Before there was a stoner comedy genre, there were two comedians named Cheech and Chong. Richard “Cheech” Marin and Tommy Chong turned cannabis humor into hit records, sold out tours and a string of films that shaped how pop culture talked about cannabis for decades. Their story runs from a Vancouver club scene to Hollywood, through a federal case and back to the stage.

How they met

Tommy Chong was a musician from Alberta, Canada, who had played guitar in a Motown signed band. In the late 1960s, he was running an improv comedy act at a club in Vancouver. Cheech Marin, a Los Angeles native of Mexican American heritage, had moved to Canada and was writing about music. They met there and began performing together, combining Chong’s laid back delivery with Marin’s quick energy.

The comedy albums

In the early 1970s, Cheech and Chong released a series of comedy albums that became huge hits, especially with college audiences. Their sketches mixed music, characters and running jokes about cannabis. Los Cochinos won the Grammy for Best Comedy Recording in 1974. Songs like “Earache My Eye” received heavy radio play.

Period	Milestone
Late 1960s	Meet and start performing in Vancouver
Early 1970s	Comedy albums become best sellers
1974	Grammy for Los Cochinos
1978	Up in Smoke opens
Early 1980s	A run of follow up films
Mid 1980s	The duo splits
2003	Chong sentenced in a federal paraphernalia case
2008	Reunion tour begins

Up in Smoke

The duo’s first feature film, Up in Smoke, opened in 1978 and was directed by Lou Adler. It followed two friends drifting from Los Angeles to Mexico and back in a van, with a loose plot built around their stage characters. Critics were mixed, but audiences filled theaters, and the film earned far more than it cost to make. It is widely credited as the first true stoner comedy.

The follow ups

Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie (1980), Nice Dreams (1981), Things Are Tough All Over (1982) and Still Smokin’ (1983) kept the formula going. The Corsican Brothers (1984) moved away from cannabis themes. By the mid 1980s, the duo had split up to pursue separate projects.

Why they mattered

They made cannabis funny, not scary

Earlier films had portrayed cannabis as a danger. Cheech and Chong portrayed users as harmless, goofy and likable. That shift in tone helped change how many audiences thought about cannabis culture.

They brought Chicano culture to the screen

Cheech Marin’s characters drew on East Los Angeles culture, from lowriders to slang to music. For many viewers, Cheech and Chong films were among the first mainstream comedies to feature Chicano characters in lead roles.

They built a template

Later stoner comedies borrowed the duo’s structure: two friends, a simple goal, endless detours and a relaxed tone. Films from Friday to Harold and Kumar owe something to that template.

Separate paths

After the split, Cheech Marin built a broad career in film and television, including a long run on the police drama Nash Bridges and voice work in animated films. He also became one of the most prominent collectors of Chicano art. The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture opened in Riverside, California, in 2022 to house much of that collection.

Tommy Chong continued acting, including a recurring role on That ’70s Show as Leo, an aging hippie.

The federal case

In 2003, Tommy Chong was sentenced to nine months in federal prison after pleading guilty in a case involving the sale of glass pipes through a family business. The case came out of a federal operation targeting paraphernalia sellers. Many fans saw it as an example of uneven enforcement, and Chong spoke about it often after his release.

The reunion

In 2008, Cheech and Chong reunited for a comedy tour, playing to fans who had grown up with their records and films and to younger audiences who discovered them later. They continued to perform together on and off in the following years.

Their place in cannabis history

Cheech and Chong rose during an era of strict prohibition and became symbols of a culture that refused to take cannabis as seriously as the law did. As states began legalizing in the 2010s, both men remained public figures in the conversation, and their films are still a staple of movie nights.

Watching them today

Some jokes and stereotypes from the 1970s and 1980s land differently today. Watching the films as period pieces helps place them in context. For a broader list of cannabis films, see our companion guide to the best weed movies to watch in 2027. If cannabis is part of your movie night, keep it legal, adults 21 and older only, and never drive afterward.

A closer look at the records

The albums remain the purest form of the act. Big Bambu (1972) became famous partly for its packaging, which included an oversized novelty rolling paper. The sketches built recurring characters and voices, and many bits later reappeared on screen in some form. Because the albums worked like radio plays, listeners could quote whole routines, which spread the duo’s catchphrases long before home video.

Born in East L.A.

After the split, Cheech Marin wrote, directed and starred in Born in East L.A. (1987). It grew out of a parody of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” and told the story of a Mexican American man mistakenly deported to Mexico. The film showed Marin’s interest in satire about identity and immigration, and it is often cited as an early Chicano led studio comedy.

Lessons for comedy writers

The duo’s method was simple: strong characters, loose plots and lots of room for improvisation.

Enjoy cannabis culture responsibly

Cannabis is only legal for adults in some states, and the rules on possession, public use and home growing change from place to place. Kind Seed Co sells only to adults 21 and older, and nothing here is an invitation to break the law where you live. If you want to know what is allowed in your state, start with our guide to the legal requirements for growing weed plants in your state. Never drive after using cannabis, keep it away from kids and pets, and respect anyone who chooses not to partake. This article is general information about culture and history. It is not legal advice and it is not medical advice.

Frequently asked questions

When did Cheech and Chong start?

They met and began performing together in Vancouver in the late 1960s.

What was Cheech and Chong’s first movie?

Up in Smoke, released in 1978 and directed by Lou Adler.

Did Cheech and Chong win a Grammy?

Yes. Los Cochinos won the Grammy for Best Comedy Recording in 1974.

Why did Tommy Chong go to prison?

In 2003 he was sentenced to nine months in a federal case involving the sale of glass pipes through a family business.

Final thoughts

Cheech and Chong turned cannabis humor into records, films and a genre. Their work shifted cannabis on screen from menace to comedy, brought Chicano culture into mainstream film and set the template for stoner comedy. Watch them as period pieces, enjoy the history, and keep any movie night legal and adults only.

Ready to start

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