The Intersection Of Cannabis And Skateboard Culture

The appeal of skateboarding transcends all races, ages, and backgrounds. It's truly a melting pot of cultures. From music to art, video gaming to fashion, this sport has broad appeal for many. Along the way, cannabis has also played a considerable and varied role in skateboarding culture. Now, you might be conjuring up an image of the stereotypical 2000s stoner type, but there's much more to the relationship between skateboarding and cannabis; let's explore!

Skateboard culture origin story

So, how did cannabis come to play such a prominent role within the skateboard community? From the early days of California to an Olympic event, there's plenty to check out on the skateboarding timeline. Where is a better place to start than the beginning?

From Californian surfers to the convergence of hip-hop and skateboarding

Skateboards are thought to have been invented as early as the 1940s as a means for Californian surfers to practise on the streets when the waves were flat. In fact, skateboarding as we know it today was originally referred to as "sidewalk surfing" for this very reason. However, skateboarding's appeal wasn't restricted to West Coast surfers. By the mid-80s, the sport saw a massive resurgence and was embraced by many different cultures, particularly Hip-Hop.

Skateboarding has well and truly made its mark in the Hip-Hop world, especially on the East Coast, where it was embraced in places such as New York, Washington, and Portland. Of course, for many, hip-hop is synonymous with cannabis culture, and this is where we begin to see the crossover between skateboarding and cannabis.

An intergenerational hobby

You might think that skateboarding only appeals to teens and young kids, but that's not entirely true. You only have to look at world-renowned skaters such as Tony Hawk and Steve Caballero, two skateboarders who rose to prominence in the 1980s and are still skating well into their 50s.

However, while professional skateboarders are undoubtedly the exception to the rule, you only have to visit your local skatepark to see the varied mix of ages, cultures and races. In fact, when it comes to cannabis use, many older skaters won't let underage kids smoke weed. There's undoubtedly a massive sense of community amongst skateboarders where people look out for others.

Cannabis benefits in skateboarding

Of course, we're no strangers to the effects of cannabis, but how do they factor into the world of skateboarding? For a sport that requires precise movements and balance, is smoking weed likely to have a positive or negative impact on users? Well, there are many schools of thought.

Cannabis for creativity and recuperation

Cannabis is renowned for its impact on creativity, and it's no different when it comes to skateboarding. Smoking cannabis and planning your next skating session can open up all kinds of possibilities, from making the most of a particular location to looking at tricks from a different perspective. Of course, this is a very subjective take. As is typical with cannabis use, the experience can differ significantly from person to person.

It's also no secret that cannabis can help to relax and soothe, and using it after a physical and intensive skate may help users recuperate. In fact, professional skateboarder and Olympic athlete Nyjah Huston swears by cannabis' beneficial qualities as he utilises it to help him sleep and ease his mind after a long day of skating.

Not all skaters are in love with cannabis

While you don't have to look far to find plenty of advocates for cannabis use and skateboarding, there are also many who oppose it for various reasons. As mentioned, skateboarding is a physically demanding sport requiring balance, precision and stamina. Many skaters will forego the use of cannabis as it can seriously impair all these areas in some way.

However, many professional skaters such as Elissa Steamer and Andrew Reynolds relied heavily on the use of cannabis (as well as other substances) throughout their careers and found that while initially, the effects were positive, they ended up being heavily detrimental to their progression. While THC-laden cannabis is one thing, skaters such as Tony Hawk would rather sample CBD-based strains as a means to experience some of the more "behind the scenes" effects that cannabidiol brings.

Cannabis use in skateboard culture

As you can probably tell by this point, the use of cannabis in skateboarding is a multi-faceted and fairly complex relationship with many opinions for and against it. However, a lot of the prejudice against cannabis use comes from outside sources, as people buy into the stereotypical image of the "stoner skateboarder".

Straying away from the "stoner skateboarder" cliche

Many who aren't part of the skateboarding culture view skaters negatively. With a lack of understanding about the sport and an old-fashioned outlook, they typically view skateboarders as vandals who are undoubtedly causing problems on the streets, and this is before you add the cannabis element.

Simply put, many will look down on skaters due to their own ignorance and lack of understanding of the sport. As discussed, skateboarding requires a great deal of physicality and athleticism, and not everyone is cut out for it. When cannabis is combined, this is purely down to personal preference rather than a core part of skateboarding itself, and so far, we've seen plenty of statements for both sides of the argument.

The Olympics and cannabis as a doping substance

You only need to look at the Olympics for even more evidence that skateboarding is far removed from the stereotypical stoner skateboarder. As of 2016, skateboarding was officially recognised as an Olympic sport. However, it has not arrived without its fair share of controversy, namely the six-month suspension of Cory Juneau. As all Olympic athletes have to undergo drug testing, skateboarders are no different in this respect. Cory Juneau tested positive for THC and was subsequently banned from competing for six months (although this was reduced to three months).

Including skateboarding in the Olympics has been a controversial topic for many hardcore skaters who see it as going against the original community and culture of skateboarding. When asked about skateboarding, cannabis and the Olympics, skater Tas Pappas stated, "I truly believe you do better sober, but I've known guys who couldn't skate unless they were stoned, so I don't know how it's really going to work".

Skateboarding and cannabis: Nothing beats a blunt to fakie

There's no right or wrong way to approach the relationship between cannabis and skateboarding. It primarily comes down to personal preference and the effects you're looking for. There's no denying that the soothing and creative qualities of cannabis are bound to appeal to many skaters. Still, these effects aren't going to be universally beneficial. Overall, this relationship should be viewed with an open mind, especially by those on the outside, and it's important to remember that freedom of personal choice and self-expression are very much at the forefront of the ethos behind skateboarding culture.

Adam Parsons

Professional cannabis journalist, copywriter, and author Adam Parsons is a long-time staff member of Zamnesia. Tasked with covering a wide range of topics from CBD to psychedelics and everything in between, Adam creates blog posts, guides, and explores an ever-growing range of products.

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