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The combination of pro wrestling and marijuana has been a polarizing subject over the years. For a long time, ‘weed’ had a stigma against it. However, now many pro wrestlers and others see the benefits cannabis products can have.
Here are ten of the more well-known pro wrestlers who have indulged, with some having a big effect on their respective careers.
Rob Van Dam
Rob Van Dam is a former WWE, ECW and TNA World Champion. He’s also known for his innovative in-ring style, as well as his appreciation for marijuana outside of the ring. RVD says he’s been smoking weed for more than 30 years, and he is still a big advocate for cannabis today.
One of the more notorious stories involving RVD came in the middle of a massive push in WWE. RVD and Sabu were pulled over for speeding while traveling for a WWE event on July 1, 2006. The police officer searched the car after smelling pot, and found 18 grams of pot and paraphernalia, while Sabu had other drugs on him. The arrest resulted in WWE halting RVD’s huge push. The company suspended him for 30 days and had him appear on TV to drop his WWE and ECW titles.
Despite that setback, RVD is still seen as a positive figure in the cannabis culture, with VICE even referring to him as a “weed icon.”
Hacksaw Jim Duggan and The Iron Sheik
Speaking of marijuana-related arrests, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and The Iron Sheik also have an infamous story to share.
Duggan and the Sheik were pulled over in New Jersey in May 1987 after cops spotted the former drinking a beer while driving. The pair was later arrested after the cops found marijuana and cocaine in the car, but that wasn’t even the worst part.
Duggan, a babyface, was traveling with Sheik, a notorious bad guy. This was a big kayfabe no-no! Vince McMahon was reportedly pissed off that they were caught together in public and fired both of them. Both were ultimately re-hired later on, but Duggan ended up getting a lower spot on the card, while Sheik’s time in the main event had come to an end.
Jack Swagger / Jake Hager
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before… a pro wrestler was arrested for possession of marijuana.
WWE star Jack Swagger (Jake Hager) was pulled over for speeding in Mississippi in February 2013. Hager was arrested for possession of marijuana and DUI (not alcohol).
Swagger didn’t face much backlash for his arrest. He returned to television afterward and aligned with Zeb Colter as The Real Americans. Colter managed him to a WrestleMania world title match that year. As a bonus, fans got to share a bunch of “Weed The People” jokes and memes.
Matt Riddle
Much like RVD, Matt Riddle is also known for his appreciation of marijuana. Riddle was fired from UFC due to failing multiple drug tests, but made a successful transition to pro wrestling. After being released from WWE, he posted on social media that he planned to release his own strain of marijuana.
When he was still employed by WWE, Riddle told Ariel Helwani that he was a supporter of marijuana. In addition, he said that the rules had become more relaxed about fines or punishments for those who partake.
“You know what, I don’t really, I don’t like to talk about that. You know, with the WWE and stuff like that? I’m a supporter of it, you know, it’s medically legal in most states. And I know most companies, aren’t you know, punishing people [for it] anymore. I know since my stint with WWE I’ve had no problems. You know they understand my situation, they know I’ve fought in UFC, they know I’ve had multiple surgeries, they know I bump all around the ring and I take damage and everything else and I’m 34 years old.
“And as long as I am not hurting anybody or doing anything they make sure they test me all the time. They know everything about me. They test us for everything all the time. So its like, you know, I’m well taken care of and I’m good. They understand who the Bro is.”
Ric Flair
Ric Flair is new to the cannabis scene, but he’s embraced it as a spokesman and personal user. Flair has his own “Ric Flair Drip” line of cannabis products, part of the Tyson 2.0 umbrella. Flair told The Orlando Sentinel that using cannabis helped him stop taking Xanax for anxiety. He also told WrestleZone about the positives of using cannabis compared to prescription drugs.
“I can tell you right now that two of the biggest problems, and I’m not just gonna put it in the wrestling business, but in sports, is getting up and getting down,” Flair told WrestleZone. “A lot of guys need a lift in the morning, whether it be an energy drink or something, like coffee. But when you run as hard as we do and it’s four o’clock in the morning, [cannabis is] much, much, much safer [than using other medications like Ambien as a sleep aid], especially on the international tours where you’re gonna get off the plane and go to work that night,” Flair explained.
Bret Hart
Like Flair, Bret Hart is a proponent of pro wrestlers using marijuana. In recent years, Hart has spoken more candidly about using cannabis and why it’s safer than other drugs.
According to an excerpt from his book, Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, Hart said he smoked marijuana during his in-ring career.
“The previous day I’d been in El Paso, where some buddies I called Cheech & Chong had given me a giant baggie of Mexican dirt weed. So, of course, it figures that before the tv tapings in San Antonio, Vince called a meeting to inform all the wrestlers that drug testing would be expanded to cover any and all non-prescription drugs, including marijuana. Vince said that with the FBI and the media waiting to pounce on him, the WWF couldn’t take a chance on another scandal. I believed and still do that Vince’s decision was short sighted. With weed taken off the menu even more wrestlers wound up as alcoholics; instead of smoking a bit of weed holed up in their hotel rooms talking about the business, they roamed hotel bars drunk and on downers.
“I handed a big fat joint to Owen and explained it was probably the last time we’d be able to smoke pot for awhile. Owen so straightlaced most of the time, let his hair down, and we both took a few hits. We pulled up to the strip bar feeling good.”
Teddy Hart
Bret’s nephew, Teddy Hart, was once touted by Rolling Stone as “Wrestling’s Weed-Dealing, Cat-Breeding Phenom” in a feature article. Teddy Hart is just as known for his appreciation of cannabis as he is for his love of breeding cats (and his lengthy rap sheet).
The Godfather
When one of your catchphrases is ‘Light a fatty for this pimp daddy,” you might be an advocate for marijuana.
The Godfather said he was initially apprehensive about trying it years ago, but now marijuana is a huge part of his life. He noted how it not only made him nicer and more positive, but his body hurt less too.
“It was a positive thing for me,” he told Chris Van Vliet. “But for me, it got me off of — I still drink, but I take no pain pills, I eat much better, I try to take care of myself. I stay positive.”
The Godfather also told Van Vliet he could see marijuana being legal nationwide in five years, and claimed to smoke more weed than RVD did. (For what it’s worth, RVD said he smoked “multiple doobies” when he was at home.)
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg is not a full-time wrestler, but he has enough of a link to the one true sport to include him in the list.
Snoop competed in an impromptu match at WrestleMania 39, picking up a win over The Miz on night two of the event. He’s collaborated on a merchandise line with The Undertaker, he’s Mercedes Moné’s cousin, and he’s a WWE Hall Of Famer, among other accolades.
(The less said about his “frog splash” attempt in AEW, the better.)
Snoop Dogg has been known for his affinity for the sticky-icky for decades. He even has a strain of marijuana named after him.
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