As Texas Republicans push to tighten restrictions on hemp sales during a special legislative session, one musician brought a different kind of laser focus to the Lone Star State.
Kyle McDonald, bassist and vocalist for the California punk-reggae band Slightly Stoopid, stunned concertgoers in Irving, Texas, last month when he lit a joint on stage using the beam of a high-powered laser. In front of a packed crowd, McDonald held the paper-wrapped cannabis in the beam’s path until it ignited, drawing cheers from fans.
While the stunt coincided with a heated political fight over cannabis-related products in Texas, there’s no sign McDonald intended to make a political statement. Still, the moment came just days after the Texas Senate approved a bill that would ban consumable hemp products containing even trace amounts of THC. That measure is currently stalled in the House after several Democratic lawmakers staged a walkout, preventing the chamber from reaching the quorum needed to pass legislation before the special session ends later this month.
Slightly Stoopid, known for their genre-blending mix of reggae, rock, and punk, has largely avoided overt political messaging during their decades-long career. However, the band has cultivated a strong following in cannabis culture, often performing alongside well-known marijuana advocates like Snoop Dogg and members of the Marley family.
The laser-lit joint moment took place during the band’s performance of “No Cocaine,” a song that rejects harder drugs in favor of marijuana. “Only one thing sets us free or ease our pain, talkin’ ’bout the herb,” McDonald sang before sparking the joint.
In Texas, possession of up to two ounces of marijuana remains a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. Efforts to broadly legalize or decriminalize cannabis have repeatedly stalled in the state’s conservative legislature, though Gov. Greg Abbott (R) recently signed a bill expanding access to the state’s limited medical marijuana program.
Whether McDonald’s laser stunt will enter the long list of on-stage rock ‘n’ roll legends—or simply be remembered as a lighthearted bit of concert theatrics—one thing is certain: in Texas, it was a blaze that didn’t go unnoticed.
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