This is an ongoing series exploring the idea of Doing Nothing.

← Read Part 1 

Part 2:

For decades, cannabis users have fought to shake the image of the lazy stoner. It’s a stereotype rooted in the same racist propaganda that fueled prohibition and justified the War on Drugs. It’s outdated, but it’s also persistent.

Now that legalization has shifted who gets to participate in the culture, we’ve found ourselves swinging in the opposite direction. Stoners as CEOs. Cannabis as wellness. Productivity as proof of legitimacy. My social feed is full of people showing how much they can do while high, and I get it. I’ve been one of them.

But here’s the truth: I’ve never met a lazy stoner. Everyone I know in this industry is grinding. Most have second or third jobs to actually pay their bills. The idea of laziness doesn’t reflect reality, it reflects shame. And in trying so hard to disprove the stereotype, we’ve overcorrected. We’ve let hustle culture co-opt the high.

What gets lost is the beauty of doing nothing.

The fear of being seen as lazy didn’t start with weed. It started with the Industrial Revolution. Laziness became the enemy of capital, framed as a moral failure, a character flaw. And in America, we’ve been stuck there ever since. Work became an identity. Stillness became suspect.

Social media doubled down. There’s always something to improve. A 5-to-9 after your 9-to-5. A side hustle. A new app to track your meditation, your hydration, your breathing. Even rest has become performative.

No wonder we’re burned out.

So when older generations hear a phrase like do nothing paired with cannabis, it can stir up defensiveness. They fought hard to prove we’re not lazy, and they’re right. But today’s fight is different. In this climate, the radical thing isn’t to be productive while high. It’s to rest without guilt.

To do nothing is not apathy. It's intentional. It’s time carved out to recalibrate your nervous system, to drop the pressure to catch up, to exist without optimizing. It’s what we’ve always loved about the session, the moment where you breathe, laugh, wander, and let yourself feel weird and free.

When was the last time you listened to an album all the way through without distraction? Or took a walk without checking your phone? When was the last time you let yourself daydream?

Doing nothing isn’t just for people who consume cannabis. But it’s a concept deeply aligned with the experience. We use tools, rituals, and plant medicine to slow down not because we’re lazy, but because we’re tired of being always on.

So if you’re having a “rot day,” a “bed day,” a do nothing day – let it be what it is. This is what rest looks like. And rest is not a weakness.

It’s a need.

← Read Part 1