Getting Doug Benson High in Denver

I got to meet Doug Benson when Getting Doug With High had its first ever out of state show in Denver, Colorado.

I was just starting my career in the cannabis industry, and was fortunate to meet him and other cast members of Getting High With Doug. I was working as Brand Partnership Manager for a cannabis travel agency, and arranged certain details of the event with producers of his show.

In Denver, private tour companies have interpreted the amendment to the state constitution to regulate like cannabis like alcohol, to mean that it is legal to consume cannabis in a limousine, as long as the driver is separated by a closed partition. It's a nice option for companies wanting to create opportunities for social cannabis use. The travel agency I was working for had arranged for  a 420-friendly party-bus limo to be made available for the cast, VIP guests and fans of his show parked in front of the Oriental Theater.

People started trickling in, full of anticipation. I met a couple who had driven from South Dakota, just to see Doug. As we were chatting, they told me how much they loved the cannabis culture in Denver. They has stopped by a dispensary for their first time, and said they couldn't believe how nice it was to walk in and buy weed in a retail setting. 

I was standing in the aisle passing a bong around to some of the guests, when Doug first came on board to meet people and sign autographs. He came walking down the aisle, and started walking past me towards the back.  

“Uhhhh, *high* Doug. Have you gotten high yet?” (I am awkward af). Then, I awkwardly held the bong out in his direction.

“Not yet”, he replied.

“Well, then need to fix that”

He laughed, “Indeed we do,". Then he took the bong and lighter from me and started lighting the bowl. 

When he was done, he handed the bong back to me, and resumed his journey to the back. Then it became an unspoken contest among everyone to see how many people he would let smoke him out. Everyone wanted to get him high.. people were passing him joints, giving him more bong hits, even dabs.. Everyone present wanted their own "I got Doug Benson high" experience too.

After chatting with everyone in the bus and signing autographs, it was time for Doug to take the stage. He started out by giving Colorado full credit for being a "Marijuana Mecca", and gave the crew on the party bus a shout by saying he had just come from the canna bus where he smoked around 20 joints and 2 dabs.  Then he admitted he had serious doubts that what was taking place in Denver was “completely okay to do”.

This was a significant show because because  Kassem G, Todd Glass, Josh Blue & Geoff Tate. basically murdered Gabe as he was performing his "best trick of all time". Doug's theory was that Gabe was just scheming  to get out of having to meet the fans afterward. 

The show was over, and Gabe's lifeless body littered the stage as fans left the theater. I stuck around to wrap up some details with the show's producer, and to thank Doug for coming to Denver. I kept wondering how long it would take for Gabe to eventually break character. He lay there motionless for about 15 minutes. (True dedication to the craft). The whole place had cleared out except for me, and maybe one other person. Then, finally:

Gabe the Magician gets up.

After the show, Doug, Geoff and Todd came on the bus again to get high with everyone, even though they didn't have to. The people who create Getting Doug With High are incredible.

Thanks for being awesome guys!