What to Watch on Stoner Thanksgiving (Movies & TV Shows)
Gobble, gobble — here comes Thanksgiving! Whether you have plans to break bread with your loved ones at a huge family feast, do a smaller dinner with just the folks you actually like, or spend the day solo and stuffing your face on the couch, adding cannabis to the holiday is a great way to smooth out the edges and really relax. Nothing is better than a stoner Thanksgiving. So go ahead — toke up in your parked car outside. Puff-puff-pass with your cousins in the garage. Munch on some edibles as an amuse-bouche. When you are stuffed from all the stuffing and you’re waiting for the tryptophan to kick in, plan some visual holiday fare. Here’s our top 10 list of things to watch — the best Thanksgiving movies, best cannabis-themed movies, and some TV show episodes and specials — to round out your stoner Thanksgiving.
When you think of Thanksgiving, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is turkey. Bad news for the turkeys. This 2013 animated treat features the voices of Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Amy Poehler and even — oh my! — George Takei, as they tell the tale of two rival turkeys who team up to go back in time to change the course of history and save their skins from being a part of the traditional menu. I’m not positive that Woody was smoking during the making of this — but it’s a pretty safe bet that he was before the premiere. And in his honor, you should too.
Best Thanksgiving movie ever. G’head, fight us on it. You’ve got John Candy. You’ve got Steve Martin. You’ve got loads of laughs, and no heart if you don’t cry at least once. There are too many amazing moments in this to even attempt to single one out as the best… but in the scene at the Marathon car rental, during that one minute long tirade, the “F” word is used a whopping 19 times. Try and take a hit for every time it is uttered. G’head — try.
Lesser known but one of our personal favorites when it comes to the best Thanksgiving movies out there, this award-winning 2003 pic garnered Patricia Clarkson an Oscar nomination. It revolves around a young and super hot Katie Holmes who invites her estranged family to her tiny New York apartment for Thanksgiving dinner. While many movies show picture-perfect happy families sharing turkey, this one encapsulates the more dysfunctional ones that exist. It’s far more real life than the Hallmark stories you might see this time of year. And while the pot scene in this film depicts that of the medicinal variety, you can enjoy yours recreationally — and for more than one scene.
When Seth Rogen and partner Evan Goldberg first penned this 2008 buddy flick about a process server and his weed dealer who get caught up in some crazy shenanigans, they actually made up that name for the strain. Seth proclaimed, “If one day people are out there selling weed called Pineapple Express, then it worked.” Congrats, Seth. Mission accomplished. Admittedly, this one has nothing to do with Thanksgiving. With Rogen and James Franco at their absolute best, it’s just one of the best stoner movies on Amazon Prime you can find.
Even though Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday this year, Friday is a vibe. The movie that spawned the catchphrase “Bye, Felicia” as a dismissive send-off, and changed the public perception of Ice Cube from a hardcore gangster rapper into a comedy genius, this 1995 classic was conceived during a recording session. Cube and his co-writer DJ Pooh were totally stoned and decided they wanted to create something that showed the ’hood as it really is. Cube and Chris Tucker will have you rolling. Whether you’re an LA Native or from somewhere in the midwest, you owe it to yourself to spark up a fatty and watch this as the perfect entertainment during your stoner Thanksgiving.
The perfect contrast to the urban feel of Friday, this 1993 film about small town Texas high schoolers in 1976 failed at the box office but rose to cult-classic status due to its slice-of-life feel and a cast of all stars before they hit it big — Matthew McConaughey, Milla Jovovich and Ben Affleck. Not to mention high-larious performances from Jason London, Joey Lauren Adams, Parker Posey and Adam Goldberg. It even has Renee Zellweger as an extra in the back of a pick up with a beer funnel, I kid you not. And then there’s the music. A sixth of the film’s $6.9 million budget was used to acquire the rights to all the ’70s hit songs jam-packed into the movie. It’s a treat for your eyes and your ears, and being high makes the tunes hit that much better. All right, all right, all right!
I’m not saying the Peanuts gang got high. I mean, for sure not Lucy. She is way too uptight. But can anyone really be sure whether that cloud around Pig-Pen was dust…or smoke? And who’s to say what exactly the piano-savant Linus was stashing in that blanket that he never let out of his sight? When it comes to classic nostalgia, you can’t beat Charlie Brown. Take a trip down memory lane with this 1973 special — currently only available on Apple TV. And currently better with a little ganja.
If you’re a Modern Family fan, this is one of the best. Season 6, episode 8 has the usual hijinks and those separate storylines that come together in the end, all the things that made the show the hit that it was. Phil cooks, Luke is his sous-chef, but Claire is skeptical and hiding a secret, while Gloria and Jay have secrets of their own and — ah, heck. Just watch it. It’s comedy gold sober and even better when you’re lit.
Listen up, children. Back in the late ’70s, there was a critically acclaimed network TV show that found its groove from the get-go and launched the careers of Howard Hessman and Loni Anderson to name just a few. (If you don’t know who they are, Google it.) This sitcom was way ahead of its time and revolved around the misadventures of the staff of a struggling radio station. One of the finest and most memorable episodes of the show was in its first season, episode 7, when station manager Arthur Carlson comes up with a unique idea for a holiday promotion involving live turkeys. I’ll just leave it at that. You can watch the entire episode from the link above. Take a few bong rips first so you can fly high even if the poor turkeys can’t…
If you watched Friends, you knew Season 6, episode 9 was going to make the list. Far enough into the series where the cast has really gelled, the characters have solidified, and the writers have truly found the funny, this episode is about pot AND takes place at Thanksgiving! How can ya get any better than that? (Spoiler: You can’t.)
The Best Thanksgiving Movies and TV
From the best Thanksgiving movies out there to the best stoner movies on Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu and streaming services everywhere, our 2022 Stoner Thanksgiving Guide has something for everyone in the family!
Don’t forget to stock up before the holiday! Most (all?) dispensaries are closed on major holidays. Lucky for you, we have the perfect container to protect your cannabis well beyond. If you want your cannabis to love you this holiday season, you’ve got to love it back. And the best way to show your best buds some love is to protect them from the elements with the ultimate cannabis storage solution, a CVault from Freshstor.
Think of the CVault as an early holiday gift to yourself. These reliable stainless steel beauties are the World’s Smartest Curing & Storage containers — no thinking required — and will keep your stash fresher, more potent, better tasting and longer lasting. It’s the gift that keeps on giving — for Thanksgiving, Christmas and into the New Year.
