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
Bob Dylan Got the Beatles High for the First Time [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:51
In 1964, in a NYC hotel room, Bob Dylan met the Beatles for the very first time and turned them on to cannabis. Sounds like the stuff of legend and lore, but it really happened, and a rock journalist of the era was on ha…
Ramon Reyes Went From Slanging Dime Bags to Leading an Industry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:19
Ramon Reyes started out selling herb on the streets of NYC as a teenager and subsequently climbed through the ranks of the underground, the gray market and the legal industry to now run a licensed dispensary in the same…
From 'Blair Witch' to GrowGirl [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:36
In 1999, this week's guest starred in one of the most financially successful films of all time, but the circumstances around the making and marketing of Blair Witch Project meant that her incredible accomplishment actual…
Holidaze Special: Santa's A Psychedelic Mushroom Shaman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:18
Celebrate stony seasonal traditions old and new with our GMIWH Holidaze special. In addition to our annual retelling of the story of Santa's origin as a Siberian psychedelic mushroom shaman, we also enjoy Santa's Secret—…
In Search of A Cannabis Utopia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:39
Back when cannabis was barely legal, an eco-minded off-the-grid ganja farm strived to create a sustainable vision of decentralized, utopian agrarian life that put people and the planet above profits. Return to a moment i…
The Cornbread Mafia: Backcountry Weed Outlaws [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:55
How did a bunch of farmers from Kentucky create the biggest pot growing and smuggling syndicate in American history? We hear that barn burning story straight from Jim Higdon, author of Cornbread Mafia: A Homegrown Syndic…
Weed Shall Overcome (w/ Dr. Mariana Hoyo) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:47
Weed history teaches us to overcome the forces of oppression with the help of our favorite plant ally. In this episode we talk with Dr. Mariana Hoyo, a bright young physician who started out fearing weed because of a bun…
Hunter S. Thompson Ran for Sheriff on A Freak Power Platform [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:57
Election season anxiety? Take a break from the horserace and travel back to 1970, when the Gonzo author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ran for Sheriff in Colorado on a "free weed" platform as part of the newly formed…