Culture

Cannabis Comes to Life at the Nug Nation

Published

3 weeks ago

June 23, 2026

CEO Mikey Peterson peaks from behind the Nugs. PHOTOS | The Nug Nation

In the culturally diverse RiNo Arts District of Denver, Colorado, amongst the murals, sculptors and street art exists The Nug Nation, a remarkably creative production company that has dedicated itself to bringing cannabis to life — literally.

The Nug Nation is utilizing high-quality stop-motion animation to transform cannabis into walking, talking characters, or “Nugs” as they refer to them. Each character is named after a popular strain of cannabis like Sour Diesel, aka “Diesel,” Grand Daddy Purple, aka “Daddy” and Girl Scout Cookie, aka “Cookie.”

What started as a humorous and creative way to allow cannabis businesses to showcase brands and sponsor content without violating strict marketing bans in the industry, the good folks at The Nug Nation have carved out a unique niche in an ever-expanding and growing market.

Behind the scenes during the Billy Ray Cyrus music video.

Mikey Peterson, a seasoned filmmaker and Denver native, came up with the idea shortly after cannabis was legalized in Colorado in 2014. And although Peterson is the CEO and founder, he is quick to give credit to his entire team for their dedication and work ethic.

“I recognized the opportunity to bring comedy and cannabis together while creating something completely distinctive that didn’t focus on stoner humor,” said Peterson. “Because the landscape of consumers has changed significantly, we sought a way to reach a broader audience while providing a marketing tool to cannabis brands.”

The initial episodes of The Nug Nation show were created as short-format programs easily consumed on social media platforms and which often reflected current events. In The Nug Nation Episode 2: The Debate, which aired in August of 2016, the team expertly parodied the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton with hilarious results. This got the attention of BurnTV CEO Jason Santos, who quickly worked to bring The Nug Nation brand to their line up of programming.

American rapper Jared Benton shows off his weapon on “Potty Talk with Bong Burgandy.”

“At BurnTV, we specialize in bringing a broad scope of cannabis and lifestyle entertainment to the masses and The Nug Nation show is the perfect fit for our brand,” said Santos. “Their uniqueness, quality and ability to bring the funny, without the obvious stoner humor, was a welcome addition to our line up. We look forward to partnering with them on future shows and building our brands together.”

As the show began to gain some traction, The Nug Nation expanded its offerings by creating “Potty Talk With Bong Burgundy,” a spin-off, interview-style show. One of the only non-cannabis strain inspired characters, Bong Burgundy became a fan favorite and since the team had access to some musical artists, the show was created. The first guest was the director, producer and MC legend Redman.

The interviews take place in a public restroom and can be, as the title suggests, somewhat offensive or incredibly funny, depending on your perspective. Since launching the initial episode in 2016, Bong Burgundy (voiced by Aaron Howell, a musician and vocalist in his own right as the frontman of MF Ruckus) has interviewed musical artists Nappy Roots, Scotty ATL, Jarren Benton and legendary Afroman for the series. Rittz was recently interviewed and his candid and amusing episode is scheduled to be released in 2020 on YouTube, social media and the company’s flagship site, thenugnation.com.

After enduring some funding obstacles in 2017, the team started pursuing sponsors and outside work with more enthusiasm, landing contracts with cannabis companies like General Cannabis, Dixie Brands, Chiefton and Salt Creek Hemp.

Billy Ray Cyrus smokes a joint on the set of his music video.

Startups are never easy, as the good folks at The Nug Nation certainly understand. But their luck would change in early 2019 when commissioned to create a music video for chart-topping artist Billy Ray Cyrus’ new song “Angel in my Pocket,” fittingly about smoking weed. With the assistance of mainstream producer Potsy Poncinelli, they were able to complete the project in spite of an almost impossible 10-day deadline. A job that should have taken two months was accomplished in just ten days by working around the clock shifts and securing additional staff.

In the first of its kind music video, BRC is literally turned into a character made of weed in the stop-motion animated video. In it, Billy Ray gets fired from his dead-end job at the local gas/convenience store before going on a Dukes of Hazzard inspired car jump into a hemp farm. Along with his trusty sidekick, a giant joint, the two battle in an old-west style brawl before they blast into space in a rocket before finding a peaceful place to land and smoke a joint.

With the momentum of the “Angel in my Pocket” music video, The Nug Nation has worked with several new brands to launch some new and exciting shows. Including Hempire, a smokers’ lifestyle brand who was one of the sponsors of the music video and eventually partnered with The Nug Nation to create the upcoming series Hemp 101.

Influencer Izzy Blazee schools her students in Hemp 101.

“Hemp 101” is a stop-motion animated short-form social media series focusing on basic hemp education, with a comical twist. Topics range from the differences between hemp and cannabis to more traditional hemp applications. The host of the show will be an anamorphic “joint teacher” giving educational lessons in a classroom setting. Social media influencer and cannabis aficionado Izzy Blazee lends her voice as the teacher. The concept for the joint teacher was inspired by the Billy Ray music video in which his sidekick was a life-sized joint branded with the Hempire logo.

For their part, Hempire is optimistic about the shows’ potential. “Hempire is a sustainable smoke connoisseur lifestyle brand with the ambition of becoming the preferred hemp alternative in the dispensary and smoke shop channels,” said Nicolas Pettersson, Hempire Brand Manager at Swisher International. “The Nug Nation has been identified as a strategic partner to develop unique and engaging online content that speaks to our adult consumers. We are very excited to have The Nug Nation team on our side as we continue to grow our business nationwide.”

As The Nug Nation looks ahead, the future shines as brightly as terpenes on a nug. With several other shows in various stages of development, you can expect more collaborations with emerging and existing brands in the cannabis space and beyond.

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Culture

No Super Bowl for Brock Ollie

Published

3 weeks ago

June 23, 2026

Cannabis Aficionado

With medicinal marijuana being legal in 37 states and recreational cannabis allowed in 18, we should be seeing commercials for companies, products, and services almost as frequently as commercials for sports betting, which is permitted in 30 states in some form.

However, mainstream cannabis advertising continues to be non-existent, as demonstrated in the recent news that NBC has rejected an ad by cannabis e-commerce and advertising platform Weedmaps from being shown during the Super Bowl LVI event his coming Sunday.

Weedmaps reportedly approached the network late last year about airing a Super Bowl commercial that would be “similar to a PSA,” according to reports. Execs volunteered to present some of their earlier educational-based programming, assuring NBC executives that it would not contain any direct-sell messages, which are still forbidden under federal law.

“The answer was a hard no — they wouldn’t even entertain the conversation,” Weedmaps Chief Operating Officer Juanjo Feijoo told Adweek. “We see ourselves as trying to be trailblazers in the industry and making new inroads where others haven’t gone before in cannabis advertising. So it was disappointing.”

The contentious ad personifies cannabis as Brock Ollie, a head of broccoli, the veggie emoji commonly used as a visual representation of cannabis in marketing. The 30-second ad takes viewers through a day in the life of Brock Ollie, whose superfood identity is in jeopardy as he is repeatedly misidentified as cannabis. The ad offers a lighthearted take on the industry’s issues, such as social media censorship and a lack of clear advertising standards, which limit cannabis-related commercials during nationally televised events like the Super Bowl.

“Despite three quarters of the country having legalized cannabis and the bipartisan enthusiasm we continue to see in support for change at the federal level, the industry continues to face roadblocks that inhibit competition in the legal market and stifle opportunities to educate,” Chris Beals, CEO of Weedmaps said. “There’s an irony in the fact that the biggest night for advertising will feature an array of consumer brands in regulated industries, from beverage alcohol to sports betting, yet legal cannabis retailers, brands and businesses have been boxed out.”

The game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams will be played Sunday in L.A.

Culture

Kate Hudson Gets High for the Holidaze In Cannabis Cocktail Commercial

Kate Hudson stars in an ad for Cann beverages—the first time an A-lister has been the face of a weed brand in a mainstream commercial.

Published

3 weeks ago

June 23, 2026

Cannabis Aficionado

Cann, a California-based cannabis-infused beverage firm, has partnered up with actress Kate Hudson and her King St. Vodka brand for the holiday season. To coincide with the debut of their special bundle offering – Cann Unspiked and King St. Vodka, the trio just opened a holiday-themed campaign.

Hudson, an actor, producer, and investor in the THC-laced brand Cann, starring in a film that breaks new ground by including the popular “social tonic” as the main element in a joyful adult beverage. Hudson’s own brand, King St. Vodka, provides the alcohol in this cranberry sage-flavored cocktail. In the video, Hudson is joined by party guests Baron Davis, former NBA All-Star-turned-TNT commentator, and Darren Criss, Emmy-winning actor and singer.

Hudson and Davis play an unusual couple preparing for a sophisticated house party in the ad, which could be the first time a Hollywood A-lister has stepped up as the face of a cannabis brand in a mainstream commercial. In fact, the two have been friends for a long time and are both financial backers of Cann, as is Criss, who met Hudson on the set of Glee.

Hannah Lux Davis, known for her work with Ariana Grande, Doja Cat, Kacey Musgraves, and others, directed the star-studded holiday campaign and features music from Criss’ latest Christmas album.

According to Cann’s founder Luke Anderson, the goal of the collaborations and campaign is to show that cannabis has become mainstream enough that a celebrity like Hudson is happy to use and promote it.

“We’re equating cannabis with alcohol because at these 2-milligram levels it’s as mild as a light beer or a glass of wine,” Anderson told Adweek. “We’re saying they deserve to be on equal footing. And people have been DIY-ing this for a long time anyway.”

Culture

Green Street Festival: The World’s Best Cannabis, Food & Music All In One Place

Published

3 weeks ago

June 23, 2026

Melissa Reid

On May 13-14, Green Street Festival will bring the city’s top restaurants, the state’s leading cannabis brands, and the world’s top entertainers to celebrate the cannabis community. The event marks a historic moment: Los Angeles opening its doors to consumer cannabis events.

This year, the event is partnering with the Emerald Cup to bring the 18th annual cannabis competition to Downtown LA. Industry thought leaders and a roll call of who’s who of the cannabis industry and culture will judge the very best from a list of categories.

Rama Mayo, founder and creator of Green Street Festival says the partnership is a convergence of two massive powerhouse entities in the culture of cannabism and the heritage and community of the Emerald Cup will enhance the Green Street experience.

“Cannabis will always be the headliner,” Mayo said in a press release. “There is no greater recognized symbol of excellence in the weed nation than the Emerald Cup Awards and we are thrilled to share the stage at our inaugural event with them in this partnership. Gary, our team, and I could not be more proud to partner with their organization as we bring the best cannabis, food, and music to one place.”

Emerald Cup founder and author, Tim Blake is absolutely thrilled to join the Green Street Festival and lift the awards to the stage of the largest cannabis market in the world, and be a part of this historic moment for Los Angeles.

“This triumphant return of our annual live awards show is our first entrance to Los Angeles and we could not have chosen better partners for this debut,” Blake said. “Rama and his team at Green Street have created a powerful ecosystem and they’ve done a wonderful job in creating a platform of engagement for us to shine. We’re eager to unify our northern and southern communities as we raise the Cup and recognize the best of California Cannabis.”

The ‘Academy Awards of Cannabis’

The California cannabis market is stronger when united and the 2022 Emerald Cup Awards will bridge the gap between the NorCal and SoCal markets, providing more opportunities for farmers and brands and new options for consumers.

The panels include a diverse cast of leading experts, journalists, scientists, activists, celebrities, and cannabis aficionados. Globally recognized as the “Academy Awards of Cannabis,” judges are exclusively hand-selected to test out a variety of cannabis products created by California’s best cultivators, extractors, and movers and shakers, looking to be crowned best in class in their respective categories. This years’ categories include flower, pre-rolls, solventless concentrates, hydrocarbon, cartridges, edibles, alternative cannabinoids, tinctures, and topicals. Additionally, the judges will be looking for winners for other categories including the most innovative product, eco-conscious packaging, and cannabis photography.

The competition entry window is currently open and the application deadline has been extended to Friday, February 11, 2022, at 4:00 pm PST. A full spectrum of cannabis excellence will be chosen based on specific criteria including the smell, taste, look, and the high, carefully judged under strict discretion.

Green Street Festival Lineup

The brainchild of Gary Vaynerchuk & Rama Mayo, Green Street Festival expects over 7,000 attendees with special performances by Juicy J & Friends, Gary Vaynerchuk, Harry Mack (Live) and many more to be announced.

Day one of the fest is a VIP event at the Green Street Building, a 67,000 sq ft cannabis business epicenter complete with a once-in-a-lifetime performance with Harry Mack and Gary Vaynerchuk.

Day two of the festival is at a historic outdoor venue in Downtown Los Angeles featuring a Keynote from Gary Vaynerchuk, plus an incredibly special performance lead by Grammy and Academy Award-winning artist Juicy J. Exclusive food offerings will be available from the city’s best restaurants & chefs including Yeastie Boys, Afters Ice Cream, Gusto Green, Petite Peso, Broad Street Oyster Co., Shrimp Daddy, and Uncle Paulie’s Deli. Contemporary artist Cody Hudson created and established the visual identity of the festival.

Tickets for this inaugural event on May 13th & 14th are available now at GreenStreetFest.com.