A single stoner can stand in for all stoners. Within an environment centered around education, science, data, and health—that is, within a certain formality, thoroughness, and rigor—Weedy Won K is what is commonly known as “comic relief,” a comical flourish that alleviates the “tension” of the plot. For Educannabis, the 420 educational project led by the Mexican Luis Fer Alpha, Weedy Won K serves as an antagonist: “I represent the figure of the stoner, which could be any unseasoned stoner, like that irresponsible dopehead who needs a little educational guidance,” Weedy himself confesses to High Times.
The starting point for his content is basically being out of weed: a fertile ground for Weedy, since we’ve all been there at some point in our lives, without pot, without a single leaf to smoke. It’s that exact moment that Weedy captures to create his internet alchemy.
“Hacks are the most popular, many of which are ridiculously silly. So ridiculous, in fact, that you might say, ‘Dude, I’m not going to do this, it’s too stupid.’ That’s the humor behind the hacks: they end up being ridiculous but effective. Ultimately, if you apply them, they’ll work, no matter how silly they seem,” he assures.
In that sense, the first funny recommendation that went viral was, in fact, about something totally absurd: weed stems and what to do with them (instead of throwing them in the trash, by default). There, Weedy recommended not throwing them out, but storing them in a container, decarboxylating them, and then infusing them with butter. Today, that video has almost 1.5 million views.
And behind the character, there’s the man. Beneath that pop-rock persona, the flesh, bones, and mind of Pedro Daniel Cabrera Costeño, the creative director and digital strategist at Educannabis. Pedro is a 24-year-old who, about four years ago, started embodying Weedy, a character that quickly took off. “I didn’t go to parties much or talk to people much. I was very shy. Being Weedy forced me to become a little more extroverted. And when I’m Daniel, I act more introverted.”
Originally from Zumpango de Ocampo, in the State of Mexico, Pedro Daniel Cabrera Costeño was the typical slacker who spent his time playing video games and smoking pot. That’s why Weedy Won K also became a passport to productivity and recognition. “I feel very grateful to people. And I try to make them think of me as my friends, that they can tell me anything, because I always remember where I come from. My life was very different, and I’m very grateful for all of this.”
Likewise, in his civilian role, his Clark Kent phase, when he lets his weed-fueled Willy Wonka self rest, he works at Educannabis promoting content-driven creativity, collaborations, and brands. “I like to share what I know with others, so they can understand it and know how to do it too. What I enjoy most about my work is being able to be myself. I’d like to be an inspiration to someone else and be able to share messages. Well, and give a voice to other stoners.”
And among his audience, there’s a perfect alchemy between those who watch him while being super high just to get a laugh and those who truly see Weedy as the ultimate stoner, like that dope friend who knows all the ins and outs. “Ultimately, the point is for people to have fun watching it. Not to see it so critically. There are some who tell me, ‘Bro, I got kicked out of my house because of you.’ It’s content, have fun!”
In fact, all that recognition that resonates on social media often translates into real life, like when the Educannabis team attends the 420 rallies and, there, amidst swirls of smoke, they receive firsthand the affection of the public. “That closeness made me realize that the message we’re sharing is reaching the right people and that we’re doing things the right way.”
But not everything is sunshine and roses in the 420 cosmos. Content creators like Weedy Won K often face censorship. Therefore, one way to evade this pushback from social media platforms was renaming cannabis as “magic broccoli,” a concept that the industry has embraced without question. “It felt super nice that everyone received that and started using it. We often have to play with the algorithm: say one thing and show another. We try to get people to complete the jokes by themselves and make them part of it. It’s also a bit of a censorship trip, you know?” jokes Weedy Won K.
Indeed, Weedy smokes all the time. Sleeping is the only time he’s not smoking. In fact, just minutes before this interview, he was dabbing away, and in the morning, he says, he smoked some big blunts. “I’ve been smoking daily for two and a half years. I’m almost always smoking. I even smoke before my food arrives. I also do it at night, when the hustle is over, that’s the time to smoke properly,” he says. What about the best joint he’s ever had? Ugh, he’s smoked so much that the experience itself makes him doubt. Although he thinks “the best” was one he tried recently, an indoor flower. He put some hash rosin on that joint and, he says, “it was delicious.”
Meanwhile, his days are a mix of 420 marketing, social media strategy, and a focus on numbers. Virality is his main objective. And the substrate? The cannabis universe, of course. Regarding the future of Weedy, Pedro Daniel Cabrera Costeño, the civilian, the man, the creative director, the Clark Kent of flesh, blood, and mind, casts a veil of mystery: “I don’t know if I can keep being Weedy all the time. I don’t know if I can keep doing this forever.”
Will these be the last videos of the lovable stoner character? He doesn’t know. Nor will we know for now. But don’t worry: everything seems to indicate that there’s still some time left for Weedy. Because, suddenly, Pedro’s new horizon lies in an old dream: to be a film director. Time will tell. We’ll see what life has in store. “I want to transcend in art, in something that can remain in the world, even if I cease to exist. That was always my goal as a kid,” dreams the hack guy, the genius of viral jokes, the man who plays the character who plays one stoner, hence all stoners.
Hernán Panessi
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