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The Season for Romance

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[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]I[/dropcap]t was famed psychology professor and fictional character Dr. Sean Maguire who said in Good Will Hunting, “It doesn’t matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they are perfect for each other.” The pursuit of love is a popular narrative in filmmaking, and it’s not hard to see why. It humanizes the characters you are watching and allows you to be in their shoes. We may not know what it is like to smuggle thousands of pounds of cannabis across the U.S.-Mexico border in a stolen recreational vehicle, but we can all relate with the struggle to love and be loved. Here are some of CULTURE’s favorite couples in cannabis cinema.

 

Mark and Stacy (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, 1982)

They are unquestionably the cutest couple on this list. These two high school mall employees are a couple that everyone can root for. For all of the dumb teenage mistakes they make, you still find yourself hoping that the impossible will happen. Spoiler alert for a 36-year-old film, but they end up with each other in the end.

Thurgood Jenkins and Mary Jane Potman (Half Baked, 1998)

The names are so good, we had to list them in full. Half Baked has a lot of story in it. It’s about a group of friends trying to raise money for their friend. It’s about the group trying to navigate the minefield that is drug dealing. But it is also a story of one man trying to prove to himself and the women he loves that there is more to him than meets the eye. Think of the film as a Nicholas Sparks novel directed by Cheech Marin.

Jam and Beth (Detroit Rock City, 1999)

Set in the late ’70s against the backdrop of the iconic rock band KISS, Detroit Rock City is an underrated gem. At the heart of the film is wannabe drummer Jam’s quest to find his way into Beth’s heart. Through all the whacky shenanigans and detours, the two finally come together near the climax—in a church confessional.

 

Jay and Justice (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, 2001)

Five movies into director Kevin Smith’s “View Askewniverse,” his recurring sidekick Jay finally found love. And in true Smith fashion, it was with an international jewel thief who found that the only thing she loved more than the thrill of a heist, was the tender embrace of her loud-mouthed Jay.

Harold and Maria (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, 2004)

Roldie and Maria’s love did something miraculous, it survived a trilogy of films littered with sexual humor and cannabis-laden exploits. Maria forced the titular Harold out of his shell and showed him that there is something more than consuming cannabis and hanging out with your friend—you could consume cannabis and hang out with your girlfriend.

Alex and Samantha (Grandma’s Boy, 2006)

Another underrated gem. Grandma’s Boy is an easy-to-follow film with a stellar cast. Chief amongst them is the couple at its core, Alex and Samantha. He’s an underachiever, happy with his station in life, and she is an organized and analytical executive, but together they find the best in themselves and learn to strive for more than their roles have given them.

Ted and Tami-Lynn (Ted, 2012)

Relationships are hard during the best of times, and they can be even harder when one of you is a foul-mouther teddy bear with no genitals. However, through all of their fights, their passion is undeniable. Tami-Lynn even stood by Ted’s side when he fought the legal battle of the century to declare himself a person in a court of law.

David and Rose (We’re the Millers, 2013)

A stripper and a cannabis dealer go to Mexico under the guise of a married couple to smuggle a huge shipment of cannabis into the United States. The pair definitely started out as adversaries, just in it for the paycheck, but as their feelings grew, so does the film’s hilarity. I mean, what could go wrong smuggling an RV full of cannabis across the U.S.-Mexico border and into the hands of an orca-owning megalomaniac of a drug czar.

“The pursuit of love is a popular narrative in filmmaking, and it’s not hard to see why.”

Honorable Mention: Craig Jones (Friday series, 1995+)

In the James Bond of cannabis films, Craig, played by Ice Cube, had a love story in each of the three Friday films. There was Debbie in Friday, Karla in Next Friday and finally Donna in Friday After Next. While sadly, it looks like none of them passed the test of time, the romantic pursuits in each Friday film was an enjoyable side quest in cannabis cinema.

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