This classic stoner comedy is now streaming for free ‣ Diverse Daily

There’s nothing like a good comedy to relax after a hard day. I love sci-fi thrillers, gangster movies, and war epics, but they are often intense and require too much thinking. Sometimes I’d rather switch off and watch something fun and lighthearted that makes me laugh without taking itself too seriously.

Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke invented the stoner movie genre back in 1978 and was controversial for its drug content and crude humor. Critics hated it, and it was banned in countries like South Africa and Colombia for its negative influence on young people. It was still a smash hit despite the controversy, hauling in 104 million worldwide on a two million budget. Not much has changed over the years, and Up in Smoke has a middling 45% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience thinks it’s fresh at 82%.

The movie has since become a cult classic and is still quoted today. It was also responsible for launching Cheech and Chong’s movie careers and garnered two sequels, Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie and Nice Dreams, which completed their stoner trilogy. All three movies are known for their slapstick humor and cannabis-related themes as the duo moves from one implausible scenario to the next.

Up in Smoke has a predictably ridiculous plot. Pothead Anthony “Man” Stoner leaves home and gets picked up by like-minded Pedro de Pacas while hitchhiking. The two start their adventure by sharing a joint before getting arrested by the police. They are eventually released on a technicality and immediately try to score more weed. Things go wrong for them again as they are deported to Mexico by law enforcement.

Cheech and Chong must find their way back and mistakenly pick up a van made entirely out of THC resin, which they need to smuggle into the US. They’ll need to make it past the border and evade the authorities on their way to the Battle of the Bands in LA while everyone they encounter is getting high off the fumes from their van.

Up in Smoke is now available for free on YouTube

It’s also available on other streaming services

You can watch Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke for free with ads here on YouTube while it’s still available. It’s also available to buy or rent without ads on Apple TV, Fandango, and Amazon Prime Video. The Blu-ray and DVD versions are available on Amazon if you prefer a physical copy for your collection.

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notable movies: Clueless, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, How to Train Your Dragon, Mean Girls, Star Trek
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Originals: No
Live TV: No

YouTube has a huge selection of comedy movies you can watch for free this month

Free laughs for the whole family

Comedy fans can watch other sidesplitting movies for free on YouTube. Rat Race features an all-star ensemble cast of misfits racing from Las Vegas to New Mexico to win $2 million. Monty Python And The Holy Grail is a classic spoof of the King Arthur legend and the knights of the Round Table. The World’s End is a zany comedy about a group of old friends who must thwart an alien invasion while they’re on a night out in a small English village.