From the Manosphere to Marijuana: Big Ego’s make Cranky Toddlers

Podcast thumbnail for 'From the Manosphere to Marijuana: It's All Ego and Cranky Toddlers.' The image shows host Justin Barone in the center with a neon 'Thoughts Off The Stem' sign behind him. On the right, the Tate brothers are depicted with smoke effects. The layout includes bold yellow and white text and a prominent red 'WATCH NOW' button in the lower-left corner.

From The Manosphere to Marijuana: Comparing Tactics and Ideologies

From the Manosphere to Marijuana, what do a 1930s paper tycoon, the DuPont family, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and a modern-day “Alpha” influencer have in common? They are all fueled by the same thing: A massive, fragile ego, an overabundance of pride, and a scorned inner child who runs the show. In our latest Seshisode of Thoughts Off The Stem, we’re exploring the link between the Manosphere and Marijuana. We’re talking about Louis Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere documentary and connecting the dots to the “Great Hemp Wars” of 1937. It turns out, the history of cannabis prohibition and the rise of the “Taint”—sorry, the Tate brothers—are fueled by the exact same playbook: fear, gaslighting, and overcompensation.

The PeopletHEIR BACKGROUND

William Randolph Hearst
was an American newspaper publisher and politician who developed the nation’s largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications.

The DuPonts
Du Ponts have been one of the country’s richest families since the mid-19th century, when they founded their fortune in the gunpowder business. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they expanded their wealth through the chemical industry and the automotive industry

Harry J. Anslinger
was an American government official who served as the first commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department‘s Federal Bureau of Narcotics

Inside The Manosphere: Ultra Masculine and Ultra Fragile

I recently watched the Louis Theroux doc, and like everyone else, I’m familiar with the ultra-masculine “women are only here to serve men” schtick. But honestly, It’s exhausting. These dudes are basically frat bros in the wild, uttering the stupidest collection of words I’ve ever heard while contradicting their own ideologies.

Take HSTikkyTokky—a name that sounds like a five-year-old’s favorite toy. Seriously it sounds like something that lights up and play sounds when you push it’s keys. Definitely not very masculine if you ask me. He preaches “masculinity” and says he doesn’t hate anyone, yet his content is a factory for hate speech and chaos. It’s all for the stream, all for the money. Young men following this movement need to wake up and see the parallel between the Manosphere and Marijuana prohibition: both rely on selling a false “authority” based on fear.

New Age Street-Corner Prophets: How the Manosphere Sells Insecurity

Their logic claims women are “born with value” (purely physical), while men must “create value” through financial wealth, supercar collections and a haram of women if they want. If you think a woman’s value is limited to anatomy, and men have no value, you’re a lunatic. Character is what gives us value. It’s what separates men, from boys, women, from girls and good people from losers.

When Andrew Tate brags about throwing a fight to bet on himself and triple his money, he isn’t being “manly”—he’s being a snake. These guys are nothing more than street-corner prophets in shiny suits, funding their lifestyles through the pockets of easily manipulated young men. Let’s call the Tate brothers what they are: The Taint Brothers. They are that smooth, untouched part of the male anatomy between the balls and the a**-hole.

They aren’t men; they’re boys starved for attention, protecting their fragile egos by degrading others because they never got enough hugs.

The ORIGINAL Manosphere

In keeping with this high level of self-absorbed nonsense, let’s look at how a group of old rich white guys successfully lobbied to criminalize marijuana. They didn’t want to make life better; they just wanted to protect their wallets. So instead of revolutionizing their industries and using or switching to more natural products, they lobbied congress to institute the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. Instead of trying to make life better for the human collective they decided they needed the most money so, they said screw society, our profits are more important, and they launched a what would be the beginning of the war on weed.

William Randolph Hearst:

A pulp and paper giant worth $200 million in the early 1900s—the equivalent of owning the moon today. He didn’t want hemp competing with his timber. He couldn’t be bothered to retrofit or even change some of his pulp and paper mills to hemp textile factories, because as you know, white rich guys don’t want to give away a penny unless they get back 6. A little short sighted. Hemp is much more durable than paper.

The DuPonts:

In 1935, they released Nylon. Hemp was a direct threat to this new petroleum-based technology, so DuPont decided it had to go. Cause why use an eco friendly substitute, when you can use sinthetics to create what the natural world already did. Sure, hemp is a little more itchy but we’d have a lot less plastic in the ocean.

Harry J. Anslinger:

The first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. He was the original “talking head” bully, using gaslighting and fear to make a name for himself. Just like the Tate brothers, he needed to be the authority on something. He was probably just following the lead of the other two, but he bought their lies, hook, line and sinker.

The Manosphere and Marijuana: Gaslighting and Fear Mongering

When you compare the Manosphere and Marijuana history, you see the Anslinger Tactic in full effect:

  1. Create Fear: Print articles claiming cannabis makes you a killer.
  2. Divide the Public: Spew hate and lies to make something harmless look like the “worst evil imaginable.”
  3. Target for Assassination: Use lobbyists (the 1930s version of “bot farms”) to kill the competition.

From the Manosphere to Marijuana we Need a Beginners Guide

If you want to learn more about cannabis and how it works. Check out our Cannabis 101 guide. Educate yourself before you make snap judgements. Do the opposite, of the hyper masculine dopes in this post.

Join the Sesh on Youtube or Spotify

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When Your Girlfriend Starts Throwing Out Your Crap

Man attacked by hair and lotions for Thoughts Off The Stem podcast about relationship personal space when your girlfriend throws out your favourite crap.

You need terpenes that help anxiety, now that your girl has turned your space in to a “Penthouse” full of scented candles.

One day you’re a king. You have a queen-sized bed, a single kettlebell in the corner for your morning sets, and enough floor space to do some body weight squats and lunges to kick start leg day. It’s a temple of minimalist efficiency. You even have your original razor boxes neatly stacked under the sink because—let’s be honest—original packaging makes moving easier.

Then, she moves in.

Suddenly, your kettlebell is a doorstop. Your room has been annexed by blackout curtains and a king-sized bed that took up the last of your “activity” space. Your bathroom vanity storage space? Gone. It’s now a graveyard for 14 different lotions that all smell like “Spiced Rain” but serve no discernible purpose.

But that’s not even the scary part.

1. The Shower Wall Resident

You’re mid-shower, washing your business, and you look up. There, at eye level, is a matted mask of hair, clumped up, just… hanging out. You know it’s not yours. But it is a permanent resident of your new life.

2. The Nether-Region Garrote

You ever get halfway through your workday—maybe you’re in a meeting, maybe you’re at the gym—and you feel an aggressive, high-tensile tug? It feels like an invisible Bond villain is trying to reduce the flow of anything to the brains of your operation. Yeah there’s a hair wrapped around your balls bro.

Yeah, there’s a hair wrapped around your balls, bro. It’s the Invisible Assassin. Along with his buddy—the stray strand of your girlfriend’s hair hitching a ride on your caboose like a train-hopping hobo—it’s now flossing your “brown eye” like a piece of high-test dental tape.

Listen: If you’ve survived the Hair Assassin, you need to hear the full support group session on the latest episode of [Thoughts Off The Stem]—Click Here to Listen!


How to Survive “Girlfriend HQ” (Without Losing Your Mind)

If the sudden appearance of a vanity full of hairbrushes and girly stuff elevates your heart rate to 120 BPM, nature has a “mute” button. We call them Terpenes.

When your bachelor pad dies and your girlfriend starts tossing all your favourite crap, these terpenes help anxiety and you should look for them when choosing a strain to curb your anxiety:

Terpenes that help anxiety the invisible assassin

TerpenesThe Science
Limonene (The Paranoia Killer):A 2024 Johns Hopkins study proved that inhaling Limonene with your THC stops that “someone’s trying to suffocate me” anxiety.
Linalool (The Serotonin Shield):Found in floral strains, this terpene blocks serotonin transporters to keep your “rest and digest” mode active. It turns “Why is there a bar fridge here?” into “Hey, a bar fridge for my whiskey!”
Beta-Caryophyllene (The CB2 Specialist):It’s spicy, peppery, and hits your body’s calming receptors without making you too stoned to find the drawing of a wang she hid in your suitcase five years ago.

Myrcene (The Relaxation Foundation)
Increases sedation and muscle relaxation; helps cannabinoids hit faster. Earthy, musky, or “skunky” strains—mostly Indicas—are your best bet for a Myrcene fix.

How to Get Your Terps: Product Type Matters

Not all consumption methods are created equal. If you’re trying to outmaneuver the Invisible Assassin, you need to make sure you aren’t literally burning off your relief. Here’s the breakdown of how to get the most out of your terpene profile:

Product TypeThe Terpene DeliveryPro-Tip
FlowerHighest PotentialVaporize at low temperatures. High heat (combustion) destroys delicate terpenes.
VapesVariableAvoid distillates with “botanical” terps. Look for Live Resin or Full-Spectrum to keep the plant’s soul intact.
EdiblesLow (Usually)Most terpenes are lost during the infusion process, unless the brand specifically adds them back in.
TincturesConsistentStick to Full-Spectrum tinctures. Isolates are just the cannabinoids and usually have zero terpene benefit.

The Weird Truth

Relationships are weird. If you aren’t shouting “SHUT UP” at each other when someone sneezes or doing an elaborate mating dance involving one-handed clapping or dong slapping are you even in love?

You might have lost your floor space, but you gained a partner in crime who knows that if you’re happy, she’s happy. She’s just trying to make your space a sanctuary. Think of it like the Batcave—just pour some whiskey from that decanter on top of her fridge and ignore the floral aromas of your new blissful paradise.

Transitioning from a bachelor pad to a shared home is a wild ride, but as long as you’ve got the right Terps and a sense of humor, you’ll survive the “Invisible Assassin.”


Join the Conversation!

What’s the weirdest thing your partner did to your “man cave” after moving in? Have you ever been a victim of the Nether-Region Garrote? Drop a comment below and TAG a homie who’s currently losing the war for his under-sink storage! Don’t forget to share this post to help other brothers in arms survive the “Spiced Rain” invasion.

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My First Time Using A Gravity Bong: High Lessons

Justin Barone of TOTS podcast sharing High Lessons and gravity bong stoner stories.

The Gravity Bong: A DIY Masterpiece (and My Biggest Fail)

Whether you call it a Gravity Bong, a Bucket, or a ‘Geeb,’ this DIY stoner invention is a rite of passage. But as I learned the hard way, water pressure doesn’t care about your plans. Before we dive into the 2,700-year history of weed, let’s talk about the ‘High Lesson’ that left me waking up on a stranger’s couch.

Welcome to Thoughts Off The Stem! Today, we taking a trip down memory lane and sharing my first experience with “Buckets”. That’s right we’re talking about the time I hit that DIY atom bomb of a bong. Where the amount of clouds you have to inhale force their way out your ears like a cartoon and the unexpected Life Lessons that revealed themselves in that moment. Then we’re laughing at some of the more absurd but hilarious Stoner Moments from people online. We’re not just talking about getting high; we’re talking about the lessons that only come from those truly elevated perspectives.

The Bucket that started it all…

My very first experience with a gravity bucket wasn’t just a stoner moment—it was a full-blown initiation into another dimension. It was college, a time for exploration and, in my case, a distinct lack of proper planning.

  • The Scenario: A makeshift bucket in a cramped dorm room.
  • The Moment: Taking the rip, and immediately realizing I’d bit off way more than I could chew.
  • The Fail: Waking up hours later, not in my bed, not in a friend’s bed, but passed out on a total stranger’s couch in a completely different building. The lesson here? Know your limits, and maybe always have a wingman when trying something new.

What is a “Bucket”?

For those new to the game, a “Bucket” (also known as a Gravity Bong) is the ultimate Stoner MacGyver creation. It uses water pressure and gravity to create a vacuum that pulls a massive, concentrated cloud of smoke into a chamber (usually a 2-liter bottle). You then push the chamber down, using water pressure to force that smoke directly into your lungs. It’s effective, it’s intense, and as I learned, it requires a certain level of respect.

Weed Facts: A History of MacGyvering (2,700 Years & Counting)

You think building a bucket from a soda bottle is impressive? As I discuss in this episode, humans have been MacGyvering weed accessories for centuries. The fascinating History of Weed is filled with innovative ways people have utilized this plant for medicine, spiritual practices, and, yes, getting incredibly high.

the Historythe findings
The Shaman’s Secret (2,700 Years Ago)Paleoethnobotanists discovered nearly two pounds of 2,700-year-old cannabis in the burial pit of an ancient Gūshī shaman in China. This wasn’t for rope—analyses concluded this ancient society was already cultivating cannabis for psychoactive and divinatory purposes.
The Oldest Bong? (2,500 Years Ago)In 2019, archaeologists uncovered 2,500-year-old braziers—vessels designed to burn large quantities of cannabis—which contained potent residues. This proves people were actively burning and inhaling the plant for its effects centuries before the first gravity bucket was made.
The Global History:Humans were using cannabis 10,000 years ago, and trade routes linking Europe and East Asia likely increased its usage 5,000 years ago. From being an approved medicine in the U.S. Pharmacopeia in 1850 to the futile start of the “War on Drugs” in 1972, the story of this plant is one of invention and innovation.
January 2026 Resurrected EnzymesScientists “revived” ancient THC enzymes in a lab.

Dude, for Real: The Funniest Things People Do High

To wrap up this signature “High Lessons” launch, we’re looking at the hilarious side of those Stoner Moments. Waking up on a stranger’s couch is just the tip of the iceberg!

Check out this amazing list of 32 of the Funniest Things People Did While They Were High, which highlights the kind of creative-but-clumsy genius that only comes from a truly elevated state. From trying to “un-bake” a cake to getting caught in a complex conversation with a houseplants, these stories are the definition of a “High Lesson”.

What’s Your Biggest Stoner Moment?

The history of cannabis shows that we’ve been finding “High Lessons” in this plant for thousands of years. Whether it’s an ancient shaman in China or a college student on a stranger’s couch, the journey of discovery never really ends. These Stoner Moments are more than just funny stories—they are the building blocks of the Life Lessons we share here on Buckets.

Now, I want to hear from you. We’ve all had those moments where things didn’t go quite as planned, but we came out the other side with a great story (and maybe a little more wisdom).

What was your very first “MacGyver” moment—did you build a classic bucket, or were you more of an apple-pipe architect? Let’s hear your most creative (or disastrous) inventions in the comments below! If this story reminded you of a certain someone, share it with your favorite ‘engineering’ buddy!

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Stop Working For Free: Social Exposure Doesn’t Pay The Bills

TOTS420 podcast host with a sign saying Exposure Doesn't Pay The Bills, featuring a chart comparing Frosty Cake and Campfire Smoke quality.

Paying with exposure is a hustle that belongs in a buddy’s garage, not a professional business.

Why Paying With Exposure Doesn’t Work in the Real World

Imagine walking into a local pot shop, asking for an ounce of top-shelf flower, and offering to settle the tab with a shout-out on your Instagram story. You’d be laughed right out of the building. Why? Because legitimate industries don’t run on “vibes” or “likes,” yet in the podcasting world, my inbox is treated like a black market dealer’s garage where everyone expects a free bag in exchange for a few errands.

Welcome to Thoughts Off The Stem. I’m Justin Barone, and I hope life is being good to you, because lately, life has been acting like a prospecting pimp and I’m his prospective hoe. Recently, a couple of companies reached out with their pimp hand asking for me to get on the track and work for nothing but a slap in the face.

Light them if you got them, ‘cause here’s how these “exposure” deals played out.

The Worst “Paying With Exposure” Brand Deals I’ve Seen

Recently, a few companies reached out with “opportunities” that were really just chores in disguise. If you’re a creator, watch out for these red flags.

1. The Tin Joint Holder Tactic

A company reached out wanting a full suite of content: social shorts, feed posts, stories, a website feature on Tots420.com, and a spot on my YouTube review playlist.

  • The Offer: A free sample.
  • The Reality: They asked for my rates, saw them, and vanished. If you want a billboard, you have to pay the lease. A $10 tin doesn’t buy a week of production time.

2. The AI Tool That Wanted a Free Employee

This one was a masterclass in audacity. An AI podcast editing tool wanted a “partnership” where I would:

  • Edit one episode a week for three months using their (buggy) software.
  • Act as their unpaid QA and R&D department (reporting bugs and UI feedback).
  • Give them free rights to all my content for their ads.
  • The Payment: Use of the software.

Pro Tip: If a company asks you to find the bugs in their product while you advertise it for them, they aren’t a partner—you’re an unpaid intern.


Weed Facts: Stop Chasing THC Percentages

Before we get deeper into the “Dude, For Real?” files, let’s clear the air on some cultivation myths. THC potency is not the ultimate qualification for good weed. High potency is a byproduct of great cultivation, but a lower percentage doesn’t mean it’s “bad.”

Beyond the Hype: Weed Facts and Quality Control

Since we’re talking about high-quality work, let’s talk about high-quality flower. THC potency isn’t everything—potency is a byproduct of great cultivation.

How to Spot “Mid” Weed vs. Top-Shelf Flower

FeatureWhat to Look For
SmellPungent, bold, and nuanced. It should make your brain say, “I want to eat this.”
LookVibrant colors (whites, reds, oranges) with visible, “frosted” trichomes like a cake.
FeelSticky and slightly spongy. Stems should snap, not bend like celery.
StructureSativas should be light and fluffy; Indicas should be tight and dense.

The Red Flags of “Bad” Weed:

  • The “Musty” Nose: If it smells like a damp basement or a pile of straw, it’s aged or compromised.
  • The “Brown Sugar” Look: If the trichomes are amber and the bud is dirt-brown or lime-green, it’s past its prime.
  • The “Brittle” Touch: If it crumbles into dust or feels “wet” and tears apart instead of breaking, the cure was botched.

Dude, For Real? The “Exposure” Hall of Fame

They say there are no dumb questions, but the “Choosing Beggars” of the world prove that wrong every day. Whether it’s HuffPo asking for free articles while being a multi-million dollar entity or the guy who thinks Garlic is a valid currency for labor—the entitlement is real.

We’ve all seen the screenshots. The mechanic who gets asked for a “quick fix” for free, or the photographer (shoutout to the legends on BoredPanda) who gets told their work is “overpriced” because “I could do that with a filter.”

The bottom line: Exposure doesn’t pay the bills. Quality—whether in your flower or your content—costs money. If you want the “frosting,” you can’t pay with “crumbs.”


What’s Your Worst “Choosing Beggar” Story?

Have you ever been offered “exposure” in exchange for your hard-earned expertise? Drop a comment below or hit me up on socials. Let’s vent.

Want more unfiltered takes on the industry? Check out our Off The Stem Reviews

  • [Stay tuned to Tots420.com for more “off the stem” thoughts]

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