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EP.46: HIGH ON LIFE: TOMMY CHONG ON PRISON, POT AND KARMA

December 23, 2020 by Larry Weeks Leave a Comment

Everything that happens to me is very cosmic – Tommy Chong

I interview people, for the most part – to get their perspective as to relates to challenge whether personal or professional sometimes corporate, and the episodes usually refer to some documented touchstone like a book or research – a catalog of lessons. 

This is a bit of an exception, it’s not didactic; the lessons are in pure experience – the story – and what an entertaining story it is. 

Listen now on Apple | Spotify | Google 

Tommy Chong is a grammy award-winning comedian and is legendary for his contribution to American counter-culture as part of the iconic comedy duo Cheech & Chong. During their reign, the twosome recorded six gold comedy albums, including the 1973 Grammy winner “Los Cochinos,” and starred in eight films, most of which Chong co-wrote and directed. The first, “Up In Smoke,” was the highest-grossing comedy of 1978, topping $100 million at the box office. Others were “Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie” (1980), “Nice Dreams” (1981), “Things Are Tough All Over” (1982), “Cheech and Chong: Still Smoking” (1983), and “The Corsican Brothers” (1984). 

The thing is about Cheech & Chong, we’ve brought more families together than Dr. Phil – Tommy Chong

Tommy has acted in several other films, including 1990’s “Far Out, Man!”” and “National Lampoon’s Senior Trip” (1995). He also starred as “Leo” on Fox’s “That 70’s Show,” and has guest-starred on ABC’s “Dharma & Greg” and “The George Lopez Show” and he is the author of the New York Times Best-Seller “The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint.”

In 2003 a fully armed SWAT team raided his home, culminating with Tommy being sentenced to 9 months in federal prison for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute “Chong Glass,” a family business specializing in handmade glass water pipes.

On this episode, Tommy talks about that experience and pretty much his whole life; growing up in Canada, getting his start in rock and roll, finding improv comedy, his time with Cheech and Chong, and getting into the business of CBD and Cannabis.  

Some talking points include ….

  • Early childhood impressions, learning through adversity
  • Prayer as cause-effect and the “trick”
  • On music, Motown, and racism
  • Early improv days
  • Discovering his avatar “Hey man..”
  • On pot, open doors, and health
  • Curiosity and experience
  • On prison experience and cellmates
  • His one word

Enjoy!

Resources and links 

The I Chong: Meditations from the Joint

Cheech and Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography

AKA Tommy Chong, documentary 

Tommychong.com 

Tommy’s CBD brand, getchongcbd.com

Filed Under: Career, Happiness, Overcoming Adversity, Personal Growth

About Larry Weeks

Larry is a technologist, consultant and host of the Bounce podcast.

Previous Post: « EP. 45: SURVIVING SURVIVAL: LAURENCE GONZALES ON TRAUMA AND NEW NORMALS
Next Post: EP: 47: CHATTER: ETHAN KROSS ON UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING THE VOICE IN OUR HEAD »

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PODCAST ARCHIVE

  • EP: 47: CHATTER: ETHAN KROSS ON UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING THE VOICE IN OUR HEAD
  • EP.46: HIGH ON LIFE: TOMMY CHONG ON PRISON, POT AND KARMA
  • EP. 45: SURVIVING SURVIVAL: LAURENCE GONZALES ON TRAUMA AND NEW NORMALS
  • Ep. 44: FREEDOM FROM RESULTS : MASSIMO PIGLIUCCI ON REDEFINING SUCCESS
  • EP. 43: MAKING BETTER DECISIONS: ANNIE DUKE ON CREATING YOUR OWN CRYSTAL BALL.
  • EP. 42: HOW TO FEEL GREAT: DR. DAVID BURNS ON WHAT NEGATIVE EMOTIONS ARE TRYING TO TELL US
  • EP. 41: MISTAKES WERE MADE: CAROL TAVRIS AND ELLIOT ARONSON ON COGNITIVE BIAS AND LEARNING FROM THE ERROR OF OUR WAYS
  • EP. 40: HOW WILL WE BEHAVE? RORY SUTHERLAND ON THE NEW WORLD OF WORK AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR POST COVID-19
  • EP.39: CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: JAMES ALTUCHER AND BOUNCE BACK PREDICTIONS
  • EP.38: HOW STOICS KEEP CALM, WILLIAM B. IRVINE ON PHILOSOPHICAL FRAMING
  • EP. 37: THE WEDGE, SCOTT CARNEY ON STRESS AND HACKING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
  • EP. 36: CORONAVIRUS QA WITH DR. ALEX LICKERMAN, M.D.
  • EP. 35: STRESS INOCULATION: STEVEN SOUTHWICK ON THE SCIENCE OF RESILIENCE AND COPING WITH EXTREMES
  • EP. 34: THE MOTIVATION EQUATION: PIERS STEEL ON HOW TO STOP PUTTING THINGS OFF
  • EP. 33: LIVING THE LIVES WE WANT: NIR EYAL ON BEING INDISTRACTABLE
  • A FRAMEWORK FOR HUMAN EFFORT
  • THE TECH FALLACY:
  • Learning To Live With Learning Machines:
  • WORKING WITH A.I. :
  • MAKING CHANGE HAPPEN:
  • THE WISDOM ASSET:
  • EP. 26: SECOND CHANCES: CATHERINE HOKE ON REDEMPTIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • EP.25: MELTDOWNS: CHRIS CLEARFIELD ON PREVENTING SYSTEM FAILURES
  • EP.24: MEANING AND WORK: FRED KOFMAN ON THE ROI OF PURPOSE
  • EP 23: MOTIVATION MYTHS: JEFF HADEN ON PROCESS VS. PASSION
  • EP.22: HOW TO THINK IN BETS: ANNIE DUKE ON POKER, PROBABILITIES AND BETTER DECISIONS
  • EP.21: MEDITATION FOR FIDGETY SKEPTICS: JEFF WARREN ON A DIFFERENT WAY OF BEING
  • EP. 20: CHOICE ARCHITECTURE: RORY SUTHERLAND ON THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ADVERTISING
  • NOT IMPOSSIBLE: SUSANNAH MEADOWS ON MEDICINE, MINDSET AND MOTIVATION
  • EP. 18: HOW TO TALK TO YOURSELF: MARISA PEER ON RAPID TRANSFORMATION
  • SURVIVING ASSHOLES: ROBERT SUTTON ON OUTWITTING JERKS IN YOUR LIFE
  • HOW TO GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY: TASHA EURICH ON SELF AWARENESS
  • EP. 15: ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HARD THINGS: CAROLINE MILLER
  • EP. 14: ON FAILURE PART 2, FAILING WELL: ASHLEY GOOD
  • EP 13: FAILURE PART 1 : FAIL FAST, FAIL OFTEN: RYAN BABINEAUX
  • EP. 12: HOW TO BOUNCE BACK OVER AND OVER AGAIN: A TALK WITH JAMES ALTUCHER
  • EP.11: HAPPINESS AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE DIGITAL ERA: AMY BLANKSON
  • EP.10: AFTER CANCER: DR. WENDY HARPHAM, HAPPY IN A STORM
  • EP. 9: A PHILOSOPHY FOR HARD TIMES: MASSIMO PIGLIUCCI
  • Ep. 8: SUCCESS, FACTS & FICTIONS: ERIC BARKER
  • EP.7: RESILIENT GRIEVING: DR. LUCY HONE TALKS ABOUT LIVING WITH LOSS
  • EP. 6: WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU: A TALK WITH SCOTT CARNEY
  • EP. 5: FEELING GOOD, OVERCOMING DEPRESSION AND DISTORTED THINKING: DR DAVID BURNS
  • EP. 4: HOW GOING BLIND HELPED ME SEE: ISAAC LIDSKY
  • EP.3: WHY THINGS BOUNCE BACK: ANDREW ZOLLI
  • EP. 2: ON CREATING AN UNDEFEATABLE MIND: DR. ALEX LICKERMAN
  • EP. 1: NO ARMS, NO LEGS, NO EXCUSES: KYLE MAYNARD
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