Moving Pictures: Bored to Death

Literature. Film-noir. Pot.

Bored to Death is a stoner-noir comedy that follows the life of struggling writer and occasional pot smoking nice guy, Jonathon Ames (Jason Schwartzman). Dumped by his girlfriend for enjoying a smoke and constant wine drinking, Ames soon finds himself joining a website as an unlicensed private detective. 

Calls and clients follow, but there is always a good amount of marijuana to pass around with the cast also including Zach Galifianakis as Ray (love struck comic artist donating sperm to a lesbian couple) and Ted Danson as George (Ames' boss and womanising, weed loving editor of a New York magazine).

Stoners and easy goers will immediately relate to these characters and most will smile at pop culture references of both the high and low life in New York. Take a look at the trailer below (or click here for better quality):

The first two series have already had their run, but you can look out for Bored to Death on either Sky Atlantic or - more conveniently - the internet. HBO has also announced that the series will return for a third season some time this year.

So spark up and enjoy. Peace out.

Magic Smoke and Music: Jamiroquai

Everything is good..and green...

Once upon a time, when most current students were busy learning the difference between indica and sativa weed, Jamiroquai rocked the music scene. I suggest the next time Mary Jane pays a visit, you take a look back at the acid driven interplanetary vibes of a certain space cowboy and the rest of his band.

There is a perfect cosmic balance with Jamiroquai that hits all of the right notes. Trippy guitar chords, smooth jazz melodies and funky bass lines are enough to make you roll up another joint. Yet when all of this is merged together along with Jay Kay's deeply profound lyrics and unique voice, music and marijuana reach a new height. 

Each song has its own particular mood, yet one attitude rings throughout all albums - the feel good perspective on life. A good starting point for those stoners wishing to delve further would be the High Times: Singles 1992 - 2006 album, which (as the name implies) contains all of Jamiroquai's hits, including Virtual Insanity, Corner of the Earth and Feels Like it Should.

We hope Gillette don't get any ideas... 

Whether you're contemplating the beauty of nature, seeing the universe expand or questioning technology alongside reality - a joint and Jamiroquai set you up for the journey. 

Jamiroquai aren't limited to music. Their music videos are as breathtaking as their musical vision. In their world, furniture moves while defying the laws of physics and a future dystopia begins to look fun.

It's time for the Rolling Stoner magazine to leave you with a sample, and what would be better than a tune highlighting why so many of us roll up and smoke up. This one is called Space Cowboy from the album The Return of the Space Cowboy. You can find a higher quality video here, but without any further delays it's time to light another and enjoy:

See you when you get back.

Peace out.

To the Writers with the Lighters

That's right - Rolling Stoner Magazine is looking for writers to contribute to the blog. We expect them to be exceptionally stoned at all times.

Like a Rolling Stoner?

Check out the contact page at the top of the site for more information.

Peace out.

Munchies: B Henry's

Walking around York Uni campus when you're high feels like taking part in a really square theatre adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. From gardens of green to schizophrenic ducks, the world becomes that little bit more enchanting.

When the munchies set in, what is that wandering stoner to do? There's always a cheap carton of orange juice and plenty of chocolate to be bought at either Your Shop or Costcutter. But take it that extra mile and make things truly magical for your taste buds. Appreciate the aesthetics of life and show some respect to the Shiva leaves. Toke your way over to B Henry's (Alcuin College's café/bar).

If you're blazed this picture should look perfectly aligned

There's cake and there's tea. There's a lot more too, but cake and tea hits the spot during these days of early spring.  The cost for a slice of home baked cake and cup of Earl Grey tea comes to just over £2.00, which seems reasonable when you're insanely hungry.

The café itself is built like a large conservatory, with big enough windows to catch the odd ray of sunshine. There is plenty of seating and B Henry's has a relaxing sophisticated air about it, which is brilliant when you discover that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively...

For those of you not feeling the notion of a somewhat Victorian munchies satisfier, the menu is varied enough with both hot and cold meals (hot meals served between 10am and 2pm).You can find the complete menu here.

So get yourself stoned and get yourself hungry. Don't worry about the time, leave that to the white rabbit. Have a seat in B Henry's and roll up another.

Cake. Tea. What else is there left to discuss?

I hear the Mad Hatter is doing a PhD in metaphysics

Peace out.

Pingu gets High

As all stoners know, Pingu is the shit when you're baked. But what if Pingu joined you for a smoking session?  The following clip is taken from an actual episode. Notice how Pingu experiences almost every effect of weed...

Supposedly he was going to babysit, but then he got high.

Magic Smoke and Music: Nujabes

So you've lit a joint, smoked it graciously and decided you need to expand your mind beyond space and time. The DVD collection on your shelf looks like effort but your laptop is within reach. What should you listen to? My answer: Japanese Hip Hop.

Yeah, you heard me right.

Nujabes, who unfortunately for us passed away in a car accident recently, left behind a legacy of the most chilled music of recent times that's bound to get your mind tripping. Just look at the artwork alone on his albums:

I'm seeing puff the magic dragon...

Not only had Nujabes worked with some of Japan's leading musicians in hip hop (such as Shing02 - a brilliant artist in his own right), but this guy collaborated with many of the American Hip Hop scene (and I mean real hip hop) from CYNE to Apani B. However put this aside and you see the true genius of the man - his instrumental tunes. 

With Nujabes, listening to his piano melodies feels like hearing the piano for the first time. There's an air of innocence, a touch of nostalgia and it's fucking amazing when you're high. Smile at the apparent simplicity of his music but always comprehend the undeniable complexity. 

Now roll up another a joint whilst we link you up with one of his tracks. This one isn't an instrumental (you can find plenty on youtube), but a good reflection of his ability. Luv (Sic) part 3 featuring Shing02 from the album Modal Soul:

And you laughed when I said Japanese hip hop...

Nujabes (February 7,1974 - February 26, 2010) - Rest in peace.

Anti Cannabis Propaganda: 1935

Drugs are scary. Well most of them (barring booze and coffee apparently). What's even scarier is the hypocrisy of states that class cannabis as a dangerous substance, causing it to be illegal.

But forget the scary stuff for a moment, and lets look at the funny.

Here is a anti-cannabis propaganda sheet from 1935:

It seems that the average non-stoner needs pictures to understand a political point...

Well we have a just ONE picture for those of you who are undecided on the issue:

Spread the word. Spread the herb.

Peace out.

Famous Stoners: Hassan-i-Sabbah

Fuck Assassins Creed. We're talking about the real deal here.

Hassan-i-Sabbah is known for being the founder and first Grand Master of the infamous Order of Assassins.

Ultimately responsible for the deaths of thousands of people including many scholars and nobles, the Assassins are recognized as one of the first terrorist organizations in history. Members of the Order would be willing to lose their life at any moment for the sake of one man. It is reported that in the presence of an Emir he was trying to impress, Sabbah ordered one of his members to death. Within seconds the member had killed himself. Bad-ass, right?

So why were his followers so hung up on looking hardcore in front of him and what relation does this man have to weed? Trust me here, his sword would have been the least of your worries.

It is rumoured that Sabbah would initiate his young assassins by drugging them with hashish. He would then have them kept in a garden flowing with wine and grant them a sumptuous feast served by virgins...(and you thought purple haze was 'good shit').

Afterwards the assassin would be withdrawn and told that the garden was paradise. Sabbah explained that the only way to return would be for the newly initiated assassin to follow Sabbah's orders to the end, even if it meant death.

Another interesting fact for you stoners is that the word assassin is derived from the Arabic name given to the order -hashshashin - which basically translates into 'potheads'.

It wasn't all about being a sword wielding Don Corleone though, between the ages of 7 to 17 Sabbah mastered numerous languages and intensely studied philosophy, astronomy and mathematics (the guy was crazy about geometry). He continued studying throughout his lifetime, spending countless hours amongst the books in his library.

Being the legend that he is, his last words before dying are said to have been 'Nothing is true, everything is permitted'.

So, in the name of Hassan-i-Sabbah, light up another joint.

Legalize it!

~Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn't the idea of making nature againt the law seem a bit..unnatural?~

::Disclaimer:: Let's get something straight here. Despite this website's blatant encouragement of the usage and celebration of cannabis we do not advocate making it your lifestyle. There is a clear and very important difference between enjoying the occasional spliff and the spliff getting the better of you...and we respect this.

So basically, we're going to get all political on you now and explain why cannabis should be legalized:

(it's as easy as... )
A is for AMSTERDAM- It's legal there, and there's no big uproar. In fact, I think you'd find the place quite chilled if you went there. Some might argue that it could encourage a stepping stone to other, harder drugs. We would reply that that is actually a load of rubbish. Intoxication is a person's choice completely. If the government were that worried about the health and well-being of people and wanted to mother them so much then why is

B is for BOOZE- legal?! Did you know that up to 90% of admissions into A&E on a Friday night are alcohol related? The NHS must spend quite a lot on that when you come to think of it and yet they haven't prohibited that. Instead they have chosen Cannabis which causes neither death, nor injury. What with all the

C is for CUTS- at the moment you'd think that the government would want to save on something so pointless as the policing, criminalising and arresting of us stoners. Oh and, by the way, have you ever actually heard of anyone getting arrested? So where does this money go? On trying to arrest these so-called "criminals"?! As Barack Obama said "the war on drugs has failed" because it is "expensive, counterproductive and it doesn't make sense." Damn right Obama, it doesn't make sense. What does make sense is people making decisions about their own life and not bowing down to this stupid law. LEGALIZE IT!



As far as we can see, the only dangers from occasionally smoking up are:

-your fridge not containing the necessary munchie satisfiers( especially at the end of term when the last dregs of your student loan might be more wisely spent on toilet paper rather than King-size pizzas...)

-No-one caring that you just had THE most profound thought ever whist high.

-Not remembering what THE most profound thought ever is. After ten seconds.

-Losing things when high (door keys and a sense of time can be especially hazardous).

-Trying extremely hard not laugh in the face of a sober person. But ultimately failing.

A Brief History of Weed

Short video on the illustrious history of weed.

I guess the whole world was stoned at one point. Good times...

Nicolas Cage - Losing His Shit

Here's a shout out to Harry Hanrahan, the creator of the following video.

Just a word of advice. Don't get Nicolas Cage angry. You won't like him when he's angry (or you'll just laugh at him like there's no tomorrow).

Plus I heard he beats up old women...

Still, you can't help but laugh.

Categories

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Welcome

York can be a dull place for students. From lecture halls to over pretentious pubs, the surroundings at times seem anything but desirable.

Allow me, therefore, to introduce York University's only online magazine devoted entirely to the spiritual, sociable and sustainable herb that brings a smile to everyone's face.

Currently in the form of a blog, we hope to expand the magazine. Eventually this site will contain articles on different strands of cannabis; plenty of humour and viral videos; numerous film and music reviews; along with anything else that keeps the average stoner entertained.

Some of you may be thinking 'What's so great about cannabis?'

The enlightened gentlemen in the following video illustrates my point completely.

Please check the 'Guide' link at the top of the website. Hopefully this will help you get to grips with the site, even if you're high.

Now, excuse me while I light my spliff...