Every stoner needs a stoned playlist, cannabis and music each bring their own positives to enhancing euphoria but combining the two leaves a duo that’s nearly invincible. Selecting the best songs to listen to while high can be overwhelming so I’ve found five leading voices in the cannabis community to help navigate the process and share their favorite stoned songs.
Very few days go by where I don’t listen to music stoned. It’s the soundtrack to cleaning the house, the hype I need at the end of a long run, and a mood changer when things get down. Cannabis and music are one of the few relationships that exist in perfect harmony.
To keep this harmony, it’s important to consider which songs you should pair with each strain, mood and activity. Some songs are better suited for the couch-locked indica high at the end of a long day while others work best with the sativa strain about to fuel your morning workout. Either way, putting some thought into your stoned playlist is an easy way to heighten your smoking experience.
For those looking for a little inspiration in curation, a nudge in which direction to lean and a song to start it all; I’ve reached out to five different individuals in the cannabis world to share with me their relationships to music, marijuana and the top five songs on their stoned playlist. I’ve also added my five songs. I’m 26 years old but my girlfriend says I listen to the music of someone who just got back from Vietnam. Whatever, who cares what people think about your taste in stoned music? The important thing is finding what works for you. It’s your high, nobody else’s.
The Stoned Playlist:
- Massive Attack – “Dissolved Girl”
- Smoke City – “Flying Away”
- War paint – “Hi”
- Babeheaven – “Human Nature”
- Tears for Fears – “Mothers Talk”
- Kid Cudi – “Soundtrack 2 My Life”
- Gabry Ponte – “Thunder”
- Alok, Sofi Tukker & INNA “It Don’t Matter”
- Dre, Snoop – “Still Dre”
- Paperboy – “Ditty”
- Stick Figure – “World on Fire Remix”
- Citizen Cope – “Son’s Gonna Rise”
- H.E.R – “Do to Me”
- Stick Figure – “Sound of the Sea”
- Peter Tosh – “Legalize It”
- Wiz Khalifa – “Pure”
- Fabolous – “We Get High”
- Jhene Aiko – “Sativa”
- Kid Cudi – “Marijuana”
- Grind Mode – “I’m So High”
- Jacob Miller and the Inner Circle – “Tenement Yard”
- Beastie Boys – “Car Thief”
- Nicky Thomas – “Love of the Common People”
- EPMD – “Let the Funk Flow”
- The Clash – “Bank Robber”
- Jimi Hendrix – “Little Wing”
- Toots and the Mytals – “Country Road”
- Country Joe and the Fish – “Flying High”
- The Band – “The Weight” Live Version
- Levitation Room – “Friends”
Jessica Golich, Avery Collins, Rachel Wolfson, Nadir Pearson and Danny Danko are the five friends offering their stoned-listening expertise for this article. Each comes from different backgrounds and careers but all agree that cannabis impacts music in a positive way.
Jessica Golich
A music journalist turned cannabis influencer and tiktoker, Jessica Golich is making a name for herself in the weed world with a following of almost 140,000 on TikTok.
Jessica’s Songs:
- Massive Attack – “Dissolved Girl”
- Smoke City – “Flying Away”
- War paint – “Hi”
- Babeheaven – “Human Nature”
- Tears for Fears – “Mothers Talk”
Do you remember the first song you listened to while stoned? If so, what was it?
“Though I don’t remember the first song I listened to while stoned, I do remember the initial years of experiencing euphoria through cannabis. Music and cannabis together always introduced new sensations into my life.”
If you listen to music while stoned do you believe it can heighten the experience? If so, what do you think it is about cannabis that makes music sound better?
“I believe that it all depends on how conscious the mind is and how clean the body is of the cannabis user. I personally use sound healing along with my cannabis regime to tame my sensory input and get back in touch with who I am at my core.”
Avery Collins
Avery Collins, currently one of the top ultramarathoners, is the only endurance runner to be sponsored by a cannabis company. With a finish near the top in the legendary Western States 100 and first place wins of the Hurt 100 and Fat Dog 120, Avery shows just how far cannabis can take the body.
Avery’s Top “Getting High and Going for a Run” Songs:
- Kid Cudi – “Soundtrack 2 My Life”
- Gabry Ponte – “Thunder”
- Alok, Sofi Tukker & INNA “It Don’t Matter”
- Dre, Snoop – “Still Dre”
- Paperboy – “Ditty”
Do you remember the first song you listened to while stoned? If so, what was it?
“I don’t particularly remember the very first song I listened to while I was high but one of my first experiences “stoned” was going to a high school hockey game. I specifically remember it heightening the sounds of the players ripping across the ice and smashing up against the glass. It was really exhilarating.”
If you listen to music while stoned do you believe it can heighten the experience? If so, what do you think it is about cannabis that makes music sound better?
“I absolutely think music can heighten a cannabis experience but I also think it can do just the opposite. I’ve noticed that if it’s music I’m not a fan of, being stoned just makes the music that much worse and, more or less, annoying. Cannabis helps me notice the subtitles in songs, instead of just hearing the baseline beat I can notice all the extra small sounds that envelope an instrumental.”
Do you have songs that you listen to for certain moods or actions?
“I listen to a lot of 90’s rap and EDM or like super heady pop / hip hop for running. I like listening to a lot of trippy stuff from my early stoner days to be honest.”
Rachel Wolfson
Rachel Wolfson is one of my oldest buddies in comedy and a mainstay in the lineup of funniest cannabis comedians. The creator of @Wolfiememes, Rachel brings awareness to cannabis through laughter.
Rachel’s Songs:
- Stick Figure – “World on Fire Remix”
- Citizen Cope – “Son’s Gonna Rise”
- H.E.R – “Do to Me”
- Stick Figure – “Sound of the Sea”
- Peter Tosh – “Legalize It”
Do you remember the first song you listened to while stoned? If so, what was it?
“I don’t remember the first song per se but I do remember playing a lot of Lauren Hill and the Fugees. I specifically remember “Killing Me Softly With His Song” hitting differently after smoking. I felt euphoric.”
If you listen to music while stoned do you believe it can heighten the experience? If so, what do you think it is about cannabis that makes music sound better?
“I do believe it can heighten the experience. I’ve loved reggae since I was a kid. I usually have reggae on in the car because it helps with road rage. You can’t be mad when steel drums are playing.”
Do you have songs that you listen to for certain moods or actions?
“For working out or smoking sativa; Cardi B “Bodak Yellow” and Nicki Minaj “Did It On Em,” the mood is uplifting and happy.”
Nadir Pearson
A powerful voice among the new-age of young people in cannabis, Nadir Pearson is a force to be reckoned with. A recent graduate of Brown University, he is the founder of the college cannabis community SMART: the Student Marijuana Alliance for Research and Transparency.
Nadir’s Songs:
- Wiz Khalifa – “Pure”
- Fabolous – “We Get High”
- Jhene Aiko – “Sativa”
- Kid Cudi – “Marijuana”
- Grind Mode – “I’m So High”
Do you remember the first song you listened to while stoned? If so, what was it?
“Wiz Khalifa’s ONIFC album as a whole is one of the first albums that really spoke to me. ‘Medicated’ or ‘Mary 3x’ by Wiz are both on there, but Medicated is a song that just always gives me that lighthearted, bouncy energy. That was the epitome of euphoria for me when I first started smoking.”
If you listen to music while stoned do you believe it can heighten the experience? If so, what do you think it is about cannabis that makes music sound better?
“There’s no doubt listening to music while high enhances the vibes exponentially. You can ask my friends how many times I decide to start freestyle rapping as a sign of how much music vibrates through me while smacked. Many people have acknowledged that being high from weed makes you get more introspective or in your head. I believe it’s for this same reason that music penetrates our senses more wholly when we’re high. The flutes, tambourines, and horns in the background of songs all become a lot more alive to our senses as cannabis helps us be more in the moment.”
Do you have songs that you listen to for certain moods or actions?
“Of the songs listed above I’d break them into a mellow vs vibey, more upbeat, breakdown. ‘Pure’, ‘Marijuana’, and ‘Sativa’ fall into the mellow category. ‘We Get High’ and ‘I’m So High’ go into the vibey section.”
Danny Danko
Danny Danko, former cultivation editor of High Times and current editor of Northeast Leaf Magazine, is a legend in the weed world. For over a decade he selected the top 10 strains of the year for High Times, he’s also written two books and continues to educate cannabis enthusiasts on his Grow Bud Yourself! podcast.
Danny’s Songs:
- Jacob Miller and the Inner Circle – “Tenement Yard”
- Beastie Boys – “Car Thief”
- Nicky Thomas – “Love of the Common People”
- EPMD – “Let the Funk Flow”
- The Clash – “Bank Robber”
Do you remember the first song you listened to while stoned? If so, what was it?
“The first song I listened to while stoned was ‘Easy Skanking’ by Bob Marley from the album Kaya. I’ll never forget the first line after the opening chorus, ‘Excuse me while I light my spliff, Good God I got to take a lift.’ It described perfectly what I was doing and feeling. Uplifted, high and free!”
If you listen to music while stoned do you believe it can heighten the experience? If so, what do you think it is about cannabis that makes music sound better?
“Cannabis enhances the experience of listening to music in the same way it enhances almost every experience. With music, the musical notes, sounds of the instruments and lyrics sung are all amplified in the mind. Cannabis has a way of putting one in the moment, without the influence of outside thoughts and concerns. All you hear is the sounds, and if they’re pleasing, the experience is heightened.”
My Songs
- Jimi Hendrix – “Little Wing”
- Toots and the Mytals – “Country Road”
- Country Joe and the Fish – “Flying High”
- The Band – “The Weight” Live Version
- Levitation Room – “Friends”
Conclusion
If putting together a stoned playlist was ever a roadblock in your life, you now have 30 song suggestions to get the ball rolling. You also have five people from different walks of life telling you how cannabis enhances the way they listen to music. Finding the right songs for your playlist will be a personal endeavor, but I hope you can find inspiration in the way each of these individuals described how they heard the music. Songs that speak to you have a way of speaking even louder when stoned, go find those songs. The right song in the right mood with the right strain equals auditory bliss.