With most cannabis events shut down in 2020, it was truly the year of the influencer. For the Cannabis Content Creator of the Year, Jackey 420, the hustle never stops anyway! It’s hard to not see his face or get tagged in his content if you are even remotely involved in the cannabis community. Through the thick of Instagram, with its shameless self-promoting, questionable plugs, and stoners puffing away with the overlay of the trendiest new track, Jackey is consistently doing the opposite…and crushing it! It wasn’t always like that though.
The influencer came from the same beginnings as most of us, the love of weed getting him through long days of work. The road to winning awards and getting paid to smoke, however, isn’t paved with checks and brand sponsorships as some believe. As an influencer, in a time where even more eyes are strolling past your content, is apparently more stressful than just hitting record & post. Jackey and I sat down for a chat about all the good and bad of being a social media celebrity.
How To Be A Cannabis Influencer
For a lot of the ‘Tik Tok’ generation, it’s a common google search. The ins-and-outs of how to be a cannabis influencer are a lot more intricate than the regular social media maven though. Usually, a few well-lit images and consistent hashtags can propel you into virtual stardom, even for just a moment. In cannabis, account purges and shadow-bans can be a deterrent for stoners just looking to make others laugh. That coveted fame is hard to attain and even harder to keep.
For Jackey, that fame came long after his first post or his first puff. As a teen, he found half a joint in his grandfather’s bathroom and took it to a friend. After a sesh-explanation, he’s been smoking ever since. Years later, after he got his medical marijuana card, he visited Euphoria Wellness and was introduced to the world of wax and concentrates. Like most, the newest way to consume both concerned and confused him. It didn’t stop him from trying it for himself though.
Soon after the introduction, he brought a Rosin Press, used to create one of the higher-end versions on concentrate. It was a pricey purchase but, he could see the long term benefit of it. The only downside: there was no tutorial or help for the new product. Trial and error made him an expert prompting his wife to recommend he create the tutorial himself!
Already enjoying content creation, he made the video and posted it to YouTube. The next day, the company sent him their thanks for the video and a hefty store credit. It just made sense to Jackey to keep it going. YouTube, unfortunately, had other plans. Before he got too far, their purge of cannabis accounts pushed him to Instagram instead. Starting from scratch has its downsides but a specific repost made all the difference in gaining his audience back.
The Newest Face of Cannabis Comedy
Today, Jackey is quickly climbing, doing collaborative content with some of our favorites and amassing over 600K followers on Instagram. He’s even back on YouTube with over 21K subscribers. The game doesn’t end there for him; he’s aiming to break 1-million this year. Regardless, the numbers are still funny to him.
He laughs at the idea of followers and fame as well as the assumptions that come along with it.
“It’s different when they pay you… not like when you work 8 hours and all you can think about is that last nug at home.”
People see the benefit of his lifestyle online, but don’t know the personal and financial struggles it took to get there. Posting cannabis content cost him in the beginning but the numbers behind his account validate his actions in the end. He tells me it has a lot to do with the Asian community’s view of cannabis. As one of the few asian faces in cannabis, he hopes to work against the stigma his culture has around it.
Even without the stigma, there are countless One-Post-Wonders; but, not everyone can keep with content creation, especially with the changing rules around weed and social media. Jackey, on the other hand, likes to entertain and sees it as fun, despite the stipulations and obstacles of the job. As a result, he has even more planned for the future with hopes for more 420-friendly platforms in the future. He loves the awards and accolades but his love for cannabis and laughing is stronger. Maybe that’s why he’s loved so much. Either way, it looks like he is here to stay as a major face of cannabis comedy.
