Survivor: Ethan Zohn on Soccer, Cannabis, Cancer and Reality Show Stardom

Survivor: Ethan Zohn on Soccer, Cannabis, Cancer and Reality Show Stardom

Author: David Bienenstock June 24, 2026 Duration: 57:32
In 2002, professional soccer player Ethan Zohn won Africa: Survivor, netting himself a $1 million dollar prize and overnight fame.  But it was his subsequent battle against cancer that made him a true survivor, and also opened his eyes to the therapeutic power of cannabis.  As you’ll hear in our interview, Ethan tried smoking herb just once as a college student, and liked it, but felt he had to put all forms of intoxication aside to focus on his athletic career. Years later, however, the plant would play a profound and central role in his healing journey, which in turn inspired him to become a vocal advocate for medical cannabis.  With the World Cup now in full swing, Ethan is taking that message across the country, visiting cities hosting matches and engaging with their weed scenes as part of a new video series called Kicking Back, that's coming soon to the High Times Youtube channel. 

Great Moments in Weed History delves deep into humanity's 10,000+ year relationship with cannabis (a.k.a. marijuana) to explore the humor, heart, and historical importance of the planet's most revered and maligned plant. Hosted by David Bienenstock.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Great Moments in Weed History
Podcast Episodes
The 'War on Weed' Paved the Way for Authoritarianism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:33
The most heinous legal and human rights abuses of our current political moment all have their roots in the War on Drugs, from corruption and racism, to propaganda and mass incarceration. Our guest this week, Dr. David Fa…
Ganjasaurus Rex to the Rescue! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:19
In 1987, real life outlaw growers in Humboldt County, CA made a low budget monster movie called Ganjasaurus Rex, a cult classic that we explore in this episode with special guest Jon Gabrus (Staying Alive, 101 Places to…
I Told The Ultimate Corporate Weed Bro to STFU [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:57
Fed up with finance d-bags enshitifying everything? Well, I can't stop them from trying to take over weed too, but I did just tell one of the worst offenders to hit the bricks, only with much more colorful language. Adam…
LSD Fueled the Grateful Dead's 'Wall of Sound' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:55
An underground chemist, acid-soaked sound engineers, a bestselling author, and a psychedelic band all set out together in the 1970s in pursuit of audio perfection. Together, they created and destroyed a legendary sound s…
'What is Hype Weed?' w/ The Highest Critic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:21
Caleb Chen is a weed enthusiast, researcher, reviewer and academic, who runs "The Highest Critic," and is well on his way to earning a doctorate in the subject. He's also a Ganjier and a reviewer with Budist. Caleb joins…
Weed History in the Middle East [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:55
From ancient traditions to the evolution of modern cannabis culture in Morocco, India, Egypt, Nepal, and other traditional hashish regions, get ready for a fascinating time getting high on history with Dr. Maziyar Ghiabr…
From Shy Weed Nerd to Supernova Woman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:33
Amber E. Senter’s impressive legal cannabis career began with years of underground weed growing, hashmaking and edibles slanging. Amber is the founder and CEO of MAKR House, a cannabis house of brands, and she has served…
Can 'High Times' Rise from the Ashes? (w/ Josh Kesselman) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:05
When a bunch of vulture capital d-bags ran High Times into bankruptcy, the magazine's illustrious fifty year history appeared to be burnt out. But then, in June, Raw Papers founder Josh Kesselman announced that he’d boug…
The 'Mayor of Oaksterdam' Fought the Man to Free the Weed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:26
Richard Lee's life changed forever in 1990 when he slipped on a catwalk while setting up the lights for an Aerosmith concert, suffering a spinal injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. A Texas native raised b…
Meet the Founder of An Iconic 1970s Weed Magazine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:46
Charlotte Parker started Head magazine while working an entry level publishing job at Penthouse, in order to cover the world of weed in depth at a time long before legalization. Looking back at a few covers from those 19…