The Trailer Park Boys are at the front of the pack when it comes to cannabis comedy. And since they’re based in Canada, they’ve got a lot of weed-related changes coming their way.
Currently touring Europe, the boys recently went on the record to talk about Canada’s upcoming legalization. In typical Trailer Park Boys style, the comedians stayed in character to talk about legalization. By the end of the interview, the Trailer Park Boys used the interview to point out some of the potential benefits of legalizing weed.
Trailer Park Boys Comment on Legalization
While preparing for a show in London, comedians Rob Wells (Ricky), John Paul Tremblay (Julian), and Michael Smith (Bubbles) spoke with local media sources.
Of course, they appeared not as themselves, but as their famous characters.
After talking about how much they love Amsterdam, the Trailer Park Boys pivoted the conversation toward legalization in Canada, which is supposed to happen in October.
“Canada is going to be just like that in October,” they said. “So we’re pretty pumped.”
Ricky followed that up by adding: “It’s going to put me out of a job, which will kind of suck. I don’t work, so we’re going to have to think of something. I don’t want to get a job.”
Throughout the rest of the interview, the comedians bounced around through a range of topics. But, as is to be expected with the Trailer Park Boys, most of their conversations eventually worked their way back to getting drunk and smoking weed.
The characters are known for constantly trying all sorts of ridiculous schemes to make money and avoid going to jail. And along the way, they’re pretty much always growing weed, selling weed, and smoking weed.
The original TV show, “Trailer Park Boys,” began airing in Canada in 2001. Since then, the show has gained a massive cult following. The show is now on Netflix, moving into its 12th season.
Using Comedy to Talk About Legalization
While the boys’ interview about legalization is definitely in line with their overall cannabis-themed comedy, their recent comments also make some serious points. In particular, they highlight some of the potential benefits of making cannabis legal.
The main thing the comedians’ recent interview demonstrates is the way that legalization moves weed out of the black market and into a more structured, potentially safer, market.
Theoretically, a legal weed market means that people can move into legal business to grow, produce, ship, and sell cannabis, instead of doing it all illegally. This shift from illegal to legal could translate into more protection for workers in the weed industry.
Similarly, making weed legal could also make it safer for consumers buying and smoking the product. For starters, legal weed is easy and safe to buy. You just go to a dispensary and make a purchase like it’s any other product.
Another potential danger of illegal weed is that there’s no way to know where the weed comes from. As a result, consumers typically don’t know how their weed was grown or if it’s contaminated with dangerous fertilizers, pesticides, or other chemicals.
The legal market could fix this. In general, legal weed must be lab tested. These tests help ensure that cannabis isn’t contaminated.
In the end, Ricky is right. Canada’s legalization will put many weed dealers like him out of work. In their place legalization will put a new structure in place to make the entire process safer and more transparent—from seed to smoke. And that could translate into better, cleaner, and safer product for everyone.
The trick now will be making sure that everyone benefits from legalization. In particular, legalization must find ways to address the harm caused by prohibition, especially in poor communities, indigenous communities, and communities of color.
