells a whole whack of fake cannabis products, including different buds that come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and hues. 

No, real weed was not smoked in weed movies like Pineapple Express. Seth Rogen actually used fake weed from International Oddities in both Pineapple Express and Knocked Up.

This may come as a surprise to some who think the Canadian actor would smoke up on set, but Rogen keeps things business as usual.

There are definitely a few instances where real weed was smoked on movie sets.

Take The Beach Bum, where Snoop Dogg famously switched prop weed for the real deal in scenes with a blissfully unaware Matthew McConaughey.

Then there’s Dazed and Confused, where the cast wasn’t just acting stoned; they were, especially in the film’s climactic scenes. And who could forget How High? Method Man and Redman weren’t just playing stoners; they partook in genuine cannabis during key scenes, like their hilarious first meeting in the parking lot.

In these films, the smoke on set was as authentic as it gets.

It’s not uncommon to hear about actors using powdered sugar to replace cocaine on set. Some even use baking soda and baby laxatives. Who knew?

Prop master Jeff Butcher, who worked on the set of Pineapple Express, said that inositol is also a common replacement for cocaine. 

He explains it’s a “B-vitamin of some kind,” adding that it’s one of the most common fake-cocaine substances on movie sets. 

This particular vitamin even gives off some effects. 

Butcher describes the effects as a little “energy lift, but it is very mild.”

We’re sorry to say that your favorite actor likely wasn’t actually smoking up on the set of their movie. That joint, or bong toke, was simply a prop. Unless you’re Snoop Dogg. 

But maybe it’s best to leave that until after they’re done filming. After all, the giggly effect of cannabis might make them break character. 

That said, there was that one time Snoop Dogg told Matthew McConaughey they were smoking “prop weed” on the set of The Beach Bum. When, in fact, it was “Snoop weed.”