Seth Rogen is a cannabis entrepreneur who says there’s only one place he’ll smoke marijuana.
A self-described daily cannabis consumer, Rogen talked about the last time he abstained—more than a decade ago—during an interview on The Howard Stern Show on Wednesday.
Rogen stated that he visited Singapore for three days back in 2012. “You can’t smoke marijuana there.” A notice in their passports informs visitors of Singapore’s strict anti-drug law. Rogen said that it warns that, “they will literally kill you if smoke weed there.”
Singapore has some of the most strict anti-drug legislation in the entire world. A conviction for marijuana possession is punished by a lengthy prison term or fine. Illicit trafficking is punishable by death, but legal interpretations of what personal possession means can vary.
The warning by the Singaporean Government was sufficient to convince Rogen to go on a break.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve flown places and then got there and opened a pocket or something and be like, ‘Oh shit, there’s a fucking roach in my pocket,'” he said. “That was an incredibly scary experience walking through the Singaporean airport.”
Stern stated, “I think that this is an effective deterrent.” “It works.” ‘We’re gonna kill you.'”
Rogen laughed and said, “If you have any drug problems, I suggest that you go to Singapore.”
Although the conversation between Rogen and Stern may have been a joke, numerous studies show that capital punishment does not deter crime. Donald Trump, however, recently reaffirmed his support of executing those who are currently selling illicit drugs. Trump called this a “humane” policy to help prevent deaths from overdoses that he is “ready” implement.
Stern, on the other hand, asked Rogen whether or not he felt any sort of withdrawal, no matter how “psychological” it was. Rogen replied, “No,” adding that in America, “there are plenty of recreational choices that are legal, like alcohol”.
In Singapore, it’s easy to drink your way into insanity. They don’t give a shit about that,” Rogen said.
The host went on to ask Rogen, who owns the cannabis lifestyle company Houseplant, why it is that some people who live in jurisdictions where marijuana is legally available at licensed retailers continue to buy their products from illicit sources.
Rogen cited “allegiance”, or loyalty, to those who had sold him cannabis prior to the establishment of the legal market.
“I bought weed in LA from these guys, but legal marijuana was coming on the market. I felt bad for them, said he. It’s just like the mom-and pop store you visit, where you know they are only one purchase from closing each week without you. They might close if you didn’t show up.
Rogen explained, “I’d buy weed and give it to the guys, but then I’d meet up with them every couple of weeks in some sketchy location and buy the weed from them.”
He also shared with Stern one of his more uncomfortable social experiences with cannabis, when he and his wife “got incredibly high” before an Adele concert—only to learn the concert would be televised and they would be sitting front-and-center at the event.
“It’s like a huge primetime special—which I did not know at all, like a camera crew and a rig six inches in front of us—and I’m just like, ‘What the fuck is going on right now?'” Rogen said. “I’ve never met Adele. Adele is the first person I have ever seen in real life. I was like, ‘How did this happen?’ And so the whole time I’m just like, ‘Well, I gotta look like an engaged concert-goer throughout this experience.’ It was quite a pressure, and although I did manage to stay composed I felt a great deal of stress.
Beyond his contributions to cannabis culture and the industry, Rogen has also leveraged his celebrity to advocate for reform—including in 2021 when he and other influencers like comedian Sarah Silverman launched a campaign meant to encourage U.S. voters to reach out to their senators and demand action on legislation to federally legalize cannabis.
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