America’s history of being wrong-headed about cannabis is well-documented on a variety of platforms, but the funniest way to examine it today is on YouTube. Host to a wide range of entertaining lunacy, YouTube’s rabbit holes can lead down some weird paths, including flat-earth theories, ’80s hair metal or videos that end in some asshole yelling “WORLD STAR!”
One of my favorite dens of nostalgic stupidity is anti-marijuana commercials and public service announcements from yesteryear. While a few carry messages that make some sense, such as the dangers of youth use or smoking and driving, many of them carry the same Reefer Madness rhetoric we make fun of today. Don’t believe it? Check out these ten commercials and PSAs from past decades and see for yourself.