The Top 10 Best Movie Stoners

5. Thurgood Jenkins, Brian, and Scarface- Half-Baked

To be perfectly honest, Thurgood Jenkins (Dave Chappelle) could have had this spot all to himself, but I couldn’t separate him from his two sidekicks, er, best buds (Guillermo Díaz and Jim Breuer). Half-Baked is incredibly popular in the stoner community because you have to be faded to get through it. The film is incomprehensible to the sober mind, which makes its characters a perfect fit for this list of movie stoners. The three cobble together a convoluted scheme to help their other bud (Harland Williams) raise bail by stealing and selling medical marijuana. Their plan doesn’t go as smoothly as they’d like and Thurgood finds himself targeted by a local potlord who can’t compete with his “government weed.” As I said, the three are good at coming up with convoluted schemes and they make it out the other side without their mellows being permanently harshed.     

4. Ron Slater- Dazed and Confused

Director Richard Linklater is a master of capturing fundamental truths of life on camera. There’s a sense of honesty and sincerity to his films that allow them to connect to audiences on a personal level, which is why his character, Ron Slater (Rory Cochrane), is earning one of the top spots on this list of movie stoners. Slater is just a regular high school kid trying to enjoy his youth despite how much adults keep trying to ruin it. He doesn’t take life too seriously and understands that you can’t rush greatness. Because of that, Slater seems to be friends with all sorts of characters from fellow stoner and mild creep, Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey) to local football star “Pink” (Jason London). Slater doesn’t have a huge role in Dazed and Confused, but he makes quite an impression. 

3. Smokey- Friday

At some point, every stoner has known a “Smokey” (Chris Tucker). He’s the guy who claims he sells weed but ends up smoking most of his product with friends. More often than not, he’s a pretty good guy to know, but in Friday, Smokey causes nothing but problems for his buddy Craig (Ice Cube). The first film starts off with the two spending a lovely Friday afternoon smoking some grass and just enjoying life. That is, until the man who fronted the weed comes around looking for payment. Finding the two high and broke, he gives them until that night to get his money or he’ll kill them. Thus the two have to run around the neighborhood calling in every debt they can to get the cash. While Craig might be in more subsequent Friday movies than Smokey, Smokey is definitely the bigger stoner of the two. Despite the problems that dope fiends like Smokey cause for their friends, they always make up for it by always having some righteous bush on hand to apologize.    

2. Cheech and Chong- Up in Smoke, Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie, and Still Smoking

When it comes to movie stoners, there’s no duo more iconic or more respected than Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. The two were on the frontline of the counterculture movement using their comedy to poke fun at the absurd uptight nature of conservative society. It was a risky move considering the law loves locking up anyone who isn’t white who dares to spark up a doobie, and those two sparked some EPIC doobies back in the day. The two did stuff with marijuana that could have only been conceived in the minds of geniuses severely under the influence, including smuggling pot by making a car out of it. Cheech and Chong are two of the greatest pioneers of cannabis comedy, and this list of movie stoners wouldn’t have been possible without their contributions. Not only do they deserve respect for their achievements, but they accomplished all that while smoking enough weed to put a horse in couch lock.    

1. Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski- The Big Lebowski

Of all the movie stoners out there, The Dude (Jeff Bridges) is the one I’d like to hang out with the most. Thanks to the massive amount of dope he’s smoked over the years, he’s obtained a level of enlightenment few have which gives him a nearly unbreakable mellow. That means when the going gets rough, The Dude simply abides and rides the waves to their conclusion. He’s an observer adrift in a world normally reserved for those with their wits about them and his unique perspective on it all is what earned him a spot at the top of this list. Even when he’s threatened by a group of nihilists armed with a ferret, he rolls with the punches and keeps his cool. It’s this zen-like mellow combined with an impenetrable armor of good vibes that allows The Dude to always make it out the other side no worse for wear. Jeff Lebowski is the Buddah of movie stoners and there is much to learn from his teachings. Long may his rug pull the room together, man.

Honorable Mention: Jesse and Angela- Never Going’ Back

Some of the greatest movie stoners often go on the simplest adventures. That’s because operating under the influence of cannabis can be difficult. All Jessie and Angela (Camila Morrone and Maia Mitchell) want to do is take a trip to the beach for Jessie’s birthday, but being broke complicates that for them. The two burnouts discover that each solution they come up with only creates more problems for them and soon their lives are turned upside down. Jesse and Angela earn an honorable mention on this list of movie stoners because they’re incredibly convincing. I knew a lot of potheads in college and Never Goin’ Back had me flashing back to some of their shenanigans with a smile on my face.  

Shout-Out: Shorty Meeks- The Scary Movie Franchise

Shorty (Marlon Wayans) is kind of an obnoxious caricature, but that’s what makes him so fun. One of the golden rules in horror flicks is anyone who smokes dope meets a bloody and brutal death. So it went without question that the horror-comedy Scary Movie had to include an unkillable movie stoner. Shorty even managed to survive to see the sequel. Alas, he didn’t make it to the third movie, and with his departure, the franchise began a sharp downhill decline. I wanted to give this colorful character a shout-out since despite being over the top and a bit obnoxious at times, you can’t help loving the guy. 

Dishonorable Mention: Ralph Wiley- Reefer Madness

Setting aside the fact that Reefer Madness is the worst anti-drug movie ever made, I’m still giving a dishonorable mention to the film’s antagonist, Ralph Wiley (Dave O’Brien). The felonious malcontent constantly puffs on marijuana cigarettes which only agitates his paranoia and criminally insane mind even further. Of course, anyone who has actually met a pothead knows the only thing they’re at risk of murdering is a bag of Cheetos. Ralph is a joke and not a very good one, which is why he’s getting a stern dishonorable mention on this list of movie stoners.

There you have it, the best movie stoners to ever toke up on the silver screen. There are definitely a lot more out there and I’d love for you to tell me a few of your favorites in the comments below. As always, I’ll be updating this list as new and improved movie stoners make their cinematic debuts. So, be sure to check back from time to time in order to see how the rankings might change. Until then, Stars & Popcorn reminds you that if you’re going to get ripped out of your mind, do so responsibly.