6 Famous Magicians Who Smoke Weed

• The list is shorter than you think – Very few famous traditional stage magicians have publicly confirmed personal cannabis use, with even prominent advocates like Penn Jillette abstaining personally.
• History holds the strongest connection – Ancient Chinese shamans and necromancers, the original “magicians,” used cannabis for spiritual rituals and divination over 1,000 years ago.
• Cannabis-themed magic is a modern phenomenon – Shows like “Smokus Pocus” represent a new entertainment niche born from legalization, not a long-standing tradition.
• Advocacy ≠ Use – Many in the entertainment industry champion legalization for cultural and libertarian reasons, yet they are not themselves consumers.
• Adjacent entertainers blur the lines – Famous cannabis users like Willie Nelson or Seth Rogen perform magic casually but are not professional illusionists.
• Performance and intoxication don’t mix – Professional magicians who create cannabis-themed shows typically perform sober to maintain the precision required for their craft.
• Legal access enables new experiences – In legal states, you can discover unique entertainment that blends your love for cannabis culture and live performance.

The worlds of professional magic and cannabis might seem like a natural pairing—both can warp perception and challenge reality—but the documented overlap among famous stage magicians is surprisingly thin. While you can explore a wide range of cannabis products for every need and browse dispensaries across the country with ease, finding a list of renowned illusionists who openly smoke weed is far more elusive than pulling a rabbit from a hat. The truth is, traditional stage magicians have often maintained a family-friendly image that distances them from drug associations. However, the story isn’t just about abstinence; it’s a fascinating look at historical shamanic roots, modern advocacy without use, and a burgeoning new genre of cannabis-themed entertainment that’s redefining the magic show for a new generation.

Long before ticketed illusions, China’s spirit-workers (“wu”) used cannabis in ritual to alter consciousness and commune with unseen realms. Archaeology backs this up: a 2,700-year-old tomb in Xinjiang yielded a carefully curated cache of psychoactive cannabis, likely belonging to a shaman. That deep lineage shows why cannabis wasn’t merely a pastime but a tool for vision, divination, and healing—an origin point where “magic” and herb met in earnest long before stagecraft. See the peer-reviewed Yanghai shaman cannabis find for phytochemical proof and context.

The 20th century’s most infamous ceremonial magician didn’t just theorize about altered states—he tested them. Crowley openly experimented with hashish (cannabis resin) as a doorway to mystical insight and documented its effects on attention, symbolism, and trance. His writings helped cement cannabis within a modern occult toolkit, reframing it as an instrument for focused “magick,” not mere intoxication. For his own words, read the 1909 Equinox Crowley hashish essay, a first-person account of how he used the drug in practice.

A pioneering Black American occultist and sex-magician, Randolph championed hashish in the mid-1800s as a “celestial key” for visionary work, importing and prescribing it for spiritual operations. His blend of Rosicrucian ritual, trance mediumship, and cannabis places him at the crossroads of America’s occult revival and early psychedelic exploration. For a concise scholarly overview that quotes his own exuberant claims, see this essay on Randolph hashish history.

A modern stage-and-street hybrid, Zabin built a touring cannabis-themed magic show that leans into heightened perception, scent, and smoke as part of the misdirection. He’s explicit about his own consumption and how it informed the show’s creation, once quipping that in his early days “I smoked a lot of it.” The act plays fair with non-high audiences while winking at veteran consumers—an intentional bridge between stoner culture and classic astonishment, with crowd work that reads differently when you’re baked.

Branding himself the Marijuana Magician, Weedini’s character grew straight out of cannabis use: as a teenager, he tried marijuana and felt it supercharged his focus for sleight-of-hand—an origin story he repeats in interviews and local features. His act leans into cannabis props and premises (stash-bag vanishes, joint productions) while still delivering classic beats of surprise and time misdirection. The result is a niche, stoner-aware persona that still plays by the rules of solid close-up magic.

Before the films and banjo tours, Martin worked and performed in Disneyland’s magic shop and folded tricks into his stand-up. He also speaks candidly about his late-’60s marijuana use—describing pot as a “daily ritual” until a panic attack made him quit—making him a legitimate (if former) cannabis-using magician. That dual identity matters for this list: he’s both historically part of magic’s lineage and transparently on record about cannabis. For his own words on the experience and why he stopped, see this Fresh Air interview where he describes marijuana as a marijuana daily ritual before a panic attack made him quit.

What it is: A new live-show niche where magic is themed around cannabis culture, not intoxicated performance.

Why now:

• Emerged in the post-legalization era.
• Viable due to audience demand and venue policies in legal states.

Where it tours: Typically in adult-use legal states, creating a geographically bound circuit.

Key figure – Ben Zabin (“Smokus Pocus”):

• Creator/star of a full-length magic show designed for a cannabis-friendly audience.
• Origin story includes the viral 2014 video “Magician Tries to Sell Weed to Cops.”
• Launched in 2020, performed hundreds of times across North America in legal states.
• Features cannabis-themed effects (jars, strain-guessing, mind-reading, plant-centric illusions).
• Performs completely sober (“not a very good show if I was significantly intoxicated”).
  

Audience dynamics:

• 21+ crowds may “pregame,” which can heighten perception of astonishment.
• Segments like those on “Magic for Humans” illustrate slower reactions/altered recall under THC.
  

What it’s not: The show’s success doesn’t require the magician to be high; it builds on shared culture, not impaired performance.

• Potential upsides (private ideation):
  • It may help some creators with divergent thinking.
  • Can lower creative anxiety during brainstorming.
  • Might support lateral problem-solving when designing new effects. 
• Professional boundaries:
  • Never during performance—precision, timing, and audience management require full clarity.
  • Keep a firm separation between private ideation and public performance. 
• Personal choice & evidence:
  • Little public documentation of famous magicians using cannabis in this way.
  • Ultimately, a private decision; not part of most public personas. 
• Practical guidance:
  • If used at all, do so in a safe, private setting.
  • Know local laws and venue policies.
  • Consider non-pharmacological creativity tools first (journaling, rehearsal labs, collaborative jams).

If you’re intrigued by the blend of cannabis culture and live entertainment, your journey has just begun. The world of legal cannabis is constantly evolving, creating new spaces and experiences for enthusiasts.

• Explore Local Events: In legal states, check local event calendars for cannabis-friendly comedy nights, art shows, or even the next stop of a tour like “Smokus Pocus.”
• Stay Informed: The landscape of cannabis legality, products, and culture shifts rapidly. To stay at the forefront, consider joining the Herb Insider newsletter. This bi-weekly and monthly digest delivers the latest news, top strains, hottest products, and unbeatable deals directly to your inbox, connecting you with a community of 14 million passionate members.
• Find Legal Access: Before planning a night out to a cannabis-themed event, ensure you know the local laws. You can use the Herb Dispensary Directory to browse legal options by state and city, so you’re always prepared and compliant.
• Learn More: Dive deeper into the science and culture of cannabis with Herb’s extensive library of editorial content and how-to guides, which cover everything from the effects of different cannabinoids to the history of cannabis in various subcultures.

There are very few documented cases of famous, traditional stage magicians who openly admit to smoking weed. The most direct historical connection is with Ancient Chinese shamans (wu), who used cannabis for spiritual rituals over 1,000 years ago. Modern stage magicians who publicly use cannabis are essentially non-existent, according to credible sources.

Professional magicians generally do not use cannabis before performances, as it can impair the focus, dexterity, and timing required for their craft. The precision needed for sleight of hand and complex illusions demands complete mental clarity and physical control.

The research shows a lack of documented cases for famous magicians of any gender who publicly smoke weed. The professional magic field has historically been male-dominated, and the same image-conscious reasons that keep male magicians from public disclosure likely apply to their female counterparts.

Cannabis is not used during the performance itself, as it would be detrimental. However, in a safe, private setting, it might aid the creative process of inventing new illusions by promoting divergent thinking and reducing creative anxiety. This is a personal and private choice that is separate from the public performance.

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