If you’re a fan of both comics and Mary Jane (not Spiderman’s girlfriend), then you have to check out these 5 graphic novels all about cannabis. One of my favourite things about comics and graphic novels is their accessibility. They’re a great way to share a story, information, or aesthetic, but they’re also super fun to flip through and look at without feeling like you’re reading a novel.
Here are five graphic novels about cannabis, from the informative to the fictional.
How Do You Smoke a Weed? by Owlin
Coming from Iron Circus, one of my favourite publishers, is an indispensable little book. A super quick to read and adorably illustrated guide that served as one of my introductions to smoking cannabis. This little guide is very much for the cannabis novice. The story follows a character named Sprout as he journeys into the world of cannabis for the very first time. Throughout the comic, he learns how to clean bongs and pipes, different types of cannabis, and some cannabis terminology. Altogether How Do You Smoke Weed is a great guide for the cannabis newbie. Even the veteran smoker might find some gems as well.
Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America by Box Brown
This guide was densely packed with information, perhaps better for reading while you’re sober. That said, it was a fast and easily digestible read. Box Brown covers the main points of cannabis illegalization in the USA, tracing the history from the colonial era to Anslinger and the war on drugs. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone looking for a succinct yet in-depth overview of cannabis lawmaking in the USA.
Cheech & Chong’s Chronicles: A Brief History of Weed by Eliot Rahal, Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin, Illustrated by Noah Van Sciver
How can you resist this concept? Through the legendary doobie duo of Cheech and Chong, we receive a hilarious off-beat take on the world history of cannabis. Their assertion: everything important that has ever happened has happened because of weed. How about that?
Ziggy Marley’s Marijuanaman by Ziggy Marley, Joe Casey, and Jim Mahfood
While Ziggy Marley is known for his music, who’s to say he can’t jump into the world of comics? This graphic novel brings an otherworldly hero with a mission to protect his planet. Oh, and he gets his powers from marijuana. Ziggy Marley is a fun, silly read on the lowbrow spectrum of comics.
Grendel, Kentucky by Jeff McComsey and Tommy Lee Edwards
Although this book does not feature cannabis as the sole focal point, it is a very important point in this graphic novel. A small town in Kentucky participates in annual human sacrifice to help produce abundant crops. (When I say “abundant crops,” I also mean “the dankest weed in all the land”). Once the pact with the ancient god breaks, a hero emerges to come to the rescue with her all-female biker gang.
What are some of your favourite graphic novels and comics all about cannabis? Let us know in the comments!