I saw the ‘Grandma Smoking Weed For the First Time’ video on YouTube Wednesday evening around 6 o’clock after The Cannabist alerted me on my Twitter feed. At that time, the video was fairly knew with just over 200,000 views and readying for launch into the viral-spere. And that it did. Less than 24 hours later, the video is closing in on almost 10 million views and counting (UPDATE: over 12 million and counting). The video is being reported by seemingly everyone, popping up on social media seemingly everywhere, and being talked about by seemingly everyone.
But what strikes me is the positive response the video is receiving. Not only in regards to the number of ‘thumbs ups’ under the YouTube video, but the overall buzz. Whether it’s mentioned on social media, in an article, or someone talking about it at the bus stop.
Could three innocent grandmothers who smoke weed for the very first time – and have a great time doing it – actually do more to expedite federal legalization than you’d think? After all, this video is continuing its’ orbit into viral-space. Who knows how many people this ends up reaching and touching. It’s not like the grandmothers are reeking havoc while coming down with reefer madness. Instead, they are relaxing, living life, having a little bit of fun, and enjoying themselves. You may be surprised, of how much of an influence, a video like this can have on public opinion as well as our culture and society.