When we first heard about Dan we were instantly inspired by his weight loss journey. Over two years, he has been able to lose 175 lbs, through running and cannabis consumption. Dan is not only crushing it when it comes to health & wellness, he is also an established, and high-larious, comedian who you may have seen on Getting Doug With High, Fox's Red Eye, AXSTV's Gotham Comedy Live, NextVR’s Live from Gotham Comedy, TBS’ New York Comedy Festival or at the Big Sky Comedy Festival.
Dan established himself in the comedy scene at 24, as one of the youngest touring headliners. His two albums, Infect Me Once and Not Enough Pieces, released at #2 and #6 on the iTunes Charts.
Dan's relationship with both cannabis and comedy stems from his college years. It was during his Freshman year that he was introduced to smoking by his roommate, "My roommate sold weed so it was inevitable. Those first few giggle fits weed gives you are the experiences that stand out most. Just really fun memories of laughter and good times. I was only in college a year before dropping out, so those memories are etched in my mind."
It was a blessing through misfortune that led Dan to comedy when he had an athletic injury in college. "I was a college baseball player. I blew out my arm opening day and never recovered from the arm surgery. I had played baseball since I was 4, I got hurt at 18. So I felt lost. I started writing and comedy drew me in, it felt like the next step of finding out who I was."
Although Dan has not been a target of canna-stigma, which he attributes to his weight loss and fitness, he does believe that there is a misconception about stoners being lazy, " There is no such thing as a lazy stoner, just a lazy person who happens to be stoned... I’ve learned it’s hard for anyone to question your weed consumption when you’ve lost over 170 pounds getting high and running/working out. It’s hard for a non-smoking overweight person to tell me weed will make me lazy, because well, it hasn’t."
Dan has never had misconceptions about cannabis but has found that some people around him that did have evolved by being around him, "I’ve smoked so much that those around me who didn’t accept canna-culture have kinda had to accept it, so that’s fun."
When it comes to how Dan has been able to have such success in his weight loss journey he stated that weed and weight loss have been partners in his life, "It all started with some basic lifting stoned, I was 354 pounds and trying to find the passion for athletics again. I was in LA and went to a dispensary, then the gym. It was unlike any workout I had ever done. So when I got back home to New Jersey, I started jogging stoned. One lap around the block. Eventually, it became running stoned. Then endurance running, to the point where I was putting in 50-60 miles a week stoned. Currently rehabbing a foot injury but I still plan on entering the ultrarunning world. I dream of running a 100-mile race stoned."
Dan finds that his canna-consumption allows him to find more enjoyment when it comes to exercise, "When running, the scenery is just a little prettier. The sounds of the trails are more prominent in my ears. Pain and recovery seem to be aided. When lifting stoned it’s almost like I can feel the movements more. One day I thought if weed makes TV better why can’t it make working out better? And here we are 175 pounds later."
Dan sympathizes with anyone feeling stuck or frustrated with the weight loss process, he is familiar with the yo-yo experience that fitness can be. "I started and stopped countless times, the only time it stuck was because it was the first time I had set out to lose weight for me. It wasn’t because of family interventions, it wasn’t because of something a girl said, it had to be a choice I made for me. Outside of that, I can only share (my) experience. I can’t tell someone to lose weight. I can only show them what’s on the other side. You can blame whatever you want for your weight; you, your genetics, I don’t care. If you got yourself to that weight, great. Now it’s up to you to take it off. If you blame others for your weight, great. It’s still up to you to take it off. Why not today?"
Dan is a "flower man" who prefers strains that enhance his workouts, "Some of my most incredible runs were given by “Juicy Fruit”, don’t sleep on GG4 for running either." However, you won't catch him turning down a strong edible, which he also has a strong love for.
When it comes to canna-products 3 King Palm blunt cones are his new favorite thing, he is also a fan of MavGlass and Gemineye products"I was gifted a great beaker bong by MavGlass and I’ve really been using Gemineye Grinders a ton for grinders and spliff sleeves. Prettiest looking grinders you’ll see."
Dan has seen benefits from canna-consumption when it comes to his comedy process as well, "It takes me on a train of thought slightly altered in a way where I like the creativity and silliness it adds to jokes."
For anyone trying to break into the comedy scene Dan's advice is to just do it, "Write some shit down, find an open mic, and go for it. It’s not about doing good or bad, that means nothing at all in the beginning. It’s about how you feel up there. Feel if it’s something you want to do. I bombed for 8 minutes at my first open mic but the feeling was indescribable. It felt like I was at home."
We can definitely understand why Dan feels at home when he is on stage. Not only is he hilarious and relatable, but he has also gotten to work with and befriend people he grew up watching, "It’s hard to not feel like (my) dreams have already happened/still are."
As far as comedy inspiration, Dan is a Mitch Hedberg fan, "There really isn’t 'collaboration' in stand up comedy like there is music... (However), I Would love to resurrect Mitch Hedberg from the dead. Give me an hour writing session with him, please. That’s a dream."
When it comes to canna-crushes Dan only has eyes for his girlfriend. "My girlfriend is also a stoner so she is my one crush, don’t slip me up there! (lol), but if I could smoke with anyone, Rick Steves I’m coming for you. What an icon."
We are super excited about Dan's upcoming project, "I have a new podcast gearing to release called 'The Best Days' with Dan LaMorte. Should be out in early December."
Dan believes that there is no area where the world couldn't benefit from canna-culture, "It's hard to imagine such tense times if everyone was a smoker.", and we couldn't agree more.
We are super thankful for the opportunity to chat with Dan, and thank him for the non-stop laughs and inspiration! We are very excited to check out the upcoming podcast and future projects/shows. To learn more about Dan check out his site and follow him on Instagram.
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