JCW ARCHIVE: Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

Summary

Podcast Summary: The John Clay Wolfe Show – "JCW ARCHIVE: Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em"
Episode Date: January 9, 2026
Host: John Clay Wolfe

Episode Overview

In this throwback archive episode, John Clay Wolfe and his lively crew take listeners on a humorous and nostalgic journey through the underbelly of the marijuana business in the 1970s and '80s, share anecdotes about rolling your own cigarettes on job sites, and riff about changing times in the legal cannabis and media landscape. As always, the conversation is candid, irreverent, and peppered with colorful stories and playful banter.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Perils and Regrets of the Old Weed Game

(00:39 – 03:27)

• John reflects on his past as a weed dealer:

  • The crew opens by asking John ("Baba") about his experience selling marijuana back in the late '70s and early-to-mid '80s.
  • He jokes about being a "private contractor" – “It's more of a 1099 form. Private contractor, self employed, kind of. You know what I mean?” (01:43 – John Clay Wolfe)
  • John admits the changing legal landscape (with states like California and Nevada going legal) made him second-guess leaving the business too soon.
  • He discusses the negative impact of health care reform: “No, because you got to declare, man. They're getting you in the subsidies to kill you… I can't afford your health care.” (02:00 – John Clay Wolfe)
  • The crew wonders why John didn't go legit when the industry shifted: “I should have done that. I should have seen that coming… I'll never be free of the shame that it's caused me. Giving up on marijuana when I did.” (02:17, 02:25 – John Clay Wolfe)

• Discussion of missed opportunities and celebrity pot moguls:

  • John laments not becoming a marijuana mogul, citing Willie Nelson as an example: “Willie. You know, our Texas treasure Willie Nelson is in the pot business. He's got his own strain of legal marijuana he's selling in Oklahoma. He's gonna be billionaire. You better remember to pay your taxes this time.” (03:05 – John Clay Wolfe)

The "Antigua Connection" & High Times Magazine

(03:27 – 05:18)

• Legendary strains and the art of weed hype:

  • John shares tales of scoring a legendary batch said to have come from Antigua, equating its mystique to fine Colombian coffee.
  • The crew riffs on how stoners romanticize origins: “Everything's better in Denmark. The strawberries are better than Denmark. If we were in Denmark, this would be better.” (03:40 – Interviewer)
  • John compares strains: “Plain old Mexican dirt weed, basically. Indica. Yeah, right. And then there is sensimilla… When you get that really fine red haired, partially crystallized…” (04:11 – John Clay Wolfe)

• Media investment in cannabis culture:

  • The show notes that iHeartRadio invested $10 million in High Times magazine. The team riffs on the commercialization of weed culture:
    • "If that's true, then they really need to get off my case." (05:08 – Interviewer)
    • “I Heart media seeks to light up marijuana market with high time stakes there. You're right. They invested $10 million in the High Times magazine.” (05:23 – Commentator)

Rolling Your Own: Cigarettes, Status, & Economy on the Job Site

(05:47 – 07:17)

• Roy and John reminisce about job site culture:
  • Interviewer asks Roy about why Black men on job sites roll their own cigarettes:
    • “Well, I think it's kind of ghetto. It's a little bit cheap.” (05:59 – Roy)
    • “Okay, so it's a monetary thing. I thought it was a taste thing or a I'm cool thing.” (06:03 – Interviewer)
    • Roy and John detail the practical side: a $6 tin of tobacco and papers could last a week. Bugler and Prince Albert are the favorite brands.
  • The weekend vs. weekday smoking ritual:
    • On weekdays: cheap, self-rolled cigarettes. On weekends: “They smokes it during the week, and then they buy them a pack of Winston and Coos on the weekend.” (06:57 – Roy)
    • The upgrade is about image: “You want to look cool in front of the ladies on the weekend.” (07:09 – Commentator)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I'll never be free of the shame that it's caused me. Giving up on marijuana when I did.”
  (02:25 – John Clay Wolfe)

• “Willie… Our Texas treasure… He's got his own strain of legal marijuana he's selling in Oklahoma. He's gonna be billionaire. You better remember to pay your taxes this time.”
  (03:05 – John Clay Wolfe)

• “Everything's better in Denmark. The strawberries are better than Denmark. If we were in Denmark, this would be better.”
  (03:40 – Interviewer)

• “Well, I think it's kind of ghetto. It's a little bit cheap.”
  (05:59 – Roy)

• “You want to look cool in front of the ladies on the weekend.”
  (07:09 – Commentator)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Throwback to John’s weed-dealing days: 01:22 – 03:27
• Discussion on legendary weed batches & High Times magazine: 03:27 – 05:18
• Rolling your own cigarettes & job site economy: 05:47 – 07:17

---

Tone and Style

The tone is loose, conversational, and brimming with playful sarcasm and nostalgia. The banter is irreverent but affectionate, balancing humor with true-life wisdom.

---

In Summary

This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of cannabis culture from backroom hustle to big business, all through the irreverent lens of John Clay Wolfe and his crew. With wild tales, economic insights, and sharp one-liners, the episode is an ode to old-school hustles and changing times.

Transcript

[Podbean Announcer]

Podbean. Your message amplified.

[Podbean Promoter]

Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast journey with podbean.

[Podbean Announcer]

Podbean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform.

[Podbean Promoter]

Record, edit, optimize, publish, distribute.

[John Clay Wolf Show Host]

Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.

[Podbean Announcer]

Launch your podcast on Podbean today. Enjoy the best of Arizona. Kick off 2026 with a first day hike on January 1st. There's no better time to go outside. Visit azstateparks.com FDH to learn more and we'll see you in the parks.

[John Clay Wolf]

The John Clay Wolf show has appeared on terrestrial radio for a really, really, really long time. So we dug into our pockets and on the other side of our we found something funny. And yes, it's contagious. Gather round as the wolf pack goes on this throwback adventure.

[John Clay Wolf Show Host]

What's the damn deal? It's your boy DJ Prek with the John Clay Wolf show up in the archives. It's a new year, but it's the same classic wolf, baby. This week, John's asking Baba why he got out of the reefer biz. It turns out taxes are a nightmare when you sling in that devil's lettuce. But, hey, everybody wants a piece of that high pie. Check it out, Baba.

[Interviewer]

How. When you used to sell weed, how did, like, for. For. What was it, like, 85. 851 when you. When you're a weed man?

[John Clay Wolf]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Late 70s. Yeah. Early mid-80s, I think.

[Interviewer]

Like, when you quit doing that job, could you go down to the labor board and collect unemployment? I mean, was it your job?

[John Clay Wolf]

Yeah, no, no, it's a. It's more of a 1099 form. Private contractor, self employed, kind of. You know what I mean?

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[John Clay Wolf]

You know, did it. I mean, what made you quit Obamacare.

[Interviewer]

Like everyone else in the medical world?

[John Clay Wolf]

No, because you got to declare, man. They're getting you in the subsidies to kill you.

[Interviewer]

Oh, is that it?

[John Clay Wolf]

Yeah. It's crazy, man. I can't. I can't afford your health care.

[Interviewer]

California's legal. Vegas is legal. Right?

[John Clay Wolf]

Both of those.

[Interviewer]

So did you see that coming? Is that where you got out?

[John Clay Wolf]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Or why didn't you get a license? Why didn't you go all in?

[John Clay Wolf]

I should have done that. I should have seen that coming. All of our lives.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[John Clay Wolf]

Our entire lives.

[Interviewer]

Legalize it. Legalize it. Legalize. They're going to legalize. We got to legalize it.

[John Clay Wolf]

Someday they're going to do it. And I just. I gave up on it, man. I gave up early. Never quit And I'll never. I'll never be free of the shame that it's caused me. Giving up on marijuana when I did.

[Interviewer]

Well, I'm trying to lighten the blow, you know, with the. With the legalization cross reference so you're not painted in a bad light here. Right, But I'd like to hear the underworld of your life. Back at that time.

[Commentator]

He was ahead of the curve. Really?

[Interviewer]

Yeah. I mean, you're like Einstein.

[Commentator]

Well, here's your dope. Do you mind signing this? 10.99?

[John Clay Wolf]

No, no, no. I appreciate that, really more than you know. John. You know, I don't. I don't like to. To be considered a dumb guy, but I was sure dumb to get out when I did.

[Interviewer]

You know, he's not mad that he did it. He's bad. He got out.

[John Clay Wolf]

I love even now, but look at all the. All the players are in there. Willie. You know, our. Our. Our Texas treasure Willie Nelson is in the pot business. He's got his own strain of legal marijuana he's selling in Oklahoma. He's gonna be billionaire. You better remember to pay your taxes this time.

[Guest]

Wait, wait. So did Baba. Did you have your own strand?

[John Clay Wolf]

No.

[Guest]

You didn't get that deep.

[John Clay Wolf]

No, we did have a special deal. There was a friend of a friend. It's a long story, but for 350 on the quarter pound, we used to get some stuff that the guy swore. Swore came from Antigua on a boat.

[Interviewer]

What difference does that make? Is the air, is the water, is the soil different in Antigua? You sound like my wife now. Everything's better in Denmark. The strawberries are better than Denmark. If we were in Denmark, this would be better.

[Roy]

She's from Denmark.

[Interviewer]

Did that a lot. Oh, my God.

[Commentator]

But the red light here. Boy, the red lights are reddering.

[Interviewer]

Other than her mom and her parents. Oh yeah, but it is. The water's better. The strawberries. This is the way the sea is.

[John Clay Wolf]

Then they could make a hell of a waffle over there.

[Interviewer]

So, so tell me about the. What did you say? Indonesia?

[John Clay Wolf]

Antigua, Caribbean. Like, where's the best coffee come from? Colombia. Yeah, right. Hands down, Starbucks. This stuff was off the hook. And we all know, like, okay, you're plain old Mexican dirt weed, basically. Indica. Yeah, right. And then there is sensomellia, which generally is always considered from Colombia. But it's not all from Colombia. When you get that really fine red haired, partially crystallized.

[Commentator]

Are we talking about coffee now or spongy?

[Interviewer]

No, this is sticky.

[John Clay Wolf]

Beautiful grass, man. Grass.

[Commentator]

Okay.

[John Clay Wolf]

You know, and our Guys swore that it came on a boat from Antigua.

[Guest]

Well, that's, that's, that's the kind of stuff that you have in High Times. When they take these photos, they make it like, oh yeah, this is like, it's almost like porn. To porn. Yes. To weed, potheads.

[Commentator]

Yeah, it's popcorn.

[Interviewer]

I read that. I Heart radio invested in High Times magazine.

[Guest]

They're actually, there's commercials that they play on I Heart.

[Interviewer]

If that's true, then they really need to get off my case. Yeah, well, you know what I mean.

[Guest]

What'd you do?

[Interviewer]

You know what I mean? I agree, but I mean, that's just kind of. Huh.

[John Clay Wolf]

Are they messing with you?

[Interviewer]

Oh, everybody's messing with me. Always.

[John Clay Wolf]

You want me to go over there.

[Interviewer]

And talk to those guys?

[Commentator]

I Heart media seeks to light up marijuana market with high time steaks there. You're right. They invested $10 million in the High Times magazine.

[Guest]

You can too, JD.

[Commentator]

This is two days ago.

[Interviewer]

So they're always busting my chops about Wall Street Journal, religion, why, and, and doing the right thing. I mean, is that the right thing? Oh, man, everybody's busting my ass all the time. Roy, how are you?

[Roy]

Good. You?

[Interviewer]

I'm good. Good, good, good, good. Speaking of marijuana, remember when we were on the job sites and your, your partners, we were rolling their own. Oh, yeah. What was that all about? Why black men roll their own cigarettes.

[Roy]

Well, I think it's kind of ghetto. It's a little bit cheap.

[Commentator]

Cheaper. Okay, that makes sense.

[Interviewer]

Okay, so it's a, it's a, it's a monetary thing. I thought it was a taste thing or a I'm cool thing.

[Roy]

No, no, no, it was cheap.

[John Clay Wolf Show Host]

Cheap?

[Roy]

Yeah, cheap.

[Interviewer]

So what, what, you just buy a, a, a bucket, a tin of tobacco?

[Roy]

Yeah, you buy a can of tobacco and then you get your papers. Then you know you got three or four hundred cigarettes.

[Interviewer]

$6 100.

[Roy]

Yeah, yeah.

[Interviewer]

For how much?

[Roy]

About six bucks back in the day.

[Interviewer]

Oh, the bobo. I mean, you've been, you've been efficient in your years before. Have you ever.

[John Clay Wolf]

Oh yeah, I rolled my own for like a year and a half. One bag of Bugler. Yeah, they come with papers right inside. Yeah, that's not enough for 600 cigarettes, but I'll bet you get 40.

[Roy]

Yeah, but you know, they, the favorite kind was Prince Albert.

[John Clay Wolf]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Interviewer]

Huh. And so Bugler. Prince Albert.

[Roy]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Was that like a ghetto type of, I mean, is that, is that different? Is it like malt liquor, tobacco?

[Roy]

It's cheap tobacco. They smokes it during the week, and then they buy them a pack of Winston and Coos on the weekend.

[Interviewer]

Ah, now, why is that?

[John Clay Wolf]

Well, they got.

[Roy]

They can afford Winston and Coos for two days.

[Commentator]

Yeah. Plus, you want to look cool in front of the ladies on the weekend.

[Interviewer]

You want. So if you're going out, you got filtered cigarettes.

[Roy]

Yeah, yeah. But when you're working, you got. You roll your own.

[Interviewer]

See, you learn something here. This is an educational show, everyone. Little Nuggets by Uncle Roy.

[John Clay Wolf Show Host]

All right, y' all know what to do. Hit us up on John Claywolf.com youm can check out old episodes on there. You know, stay up to date with what we got going on. Get cool gear. We got hats, shirts, all that hit us up on Facebook. You know, search John Clay Wolf show. We're on Instagram. John's on Twitter. You know, you can holler at all of us. Okay. You know how to spell it. Okay. We appreciate y' all listening. Keep on rocking with us.

[Podbean Announcer]

Your message amplified.

[Podbean Promoter]

Ready to share your message with the world. Start your podcast journey with Podbean.

[Podbean Announcer]

Podbean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform.

[John Clay Wolf Show Host]

Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.

[Podbean Announcer]

Use Podbean to record your podcast.

[Podbean Promoter]

Use PodBean AI to optimize your podcast.

[Podbean Announcer]

Use PodBean AI to turn your blog into a podcast.

[Podbean Promoter]

Use Podbean to distribute your podcast everywhere.

[Podbean Announcer]

Launch your podcast on Podbean today.