Slightly Stoopid Lights Cannabis Joint With Laser At Texas Concert As Lawmakers Debate Hemp Ban

As Texas GOP lawmakers remain laser-focused on passing a bill to restrict hemp sales during a special legislative session, Kyle McDonald of the band Slightly Stoopid recently had a laser of his own focused on a different objective: Lighting a joint on stage with the beam of a powerful device during a set the band played in the Lone Star State.

At a concert in Irving, Texas last month, McDonald took the audience by surprise when he pulled out a joint and held it in the crosshairs of a laser beam that successfully ignited the paper.

It doesn’t appear the Slightly Stoopid stunt had any political intent, despite taking place in a state where cannabis reform is squarely in the zeitgeist—with the Senate passing a bill last week that would ban consumable hemp products with any trace amounts of THC.

The proposal is currently in limbo, however, as multiple Democratic House lawmakers have staged a walkout, leaving the state to deny the chamber the quorum necessary to advance any legislation during the special session that ends later this month.

The California-based punk and reggae band has generally maintained an apolitical status in the music world. But Slightly Stoopid has endeared themselves to the cannabis culture world, performing with other marijuana icons such as Snoop Dogg and Damian and Stephen Marley.

For the laser joint performance, the band was playing “No Cocaine,” which starts with a verse about not needing cocaine or ecstasy that could “ruin our brains.” Because “only one thing sets us free or ease our pain, talkin’ ’bout the herb.”

The laser beam lighter became a hit on social media, with fans cheering the novel spark-up approach.

But while not evidently a political statement, it should be noted that, in Texas, possession of up to two ounces of marijuana is considered a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in prison and/or a maximum $2,000 fine.

Efforts to legalize or decriminalize cannabis at the state level have so far proved unsuccessful in the conservative legislature. However, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) did recently sign into law a bill to significantly expand the state’s medical cannabis program.

Photo courtesy of Shore Fire Media.