The Flame Against the Flower

Writer, producer, musician, actor, and 80 year-old cultural icon Tommy Chong is well known for his portrayal of the classic stoner stereotype. Some might go so far as to say he invented the cliché. He’s made a career from his willingness to be typecast and his portrayals have brought cannabis to the forefront of controversial conversation for the last forty years.

Since the debut of Cheech and Chong’s beloved 1978 feature-length film Up In Smoke, the characters have appeared in more than a dozen movies. But don’t be fooled, the easily recognizable Chong is no one-trick pony. His diverse career includes forays into writing, voice acting, television stardom, and, most recently, marketing for his cannabis brand, Chong’s Choice.

Chong hasn’t always been rewarded for his counterculture lifestyle. Between 2003-04, he served nine months in prison for distributing bongs online. The battle with the U.S. Government and Operation Pipe Dreams (yes, that’s actually what they called it) did little to dissuade Chong from his subversive lifestyle. In fact, the prison sentence may have reinvigorated his career thanks to the widely popular “Free Chong” movement that arose from his incarceration.

We had the opportunity to speak with Chong in this exclusive interview to discover his favorite smoking tech, how his felony conviction impacted his business, and how his career helped shape the culture of cannabis