6 Famous Journalists Who Smoke Weed

• Media credibility meets cannabis normalization – From gonzo journalism pioneer Hunter S. Thompson to contemporary voices like Bill Maher, prominent media figures are helping destigmatize cannabis use across generations.
• Personal experience enhances reporting authenticity – Journalists with cannabis experience bring authentic perspectives to their coverage, producing more relatable and accurate narratives about cannabis culture and policy.
• Advocacy spans generations and genres – Whether it’s Hunter S. Thompson’s countercultural rebellion, Rick Steves’ policy work with NORML, or Carl Sagan’s pseudonymous advocacy, journalists champion cannabis for diverse reasons.
• Professional disclosure is strategic and contextual – Journalists who disclose cannabis use typically do so in opinion pieces, personal essays, or advocacy contexts rather than straight news reporting.
• Audience trust increases with transparency – Journalists who openly discuss personal cannabis experiences create more relatable content that resonates with readers seeking authentic perspectives.
• Cannabis is now covered as a culture, health, policy, and lifestyle beat by dedicated cannabis publications and mainstream outlets — not just fringe media — reflecting how normalized the conversation has become.
• Medical and recreational advocacy coexist – From Montel Williams’ medical cannabis entrepreneurship to Bill Maher’s recreational advocacy, journalists represent the full spectrum of cannabis acceptance.

When credible media voices share their cannabis experiences, they help bridge the gap between stigma and lived reality. Journalists who treat cannabis as something worth serious coverage — policy, health, economics, civil liberties — are doing what many in the industry now call essential cannabis journalism: informing the public, pushing for transparency, and correcting outdated fear-based narratives. This kind of reporting feels trustworthy to readers because it comes from people whose job is fact-finding, not hype. As a result, audiences who might never have considered cannabis before are exposed to it through a familiar, credible voice instead of through stereotype or caricature.

In cannabis-legal states, many journalists now feel more comfortable acknowledging their own relationship to cannabis without assuming it will destroy their careers. That cultural shift makes the reporting better. It allows them to speak directly to safety, responsibility, and policy impact, instead of pretending cannabis is either harmless fun or pure danger. The more honest and informed that coverage becomes, the more readers get real context — what legalization actually looks like on the ground, how people are using cannabis, and where the risks still are — instead of just headlines built on fear. This open, informed reporting advances normalization by treating cannabis as a real part of modern life, not a taboo.

Hunter S. Thompson’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” didn’t just chronicle a drug-fueled journey—it redefined how journalists could incorporate personal experience into cultural commentary. As a Rolling Stone contributor and pioneer of Gonzo journalism, Thompson blurred the lines between observer and participant, making his cannabis and psychedelic experiences central to his storytelling. His approach challenged traditional journalistic objectivity while creating some of the most influential countercultural writing of the 20th century.

Thompson wasn’t just a cannabis user—he was an active advocate who understood the plant’s role in challenging mainstream narratives. His unapologetic approach to cannabis consumption during an era of intense prohibition showed remarkable courage and helped pave the way for today’s more open media environment. His influence extends beyond literature into the very ethos of cannabis journalism, where personal experience is now recognized as a legitimate perspective that can enhance reporting quality, particularly when handled with Thompson’s signature transparency and rebellion.

Carl Sagan, renowned for “Cosmos” and his science communication work, anonymously authored the famous “Mr. X” essays advocating for cannabis use under a pseudonym. These essays, later revealed to be Sagan’s work, detailed how cannabis enhanced his creativity, appreciation for art and music, and philosophical thinking. As both an astronomer and journalist who could translate complex scientific concepts for mainstream audiences, Sagan’s cannabis advocacy carried unique weight.

His pseudonymous approach reflected the professional risks journalists faced in the 1970s, even as his arguments for cannabis’s cognitive and creative benefits proved prescient. Sagan’s cannabis use wasn’t recreational escapism—it was integral to his approach to scientific thinking and public education. In his Mr. X essays, he described how cannabis helped him see connections between seemingly disparate concepts, a skill that undoubtedly enhanced his ability to communicate complex astronomical ideas to general audiences. This intersection of scientific journalism and cannabis advocacy demonstrates how the plant can serve as a cognitive tool for pattern recognition and creative problem-solving.

Maureen Dowd’s 2014 New York Times column about her overwhelming experience with Colorado cannabis edibles became a defining moment in mainstream cannabis journalism. After eating a high-dose THC-infused candy bar in a Denver hotel and spiraling into hours of paranoia and physical discomfort, she wrote openly about how frightening accidental overconsumption can be when products don’t clearly communicate dosage. Her column drew national attention to the fact that early legal edibles often lacked clear THC potency and serving guidance, and it helped push mainstream discussion about consumer safety, labeling, and responsible use. 

As a Pulitzer Prize–winning political columnist for the New York Times, Dowd brought that conversation to an audience that didn’t typically engage with cannabis policy. By admitting her own missteps and panic instead of staying detached and “above” the story, she modeled a more vulnerable, first-person style of reporting that’s now common in cannabis coverage. Mainstream readers — especially older or more cautious readers who tend to trust legacy media — were forced to take seriously not just legalization, but dosing safety, packaging, and consumer education around THC products.

Rick Steves, renowned travel writer and PBS host, is not just casually pro-legalization — he’s an active policy advocate who has served for years on the NORML Board of Directors, even chairing the board in 2021. His work goes beyond personal use: Steves publicly argues that the U.S. should adopt a more “pragmatic harm reduction” model inspired by how many European countries approach cannabis and drug policy, focusing on education and public health instead of criminalization. He consistently uses his mainstream platform to frame cannabis reform as a civil liberties issue rather than a niche counterculture cause.

Steves’ work naturally bridges travel journalism and cannabis advocacy. Drawing on decades of European travel reporting, he explains how different cultures regulate cannabis and shows American audiences what legalization looks like when it’s treated as public policy instead of moral panic. He’s campaigned in multiple U.S. states during legalization ballot fights, urging voters to view regulated access as common-sense governance, not lawlessness — a message strengthened by his visible, long-term role on the NORML Board of Directors.

Bill Maher’s HBO show “Real Time with Bill Maher” has been a national platform for cannabis normalization for decades. Maher has openly challenged prohibition, interviewed legalization advocates, and even smoked cannabis on air during a 2016 segment to protest federal marijuana laws and argue for nationwide legalization. His on-camera use of cannabis, alongside his role as a longtime advisory board member for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), shows how a mainstream media figure can be both a commentator and an activist without losing professional legitimacy.

Maher’s approach illustrates how comedy and policy commentary can work together. He treats cannabis as a civil liberties and public policy issue, not just a punchline, using humor to reduce stigma and make legalization debates accessible to mainstream viewers who might otherwise tune it out. His willingness to consume and defend cannabis publicly — including his visible support for marijuana law reform — helped move cannabis out of the margins and into prime-time political conversation. 

Montel Williams’ transition from daytime television host to medical cannabis entrepreneur was driven by his personal experience managing multiple sclerosis symptoms with cannabis. Diagnosed in 1999, Williams has said that traditional pain management left him taking 12–13 prescription pills a day until a doctor urged him to try cannabis instead. He has since become a high-profile medical cannabis advocate, arguing that cannabis provided meaningful relief from MS-related neuropathic pain when conventional medications were either ineffective or dangerous long-term.

Williams’ story resonates with the growing number of patients seeking alternatives for chronic pain after exhausting standard treatments. By openly discussing dosing, access, and the realities of severe daily pain, he reframes cannabis not as a lifestyle choice but as a quality-of-life intervention. His advocacy positions patient experience — not politics — at the center of the medical cannabis conversation, helping legitimize cannabis as medicine for audiences who may still be skeptical.

The journalism landscape around cannabis has shifted from “taboo topic” to something that newsrooms actively treat as a regulated industry beat with ethical standards. Reporters covering cannabis are now expected to approach it with evidence, disclose potential conflicts, and distinguish between advocacy and reporting — very similar to how health or pharma beats are handled. Mainstream outlets and journalism institutes now train reporters to use scientific sourcing, avoid false balance, and be transparent about how they cover cannabis, which reflects a growing push for credibility in cannabis beat reporting.

• This shift especially matters in legal states, where personal familiarity with cannabis is no longer automatically disqualifying, but reporters are still expected to uphold newsroom standards in straight news while reserving personal perspective for clearly labeled commentary.

The future of cannabis-positive journalism is already here: there is now a defined class of cannabis reporters who specialize in policy, public health, business, and culture, and they treat cannabis as both an industry and a public policy story.

• As legalization expands, audience demand for informed, nuanced coverage has created space for journalists whose credibility comes not just from distance, but from fluency — knowing the laws, the science, and the stakes for real people. Reporters are increasingly expected to correct stigma, fact-check industry claims, and explain how regulation actually works for consumers and communities. 
• When journalists bring informed lived context to cannabis coverage, they help readers understand cannabis culture and policy through voices they already trust, instead of leaving that narrative to marketing or activism alone.

Several high-profile journalists have openly discussed their cannabis use, including Hunter S. Thompson, who made cannabis and psychedelic experiences central to his Gonzo journalism; Carl Sagan, who anonymously authored the “Mr. X” essays about cannabis before being revealed posthumously; Maureen Dowd, who detailed her edibles experience in a 2014 New York Times column; Rick Steves, who serves on NORML’s board and advocates for legalization; Bill Maher, who regularly consumes cannabis on his HBO show; and Montel Williams, who uses medical cannabis for multiple sclerosis.

In states where cannabis is legal, journalists increasingly report fewer professional consequences for disclosing cannabis use, particularly when disclosed in opinion pieces rather than straight news reporting. The key is responsible disclosure in appropriate contexts and maintaining professional standards regardless of personal consumption habits. Journalists who openly discuss cannabis experiences often report creating more relatable content that resonates with audiences seeking authentic perspectives.

Journalists advocate for cannabis legalization for diverse reasons: personal medical necessity (Montel Williams), cultural documentation and creative expression (Hunter S. Thompson, Carl Sagan), policy reform and international perspective (Rick Steves), consumer safety and education (Maureen Dowd), and general normalization efforts (Bill Maher). Their advocacy is often informed by personal experience, which can lead to more accurate and engaging cannabis coverage that challenges outdated stereotypes.

Journalists play a crucial role in cannabis normalization by providing authentic perspectives that humanize the plant and challenge outdated stereotypes. When journalists responsibly disclose personal cannabis experiences, they help reduce stigma and create more relatable coverage of complex policy issues. Articles featuring first-person journalist perspectives on cannabis often receive strong reader engagement and are perceived as more trustworthy, particularly among younger audiences who value authenticity and transparency from media figures.

Younger audiences, particularly millennials and Gen Z, generally respond positively when journalists are open about cannabis use, often viewing that transparency as authenticity rather than scandal. Older and more traditionally conservative audiences have historically been less comfortable with public cannabis use, but that’s changing as legalization, medical use, and mainstream coverage normalize cannabis for broader age groups.