The Best Weed TV Shows (and a Few Docs) That Shaped Cannabis Culture

The TV shows that shaped cannabis culture include Weeds, Disjointed, Trailer Park Boys, High Maintenance and That '70s Show, plus Netflix cooking competitions like Cooking on High and documentaries like Grass Is Greener. Each one helped move weed on screen away from the old stoner stereotypes and toward something funnier, smarter and more human.

Gone are the days when cannabis on screen meant stigma and clichés. Mixing comedy, drama and the occasional psychedelic touch, these productions tell stories that go beyond the stereotypes, looking at cannabis with a wider, more open lens and digging into the complexities around this ancient plant.

By stripping cannabis of its stigma, these series push for better understanding and question the old narratives attached to the plant.

On this tour of the weed-centric shows and movies worth knowing, we'll see how the screen became a place to explore, challenge perceptions and start conversations about this versatile plant.

From laugh-out-loud comedies to dramas that wrestle with ethical dilemmas, cannabis series have become a TV phenomenon that goes way beyond stereotypes. Let's dive in.

Weeds: the cannabis revolution in American suburbia

Weeds premiered in 2005 with a premise that sounded familiar but was groundbreaking for its time. It followed the classic setup of someone facing money trouble who gets pulled into selling illegal substances, and then took an unexpected turn.

The lead, an upper-middle-class widow and mom of two, starts dealing weed in her quiet, leafy suburb.

At a time when US cannabis laws looked nothing like they do now, Weeds put dealing pot on screen as something almost normal. Breaking stereotypes, the show made the point that anyone could do it without being some shady or antisocial character, and it became a milestone for cannabis TV.

Disjointed: Kathy Bates and the fight to normalize cannabis

Kathy Bates leads Disjointed as a longtime cannabis user and activist. The plot follows her involvement in California's legalization movement, where she decides to open her own dispensary.

Working with her son and a crew of young cannabis lovers, the show takes on medical marijuana and tears down deep-rooted prejudices about people who use the plant.

Seen as one of the first series to explore this new reality, Disjointed dug into the messy transition of cannabis from banned substance to legal, multibillion-dollar industry.

The show didn't make it past its first season, released by Netflix in two parts, but its impact on how cannabis is portrayed in pop culture was real.

Shows like these don't just entertain: they help shift how society sees cannabis, challenging stigma and building a deeper understanding of this versatile plant.

Cooking on High: cannabis cooking meets reality TV

One of the most original and successful mashups out there blends a cooking show with reality TV. It's one of the best Netflix shows to watch high: in “Cooking on High,” two chefs who know their way around weed show off their culinary skills for a panel of judges.

It didn't become a massive hit, but this one-of-a-kind format inspired another show on the same platform, “Cooked with Cannabis.” It also helped pave the way for a legendary pairing: Martha Stewart and the famously weed-loving rapper Snoop Dogg.

Trailer Park Boys: irreverent comedy and cannabis life in a trailer park

If we're talking drug comedies, “Trailer Park Boys” is a must. This weed-soaked series serves up dark comedy and a look at life in a Canadian trailer park. Ricky and Julian, along with their one-of-a-kind buddy Bubbles, keep trying to outrun the cops with hilariously half-baked results.

The show highlights the tragic irony of poverty in a wealthy country, all of it spiced up with janky grow rooms and fresh green weed plants going up in smoke.

High Maintenance: a city connected by “the guy” on a bike

“High Maintenance” drops you into the complexities of New York City, where a varied cast of characters has just one thing in common: “the guy,” a weed dealer who makes his rounds by bike.

It started as a web series with no fixed episode order and later found a home at HBO, where it ran for four seasons and 34 episodes, on top of the original 19 web episodes.

That '70s Show: a '70s sitcom with a cannabis twist

This hilarious sitcom follows four teenagers through the 1970s, so references to weed were pretty much inevitable.

In Eric's basement, where the friends hang out, the conversations get smoky while the camera catches their relaxed, grinning faces in the famous circle. The show also launched Ashton Kutcher to stardom in one of his first big roles.

How High: the stoner comedy where weed makes you smarter

In “How High,” two dedicated stoners stumble on a magic herb that boosts their brainpower. To their surprise, they ace their entrance exams and land scholarships to Harvard.

“Mac & Devin Go to High School”: stoner adventures in high school

This comedy follows two high schoolers: Devin Overstreet, the model student, and Mac Johnson, who's been in high school for more than a decade. Starring Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa and Mike Epps, it's a mix of humor and goofy situations in a school setting.

“Cooked with Cannabis”: a cannabis cooking competition

Another great one to watch high: in “Cooked with Cannabis,” chefs compete to wow the hosts and special guests with dishes infused with cannabis, THC and CBD. This cooking competition takes the art of cooking with herb to new heights, exploring the flavors and benefits of the plant in fine dining.

“Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics”: psychedelic trips with celebrities

This one-of-a-kind documentary, “Have a Good Trip,” takes viewers through the highs and lows of psychedelics with animated stories and funny reenactments by famous faces. Hear the wildest, funniest trip stories from celebrities who open up about their experiences with psychedelics.

“Grass Is Greener”: America's complicated relationship with weed

If you're looking for something light to watch baked, this isn't it. This powerful film looks at the key role marijuana has played in jazz and hip-hop, while exposing the racial injustices tied to the war on drugs in the United States. “Grass Is Greener” goes deep on the country's complicated relationship with weed.

Family Business: a weed startup in France

With legalization supposedly on France's horizon, “Family Business” follows a struggling entrepreneur who tries to turn the family butcher shop into a modern, on-trend cannabis café. The series shows how legalization changes the business game.

“Reincarnated”: Snoop Dogg becomes Snoop Lion

Follow iconic rapper Snoop Dogg on his spiritual journey to Jamaica in “Reincarnated.” This documentary captures his transformation into Snoop Lion, exploring his connection to Jamaican culture and his search for a new identity.

“Rolling Papers”: journalism meets cannabis culture

At a rough moment for print media, “Rolling Papers” tells the story of a Denver newspaper that bets on a new market by launching a section dedicated to cannabis culture. See how that bold move shook up journalism in the middle of the cannabis boom.