Mike Glazer and Mary Jane Gibson traveled from Alaska to California and beyond with their podcast Weed+Grub, sampling legal cannabis, snacking on local cuisine, doing live shows, and interviewing fascinating people along the way. They wrapped up their journey onstage at Mike’s cannabis-friendly comedy show GLAZED in Las Vegas on April 25, 2019.
Following our week at the B4UDie Festival in Alaska, we flew to Seattle and made our way to our 420-friendly lodging for the night, The Winston House. Our cozy digs were at the back of the house, overlooking a salt-water hot tub on a deck built around a lofty cedar tree. We found a welcoming note from our host Sebastian propped next to a fat joint of Crystal Coma, which we promptly smoked, and after finding late-night snacks at a nearby pub, we slept like grizzly bears.
The next morning, with our brains and bodies relaxed and somewhat detoxed from the excesses of the comedy fest, we met with Sebastian to chat about how he’s created a safe, consciousness-expanding oasis to welcome guests and educate people about the healing powers of plant, animal, and psychedelic medicine. Listen to our interview with Sebastian DeRosia.
Weed+Grub podcast co-hosts Mary Jane Gibson, left, and Mike Glazer, right, stayed with and interviewed Sebastian DeRosia of the 420-friendly The Winston House in Seattle. (Photo by Mary Jane Gibson)
Tastes of Canada
Next stop: Victoria, British Columbia. We made a mad dash from Seattle to catch the ferry to Vancouver Island, running up the gangplank just as the boat sounded its horn to depart. We pressed our noses to the windows in the galley, hoping for an orca sighting, but it was too rough on the crossing to see much of anything.
Weed+Grub podcast co-host Mike Glazer did get to see an orca after all. (Photo by Mary Jane Gibson)
Cannabis is now federally legal across Canada. In British Columbia, the laws allow for smoking or vaping cannabis wherever tobacco is permitted. We enjoyed our evening strolling around the pretty port of Victoria after getting pleasantly baked. We ended up at The Mint, where we feasted on delectable crispy duck wings.
Onward to Olympic Peninsula
Though we wanted to spend more time in Victoria, it was time for the next leg of our adventure, on Washington‘s Olympic Peninsula. We were in search of One Square Inch of Silence, the quietest place in the United States. We loaded our backpacks with snacks, water, weed, and our Ghost MV1 vape, and headed into the heart of the Hoh Rain Forest.
As we followed the trail along the Hoh River, giant ferns, mossy trees, shrubs, and springy soil muffled our steps, absorbing so much sound that all we could hear was rushing water. We rounded a bend in the hush of the rainforest, and almost ran into a herd of elk munching on lichens. We watched silently as the elk forded the river, calling to one another as they moved into the forest on the other side. Spellbound, we didn’t say much to each other for the rest of the hike. It felt right to be noiselessly in tune with the earth.
Mike Glazer explores the Hoh Rain forest in Washington’s Olympic National Park. (Photo by Mary Jane Gibson)
After our quiet excursion, we drove to the nearest town, Forks, famed as the setting for the “Twilight” series. We had the munchies, but instead of opting for the local grocer’s Edward Wedge hoagie, we scarfed elk burgers at Blakeslees Bar and Grill. Circle of life and all that.
Sweet Relief & Natural Wonders
We carried on down Highway 101, crossing the mouth of the Columbia River to Astoria, Oregon, a historic maritime town that you’d recognize from “The Goonies.” After dipping into Sweet Relief to stock up on Oregon bud, we cautiously ordered a hot chicken-and-pineapple sandwich at the Fort George Brewery. We’re still drooling over how killer it was.
Fortified by great weed and an incredible sloppy sammy, we drove down the coast to Spouting Horn and Thor’s Well at Cape Perpetua. It was well worth getting up before sunrise to watch seawater shoot 40 feet into the air, and drain away into a seeming portal to the underworld. Then we went to the Sea Lion Caves and saw 200 sea lions roaring their heads off! And this was all before 10 a.m. There’s a lot to be said for getting up early.
Portland: Put a Bud on It
Every time we end up in Portland, we want more time in Portland. The weed and food are incredible, the people are friendly, and there’s art everywhere. We met Kate and Katie, owners of Peak Extracts, and took a tour of their state-of-the-art lab. We visited The Commune and interviewed renowned cannabis activist Amy Margolis about The Initiative, an accelerator program designed to launch women cannabis entrepreneurs and executives. And we met artist Dina Rodriguez, who sat down with us for a talk about cannabis, creativity, and making your own dreams come true.
Sustainable Craft Cannabis
About an hour southeast of Portland, Dutch Valley Farms is growing premier craft cannabis. Head grower Jonathan Langston gave us a tour of the sustainable cultivation facility, and our noses twitched at the terpene-rich air. All the plants are grown using reclaimed rainwater, so the weed is extra-delicious — the Blueberry Kush tasted just like a handful of ripe berries. A-maz-ing.
Jonathan Langston is head grower for Dutch Valley Farms in Oregon. (Photo by Mary Jane Gibson)
L.A. on 4/20, New York on 4/21
We rolled into Los Angeles for 4/20, hitting the Stoned Fox pool party at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood. We indulged in delicious Defoncé edibles and grooved to Lola Langusta’s beats, chilling poolside for the perfect Cali celebration of the plant we love.
But we weren’t done yet. After a storytelling event, where Mike told a tale about cannabis bringing everything in his life full circle, followed by his headlining set at the University of Southern California (USC), we boarded a red-eye (with red eyes) to New York City.
Mary Jane Gibson and Mike Glazer host 421 for All, a cannabis advocacy event, in New York City on April 21, 2019 (Photo by Heather Newman)
The inaugural 421 for All event was a call to action for cannabis justice, advocacy, and awareness. It was an exciting evening with artists, entertainers, and activists taking the stage. We were thrilled to participate as hosts for the evening.
Vegas, Baby!
After a month on the road, it felt like the only appropriate place to end our tour was in Las Vegas. Mike brought his 420-friendly show, “GLAZED” to the Griffin, and the lineup was scorching: Neel Nanda, Caitlin Gill, Anastasia Synn, Jozalyn Sharpe, Mike Robertson, Randy Villarba, Alexis Fawx and Yoshi Obayashi. Sponsor Dr. Dabber gave away silk-screen-printed shirts with custom art, and one lucky audience member received a Switch!
Mary Jane Gibson, left, and Mike Glazer, second from right, of the Weed+Grub podcast spent a day in Las Vegas with Remedy’s Joey Posney, second from left, and Randy Villarba. (Photo by Mary Jane Gibson)
We spent our last day in Las Vegas with incredible folks, including Joey Posney and Randy Villarba from Remedy. And in a final we-can’t-believe-this-is-real-life encounter, we toured the home of cyborg magician Anastasia Synn and her legendary husband, the Amazing Johnathan. Mike got pranked so hard he almost passed out. It was awesome.
As we were leaving Las Vegas, exhausted and happy, and plugged “home” into the GPS, we weren’t surprised to see our estimated arrival time: 4:20 p.m.
Authors’ disclosure: The Weed+Grub tour was sponsored by Ghost Vapes, Dutch Valley Farms, Smoking Paper, and Magical Butter.
