Why 'Daily Show' Guest Host, Charlamagne, Wants Weed Legalized: 'It's Hypocritical...Marijuana Is Not Deadly'

Charlamagne Tha God, this week's guest host of "The Daily Show," and widely recognized for his candid dialogues on the nationally syndicated radio show, "The Breakfast Club," has a multifaceted relationship with cannabis. The controversial media personality has been active in the cannabis industry for a few years now, but his history with the plant dates back to his teenage years.

In an exclusive interview, Charlamagne, whose real name is Lenard Larry McKelvey, admitted, “I’ve never really been much of a smoker. I don’t have a lot of good memories associated with smoking. It always makes my body go through the roof.”

While the radio icon has been transparent about his battles with anxiety and panic attacks, he acknowledged the self-care journey that helped him navigate the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic. “I’ve been going to therapy and practicing meditation,” he shared. “You can’t keep running. You gotta deal with the trauma.”

During his formative years, Charlamagne's connection with cannabis was influenced by its omnipresence in rap and hip-hop. “Every song was about smoking weed in some way, shape, or form,” he recalled. But as life progressed, the recreational pastime turned daunting, as marijuana brought on paranoia and accentuated his anxiety.

See also: Charlamagne Tha God And Wu-Tang's Raekwon Unite To Transform Newark With Hashstoria's Cannabis Revolution

As cannabis began to make its way into mainstream culture, Charlamagne reconsidered his stance. But smoking was still off the table. It was the allure of edibles that caught his attention. “The edibles are beautiful. I might do 10 milligrams and drink a glass of wine and be right where I need to be,” he said.

His cannabis-infused lifestyle keeps him hopeful for the future. “We have enough data that shows that marijuana is not addictive, not deadly and that it has a lot of medical benefits. Not legalizing cannabis is hypocritical,” he opined.

Charlamagne's foray into the cannabis industry is underscored by his desire to right the wrongs of the War on Drugs. He believes in the potential of the cannabis industry to play a role in systemic reparations. “If there was such a thing as drug war reparations, this would be very, very close to it,” he concluded.