If you close your eyes and picture a “stoner,” what do you see? Is it a hazy room filled with incense, lava lamps, and someone in a tie-dye shirt mumbling about the meaning of life between bong rips? That’s what most people used to think when asked “what is a stoner?” But that image – while once fairly accurate – belongs to another time, in another world.
The stoner of 2025 doesn’t necessarily live in their parents’ basement or spend all day talking to the cat (although, to be fair, some still do). The modern stoner might be a tech entrepreneur with a stock portfolio, a Grammy-winning recording artist, or the owner of a Cape Town coffee shop that doubles as a yoga studio. Or, equally likely – a highly qualified plant scientist working on the next mind-blowing weed strain.
Let’s roll one up and take a look at how the stoner archetype has evolved from the psychedelic vibes of the 1960s to the high-functioning modern go-getter with a penchant for puffing.
What Is A Stoner? Hippie Rebels and Pop Culture Punchlines
To answer the question "what is a stoner?", we’ve got to hit rewind to the glory days of the 1960s and 70s – the golden age of counterculture. Back then, smoking weed wasn’t about experiencing killer terpene combinations or exploring the entourage effect; it was about rejecting conformity, sticking it to the man, and getting cosmic vibes, baby. Hippies lit up in protest of war, the establishment, and squares in polyester suits. Back then, cannabis was the badge of freedom, rebellion, and artistic discovery.
But like any trend, it got commercialized, simplified, and eventually turned into comedy gold. Enter Cheech and Chong, the original stoner superheroes. Their movies – like Up in Smoke – made the cannabis-loving duo lovable idiots: lazy, confused, constantly giggling. They were the reason your parents thought all stoners were useless dreamers who forgot their own names halfway through a sentence.
That stereotype stuck for decades. The stoner was always the comic relief – the guy on the couch with the bell-bottoms and the doritos who seemed like he was a page behind the conversation. Culturally speaking, that representation was cemented by the portrayal of the stoner in film and TV for the longest time. Picture the scruffy-looking dude with the Grateful Dead t-shirt and the red eyes, constantly looking to blaze up. Clumsy, hungry, and lazy aren’t just three of the stoner Seven Dwarves; they’re the cliched (but usually pretty hilarious) attributes assigned to the stoner character on the big screen.
What Is A Stoner Today? The Evolution Of The Everyday Toker
Fast-forward a few decades and ask again: what is a stoner?
Nowadays, cannabis is no longer whispered about behind closed doors. We’ve made it to a brave new world where dagga is legal in many countries and there are weed dispensaries on high streets; it’s decriminalized in South Africa for private use, and even recommended by wellness coaches. Athletes use CBD and THC for recovery, and the stoner has evolved from being the unemployed good-time guy to the CEO.
Today’s stoner could be your neighbor who grows a few dagga plants in the backyard, or a social media influencer promoting CBD skincare products. They could be a musician producing beats late into the night with a joint in hand. Cannabis use has finally escaped from the shadows and into the sunlight – and suddenly it’s not so scandalous to admit you like a joint after work.
The stoner of 2025 doesn’t necessarily “drop out.” They might just be taking a smoke break between Zoom calls.
How The High Life Looks Today
The modern stoner crowd is filled with people who make success look effortless – and often, a little smoky. Sure, there are plenty of high-profile people who love to get baked – but they also get things done. Tesla’s stock dropped after Elon took a few passes of the joint on the Joe Rogan Experience, but he’s the richest man on the planet by a considerable margin and he continues to stay busy and innovate. High-profile cannabis users are nothing new, of course; there's been a fair few famous stoners throughout history - but here's a few names that are synonymous with daily cannabis use that prove today's stoner is anything but lazy.
Snoop Dogg
If anyone springs to mind when you’reasked “what is a stoner?” it’s probably Snoop. The man has been rolling and rhyming since the early 90s, yet somehowhe’s busier than most sober people you’ll meet. Snoop’s a rapper, record producer, actor, brand owner (Leafs by Snoop, Death Row Cannabis), and business mogul. He hosts shows, invests in tech start-ups, and still finds time to drop the occasional hit record. Lazy? Hardly. He’s the CEO of an empire.
Seth Rogen
Once known as a bit of a poster boy for modern stoner comedies (Pineapple Express, anyone?), Seth Rogen turned his love for weed into a high-design lifestyle brand called Houseplant. It’s all sleek ceramics, minimalist ashtrays, and premium strains – a stoner's version of IKEA chic. Rogen’s redefined the aesthetic of cannabis from dorm-room chaos and Bob Marley posters to carefully-curated calm.
Jay-Z
IMAGE CREDIT: Renan - stock.adobe.com
Hip-Hop billionaire Jay-Z has joined the green rush, too. His luxury cannabis line, Monogram, treats weed the way others treat champagne: with style, exclusivity, and impeccable taste. On top of that, he served as president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, founded the entertainment company Roc Nation, co-founded the Rocawear clothing company, and has enough business interests to merit a full article on their own. Jay-Z likes a smoke, but he definitely keeps his (red) eyes on the prize at all times.
Willie Nelson
A golden oldie like Willie may not spring to mind when you think of modern stoners, but consider this – the country music legend who’s been puffing joints longer than any of us have been alive has built an entire identity around cannabis advocacy – and is still touring, recording, and mentoring new artists at the ripe old age of 92. That’s dedication, hard work, and laser focus (and probably a very good strain, into the bargain).
That’s merely a few high-profile go-getters who ‘ve redefined what it means to be a stoner in today’s world. And it’s not to say the previous archetype of the stoner is a thing of the past – far from it. If you’re reading this, chances are you know or have met someone who fits the traditional description the stoner – but there’s a new kid in town, and that kid has bucked the stereotype pretty spectacularly.
The Stoner’s Makeover
What is a stoner, then, if not lazy? The truth is that the new generation of stoners are often the opposite of idle. Cannabis has become a creative tool, a way to focus, to unwind, to spark ideas. Many modern cannabis users are highly productive (forgive the obvious pun) – they just do things differently. Not convinced? A study conducted in 2022 showed that select group of cannabis users actually showed more motivation on tasks than non-users. You can read more about that trial here and make up your own mind.
You’ll find stoners running marketing agencies, building apps, writing novels and screenplays, managing brands, or even hosting community wellness events. The weed doesn’t define them; it complements them.
The big difference? Choice and control. The modern stoner is a different animal for numerous reasons.
Thanks to excellent resources on cannabis and its use (like the Seedsman blog), cannabis lovers can access information needed to help inform their choices and how to use cannabis safely and sensibly. Through these resources, stoners are better educated now than at any point in history as science has taken the great plant under its wing and given all of us a clear picture on what cannabis can be if used properly.
Add to that the level of expertise and engineering going into developing new cannabis strains, and sure, today’s weed is the most potent we’ve ever known, but we also know enough about the science of cannabis strain construction to engineer strains for purposes other than simply getting baked out of your boots. Today’s sativa strains can provide creativity, uplift mood, and keep you trucking throughout the working day without being psychoactive to the point of debilitation. Making the right choice when it comes to which strain you smoke goes a long way in determining how dagga affects you - the user - and what you can accomplish.
So What Is A Stoner in 2025?
In 2025, the word “stoner” doesn’t mean a dropout, or lazy, or slow. It simply means a person who enjoys regular safe cannabis use – and who just might also be wildly successful, creative, or just happily normal.
When someone asks, “what is a stoner?”, you can tell them this:
A stoner is whoever they want to be – sometimes laid-back, sometimes driven, usually a little unconventional. They’re not the punchline anymore. They’re key to the story. And in South Africa, where the plant has deep roots and a bright future, that story is only just beginning to bloom.
