Diem Blog

The 10 Best Stoner Movies of All Time

Stoner movies. They’re excessive, unconventional, and the perfect way to enjoy any high. From the 1978 cult classic Up in Smoke to the endlessly quotable Pineapple Express, these films have left us with a case of the giggles that no person—not even your mom—could ever hold back.

To celebrate these classic stoner flicks, we’ve made the controversial decision to rank the 10 best stoner movies of all time (along with a few honorable mentions). It’s time to sit back, find a friend, get your favorite munchies ready, and watch through these blockbuster stoner movies. And if you don’t have your favorite cannabis products on hand, let Diem deliver them right to your door before the movie begins.

10. Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Director: Amy Heckerling

Our Favorite Line: “If I’m here, and you’re here, doesn’t that make it our time? Certainly, there’s nothing wrong with a little feast on our time!” – Jeff Spicoli

Amy Heckerling’s 1982 cult classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High ushered in a wave of iconic teen movies that won’t soon be forgotten. From Judge Reinhold’s portrayal of an uptight burger chain manager to Phoebe Cates’ iconic pool scene, Fast Times struck a chord that simply felt relatable. Though the film was centered less around pot than other classic cannabis flicks, Sean Penn’s portrayal of surfer stoner Jeff Spicoli was almost too spot-on (much to the chagrin of Mr. Hand), thus ensuring Fast Times made it in at number 10 on our list.

9. Billy Madison

Director: Tamra Davis

Our Favorite Line: “If peeing in your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis.” – Old Farm Lady

Okay, so maybe Billy Madison isn’t really a stoner flick in the classic “stoner flick” sense. Truth be told, Sandler’s rich kid character can be seen drinking cheap beers far more than he’s smoking the devil’s lettuce. But what is a list of top stoner movies if it doesn’t have just one Adam Sandler callout? From Happy Gilmore to The Waterboy, Sandler’s work throughout the ‘90s was iconic, and Billy Madison may have been his most influential piece, despite how unambiguous it seemed. Sometimes simple and stupid is all you need, especially after a few bong rips.

8. This Is the End

Directors: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg

Our Favorite Line: “Hermione just stole our shit!” – Danny McBride

When a movie centered around a bunch of iconic baked dudes that play “themselves” appears in theaters, you have no choice but to enjoy whatever comes next. The end of this comedy includes Craig Robinson singing “Take Your Panties Off” with Rihanna while the Backstreet Boys sing one of their classic hits. Michael Cera gets impaled by a light pole and Emma Watson goes into full survival mode. This movie is already a hit, and getting stoned for it is simply icing on the cake.

7. Friday

Director: F. Gary Gray

Our Favorite Line: “I know ya don’t smoke weed, I know this. But I’m gonna get you high today ’cause it’s Friday, you ain’t got no job and you ain’t got sh*t to do.” – Smokey

Back in the early ‘90s, Ice Cube was a man of the people. Somehow he penciled in the time to co-write and co-star in this classic stoner movie while simultaneously making genre-defining rap albums, and for that, he deserves some credit. With a cast of characters that include Chris Tucker, Mike Epps, Bernie Mac (R.I.P.) and more, we could quote Friday for days on end, alongside the three other movies in the series that followed. We might be here awhile.

6. How High

Director: Jesse Dylan

Our Favorite Line: “I figure I study high, take the test high, get high scores!” – Jamal King

How High was one of those stoner comedies you could appreciate at face value. The plot that entailed two stoners going to Harvard was simple, and the jokes were simply about weed. Method Man and Redman used their rapper fame to star in a comedy that nobody really knew they wanted until it was already made. Cheech and Chong would be proud.

5. Half Baked

Director: Tamra Davis

Our Favorite Line: “I never thought I’d say this to anybody, but you two smoke entirely too much reefer.” – Thurgood Jenkins

Dave Chapelle is a certified mastermind of comedy, and Half Baked is a certified classic stoner movie. When three friends need to bail the fourth out of jail, of course they decide to sell pharmaceutical-grade pot and get into a few antics along the way. With a cast of uncontrollable characters and weed references up the wasu, we dare you to find a funnier weed-induced ‘90s classic that only gets better with time. After all, where else can you watch a movie about weed that includes cameos from John Stewart, Willie Nelson, and Snoop?

4. Cheech and Chong: Up In Smoke

Directors: Tommy Chong, Lou Adler

Our Favorite Line:

“Is it heavy stuff man? Will it blow me away?” – Pedro

“You better fasten your seatbelt man.” – Anthony

Cheech and Chong’s Up In Smoke was a genre-defining classic that took us on a slow-rolling journey as we followed the misadventures of two California stoners. Though it may be hard to believe, most every cannabis flick to come out since this ‘70s hit has simply emulated (or taken inspiration from) what Up In Smoke already perfected—though, thinking about such (dog)shit is pointless when you’re high as a kite, man.

3. Dazed and Confused

Director: Richard Linklater

Our Favorite Line: “I’d like to stop thinking of the present as some minor, insignificant preamble to something else.” – Cynthia Dunn

It’s quotable, it’s impactful, and it’s still somehow capable of masking itself as a stoner pic. With a precise feel for the ‘70s and a hard-hitting cast, Dazed and Confused gave us that clear-eyed look on the last day of school, but it did so in a manner that kept things simple. From Matthew McConaughey’s L-I-V-I-N attitude to Ben Affleck’s (yeah, he was in this one) sadistic propensity for hazing freshmen, it’s easy to watch this one and forget you ever graduated.

2. Pineapple Express

Director: David Gordon Green

Our Favorite Line: “It’s almost a shame to smoke it. It’s like killing a unicorn, with like, a bomb.” – Saul

Pineapple Express was more than a wildly inappropriate comedy featuring the dynamic duo that is Seth Rogen and James Franco. For a significant portion of the millennial population (myself included), it was the movie that gave cannabis a broader appeal just as states were considering the legalization of both medicinal and recreational weed. While male bonding, sexual desires, drug use, fight scenes, guns, and explosions may not evoke the chill nature that is cannabis, there was something about Pineapple Express that left us wanting more. Hopefully, Franco sees this and finally decides to write the sequel.

1. The Big Lebowski

Directors: The Coen Brothers

Our Favorite Line: “I’m the Dude, so that’s what you call me. That or, uh His Dudeness, or uh Duder, or El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.” – The Dude

Whoever thought a movie about bowling, White Russians, rugs, and weed would become one of the biggest crime comedies ever made? The Big Lebowski didn’t always make sense even when you were sober, but it simply didn’t have to. From Jeff Bridges’ calming vibes to John Goodman’s hair-trigger temper, we swayed between sinking into the couch and sitting on the edge of our seats. Perhaps we so strongly identify with this late ‘90s hit simply because there’s a little bit of The Dude in all of us.

Honorable Mention

There’s simply no way we could fit all our favorite stoner flicks into a list of ten. For that reason, we have two films that deserve an honorable mention and their own moment in the spotlight.

Reefer Madness

Director: Louis J. Gasnier

Our Favorite Line: “Yes. I remember. Just a young boy… under the influence of drugs… who killed his entire family with an axe.” – Dr. Carroll

Widely considered to be THE archetypal sensationalized anti-drug movie, Reefer Madness is nothing short of hysterical given today’s relaxed attitude towards cannabis. The grainy black and white footage only adds to the hilarity as you sit back and toke on a pre-roll while a mindless cast attempts to convince us all that pot is coming to wreak havoc on our lives No, it’s not a laughter-inducing film like Pineapple Express, but there’s something about it that we just can’t ignore.

Waking Life