List of Skateboarders Who Use Cannabis

• Skateboarding and cannabis share countercultural roots – From the 1970s Z-Boys to modern Olympic athletes, cannabis has been intertwined with skateboarding’s rebellious spirit and creative expression
• Cannabis use spans generations of skaters – Pioneers like Tony Alva helped establish cannabis as part of skate culture, while current stars like Nyjah Huston navigate Olympic drug testing policies
• The relationship with cannabis is complex and evolving – Some skaters advocate openly, others have built cannabis businesses, while several have experienced both use and recovery
• CBD is gaining prominence among aging athletes – Legends like Tony Hawk and Paul Rodriguez have shifted focus to non-psychoactive cannabinoids for recovery and pain management
• Entrepreneurship bridges skateboarding and cannabis – Multiple pro skaters have launched successful cannabis brands, from Stevie Williams’ DGK to Paul Rodriguez’s Just Live
• Olympic inclusion creates new tensions – Skateboarding’s 2020 Olympic debut brought drug testing conflicts, exemplified by Cory Juneau’s suspension

The most famous skateboarder globally, Tony Hawk won the Vert Skating World Championship 12 consecutive years and became the first to land a 900. While he briefly experimented with THC in his early career, Hawk now advocates for CBD products.

• Career achievements: Won Vert World Championship 12 consecutive years; first skater to land a 900
• Cannabis relationship: Briefly experimented with THC early in career; now focuses exclusively on CBD advocacy
• Recovery approach: Used cannabis to “maintain balance and ease his mind during difficult times”
• Business ventures: Partnered with Canna Hemp X and launched CBD line with Birdhouse Skateboards
• Cultural impact: Represents the evolution from psychoactive cannabis to wellness-focused cannabinoids

For skateboarders seeking recovery without intoxication, exploring cannabis strains for focus or CBD products through Herb’s catalog can provide similar benefits.

As an original Z-Boy who revolutionized skateboarding in the 1970s, Tony Alva helped establish cannabis as integral to skate culture from its inception. He remains an outspoken advocate for legalization.

• Historical significance: Original Z-Boy who revolutionized skateboarding in the 1970s
• Cannabis advocacy: Outspoken advocate for legalization; helped establish cannabis as integral to skate culture
• Famous quote: “A huge segment of the skateboarding population uses marijuana as an herb to better their lives and get in tune with their environment both physically and mentally”
• Mission: Fought against negative stereotypes of cannabis as a “drug” affecting skateboarders
• Legacy: Bridges the historical connection between surf/skate culture and cannabis that continues today

With over 5 million Instagram followers and Olympic athlete status, Nyjah Huston represents the current generation of pro skaters openly discussing cannabis use. He uses cannabis specifically for recovery and mental relaxation.

• Social influence: Over 5 million Instagram followers; current generation’s most prominent pro skater
• Olympic status: Competed as Olympic athlete, creating tension with drug testing policies
• Cannabis use: Uses specifically “to help him sleep and ease his mind after a long day of skating”
• Medical focus: Highlights cannabis role in recovery and mental relaxation for elite athletes
• Cultural significance: Openness creates tension with Olympic drug testing as skateboarding navigates mainstream acceptance

For active skaters seeking similar benefits, finding dispensaries near you can provide access to products that support recovery routines.

Stevie Williams, who entered the skate industry as a sponsored rider at just 12 years old and later founded DGK (Dirty Ghetto Kids), has built a cannabis-focused business portfolio that fuses skateboarding, urban culture, and entrepreneurship. His ventures demonstrate how modern skaters transform cannabis culture into legitimate, innovative enterprises.

• Career start: Got his first major sponsorship around age 12
• Brand building: Founded DGK (Dirty Ghetto Kids) skateboard brand with cannabis culture integration
• Product lines: Team Indica line, rolling trays, and cannabis-inspired skateboard products
• Innovation: Lord Williams Farms uses NFC chip technology in cannabis products
• Philosophy: “DGK represents urban culture, so we support the cannabis space and the movement by representing that culture correctly”

Founder of Baker skateboard brand in 2000 (named after the “getting baked” lifestyle), Andrew Reynolds represents the complex relationship many skaters have with cannabis. His journey illustrates both benefits and challenges requiring recovery.

• Brand creation: Founded Baker skateboard brand in 2000, named after “getting baked” lifestyle
• Early use: Started using cannabis in his teens; progressed to harder substances
• Sobriety journey: Got sober at age 24; shared in Thrasher interview about addiction struggles
• Recovery perspective: “I would tell myself I was gonna have one beer with my friends and truly believe it, then three days later I would be suffering, wondering how did this happen again, every time. It sucked.”
• Current status: Advocates for sobriety while Baker brand maintains cannabis-culture identity

Known for pioneering handrail grinds in the late 1990s-early 2000s, Chad Muska created one of skateboarding’s most iconic cannabis-friendly products. His journey from cannabis culture innovator to recovery represents the spectrum of relationships skaters can have with substances.

• Skateboarding innovation: Pioneered handrail grinds in late 1990s-early 2000s
• Product creation: Created iconic éS Muska skate shoes with secret “Weed Stash Pocket”
• Cultural phenomenon: Stash pocket became legendary in skate culture; Muska was “heavy weed smoker at the time”
• Recovery story: Later got sober, quitting alcohol and marijuana cold turkey after substance abuse issues
• Legacy: Represents the spectrum from cannabis culture innovator to recovery advocate

For those interested in cannabis accessories that complement an active lifestyle, browsing cannabis accessories offers modern alternatives to Muska’s famous stash pocket.

An 8-time X-Games medalist (4 gold), Paul Rodriguez co-founded Just Live CBD brand focused specifically on athletic recovery. His approach represents the shift among aging athletes toward non-psychoactive cannabinoids.

• Competition record: 8-time X-Games medalist with 4 gold medals
• CBD discovery: Introduced to CBD during 2-year recovery from multiple injuries
• Business venture: Co-founded Just Live CBD brand focused on athletic recovery
• Medical benefits: Uses CBD for pain management and highlights its potential to ease pain without the “mental fogginess” some associate with traditional painkillers
• Athlete focus: Represents shift toward non-psychoactive cannabinoids for sports medicine rather than recreational use

This targeted recovery focus aligns with Herb’s educational content on cannabis for physical relief.

A 1980s skateboarding legend and vert skating pioneer, Christian Hosoi has spoken openly about his past cannabis and drug use as well as his later journey to sobriety and faith. His story shows both how deeply intertwined substances were with earlier skate eras and how skaters can completely redefine their relationship with them.

• Era: 1980s skateboarding legend and vert skating pioneer 
• Advocacy: Has spoken openly about his past cannabis and drug use while now advocating sobriety after personal challenges including prison time (unrelated to cannabis) 
• Longevity: Demonstrates how cannabis-skate culture connections shaped earlier generations even as some athletes later chose recovery 
• Discipline representation: Shows cannabis’ historical relationship extended beyond street skating to vert and other disciplines 
• Historical thread: Links the 1980s era of heavy skate-party culture with today’s more open conversations about addiction, recovery, and changing attitudes toward substances

X-Games champion Bob Burnquist, known for mega-ramp innovations, openly admitted that cannabis helps relieve the pressure associated with competitive skating. His perspective represents competition-level athletes who found cannabis helpful for mental aspects of high-stakes performance.

• Competition success: X-Games champion known for mega-ramp innovations
• Cannabis benefits: Openly stated “cannabis helps them relieve the pressure associated with their sport”
• Testing environment: X-Games historically didn’t test for cannabis, unlike Olympic competitions
• Mental performance: Found cannabis helpful for managing athletic pressure and mental aspects of high-stakes performance
• Advocacy freedom: Could discuss benefits without fear of suspension due to X-Games’ testing policies

At just 19 years old and ranked 7th in the world, Cory Juneau became the first publicized cannabis suspension case in professional skateboarding. His experience highlights the tension between skateboarding’s cultural identity and Olympic regulations.

• Age and ranking: Just 19 years old; ranked 7th in the world when suspended
• Historic suspension: First publicized cannabis suspension case in professional skateboarding
• Testing incident: Failed THC test at Oi Park Jam in Itajaí, Brazil in January 2018
• Penalty: 6-month suspension reduced to 3 months; served as “warning shot to pro skateboarders about Olympic drug testing”
• Cultural conflict: Represents generational shift where skating enters mainstream sports with restrictive drug policies conflicting with countercultural cannabis roots

As a pioneering female professional skateboarder, Elissa Steamer provides crucial gender perspective on cannabis use in the male-dominated skate world. She offers a balanced perspective on both benefits and risks.

• Gender representation: Pioneering female professional skateboarder in male-dominated sport
• Cannabis dependency: “Relied heavily on the use of cannabis (as well as other substances) throughout her career”
• Initial effects: Initially experienced positive effects that later became “heavily detrimental to her progression”
• Social pressure: Felt pressure to use cannabis to “fit in and be cool” with male-dominated skate community, highlighting gender dynamics
• Recovery: After therapist identified her problem, sought help and entered recovery

Though technically a snowboarder rather than skateboarder, Ross Rebagliati’s impact on all board sports makes him essential to this list. This controversy directly led to cannabis being added to Olympic banned substances, affecting all board sports including skateboarding.

• Historic achievement: First-ever Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding (1998 Winter Games)
• Medal controversy: Initially stripped of gold medal for THC; regained it two days later when IOC admitted cannabis wasn’t yet on banned substances list
• Policy impact: Controversy directly led to cannabis being added to Olympic banned substances, affecting all board sports including skateboarding
• Current business: Now heads Ross’ Gold medical cannabis business in Canada
• Entrepreneurship model: Represents successful post-career cannabis entrepreneurship in board sports

The relationship between skateboarding and cannabis dates back to the 1970s, when California’s Z-Boys brought surfing’s countercultural ethos to sidewalks—joints and all. Tony Alva and other pioneers helped establish cannabis as part of skate culture’s rebellious identity. Through the 1980s and 1990s, figures like Christian Hosoi and Chad Muska carried that legacy forward, with Muska even innovating cannabis-friendly products. The 2000s saw brand-building with Andrew Reynolds’ Baker and Stevie Williams’ DGK, while recent years have shifted toward CBD-focused recovery with athletes like Tony Hawk and Paul Rodriguez. Skateboarding’s 2020 Olympic debut created new tensions—exemplified by Cory Juneau’s suspension—as the sport navigates mainstream acceptance while maintaining its countercultural roots.

Many aging skateboarders have shifted from heavy THC use toward CBD as their relationship with cannabis evolves. Tony Hawk’s transition from early THC experimentation to CBD advocacy mirrors Paul Rodriguez’s focus on athletic recovery through his Just Live brand. This shift reflects broader trends in sports medicine, where non-psychoactive cannabinoids offer recovery benefits without intoxication or drug testing concerns. with no intoxication and fewer—but not zero—drug-testing concerns when athletes stick to CBD-only products from reputable sources. For skateboarders seeking similar benefits, Herb’s Strain Guides can help identify appropriate CBD-dominant options for recovery and focus.

Multiple pro skateboarders have successfully built cannabis businesses, demonstrating the natural alignment between skate culture and cannabis entrepreneurship. Stevie Williams’ DGK and Lord Williams Farms, Paul Rodriguez’s Just Live, and Ross Rebagliati’s Ross’ Gold show how skaters are leveraging their cultural credibility to create legitimate cannabis enterprises. This entrepreneurial approach reframes cannabis from purely recreational use into business ventures that support both skateboarding and cannabis communities.