Joe Rogan used a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” to call out Texas lawmakers over the state’s THC ban, arguing the restriction runs directly against what most Texans actually want. Speaking with comedian Brian Simpson on Joe Rogan Experience #2548, Joe Rogan pointed to lobbying pressure and the struggling spirits industry as the real forces behind the law.
“Well, what do they what have they done here in Texas with the THC ban? Who’s asking for that when 70% of the state wants it to be legal and somehow or another they made it illegal and the () lobby is involved and they’ve been losing money,” Rogan said. “People are drinking a lot less.”
Simpson responded by pointing to how normalized THC use already is in the state, regardless of legal status.
“Texas runs on d-s,” Simpson said. “It’s crazy the people that pretend like pretend otherwise. It’s like everyone’s always on something.”
Rogan agreed, noting that the line between prescribed and nonprescribed is often arbitrary and inconsistent.
“Well, if they’re not on something illegal, they’re on something legal. And that’s where it gets weird. Like who decides what’s legal and what’s not legal?” he said.
The conversation then turned to how easy it is to obtain prescriptions compared to the restrictions placed on THC.
“Listen, you could just go to the doctor and say, ‘I can’t concentrate.’ And they’ll give you Adderall,” Rogan said. “It’s so easy to get Adderall. They’ll put you on some powerful stuff. They’ll put you on speed. You can crush it up and snort it and it’s totally legal.”
Simpson added that the trend starts young, with students increasingly diagnosed and medicated.
“Half the college kids, they on Adderall and check,” Simpson said. “High school kids are saying they have ADD and they’re getting Adderall. I know this for a fact.”
It’s interesting to see Rogan speak so openly about the issue given his own history and status. After moving to Texas, Rogan met with the governor and subsequently became more discreet about his own THC use. That hasn’t stopped references to it from occasionally appearing on the podcast, sometimes inadvertently through production mistakes involving Jamie Vernon.
Rogan’s own history also makes his frustration with Texas’ THC laws particularly notable. During episode 2503 of The Joe Rogan Experience, he was spotted with weed on camera while recording in Austin, despite recreational use remaining illegal in Texas. Of course this didn’t deter Rogan from criticizing California in the very same episode either.
Rogan has hardly abandoned the broader position he has maintained since the early days of the podcast. What is more striking is the contrast between his increasingly harsh criticism of California and his praise for Texas, particularly given that California arguably aligns more closely with some of the values Rogan has consistently championed. That tension raises an interesting question about whether Rogan’s political and cultural priorities have shifted over the years, or whether his views simply no longer fit neatly into the ideological framework he once represented.
