Token stoner, Houseplant co-founder, and resident relatable Funny Guy of Hollywood, Seth Rogen has crafted his entire personal brand around making people laugh and being high while doing it (mostly). From a weed deal gone wrong in Pineapple Express to a bong-toting burnout in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Rogen is more often than not rolling up the sticky icky in between the wittiest of one-liners. In true life-imitates-art fashion, the burly comedian says of his proclivities: “I’m smoking all day long.”
Man with a Plan
Naturally he’s got his favorites. As far as flower goes, he confessed to High Times, “I look for strains that are going to keep me energized and focused; usually strong sativas.” And paired with his sativas? “I drink a lot of coffee when I smoke weed, and I literally drink that coffee out of a grail, the holy grail specifically, like the cup that held Jesus’s blood.”
His affinity for coffee (co-founded coffee company Cometeer), choice drinking vessels (dabbled in ceramics and is irritatingly good at it), and casual-chic aesthetic (collaborated on an adaptive menswear line) have coalesced into his greatest role yet: in the driver’s seat of the superbly curated cannabis accessory and lifestyle brand, Houseplant.
“We found there was a void for beautifully designed pieces for people who smoke weed and wanted to create something that people would be proud to display in their homes, similar to how alcohol-related accessories are often displayed on bar carts and around the house – why shouldn’t it be the same for weed?”
Rogen continues, “I’ve always had a passion and appreciation for design, so I wanted to explore that space and create items I would use in my everyday life to enhance my smoking experience – things that I couldn’t find anywhere else.”
The French do it Better
Someone that steadfast about their ashtrays is bound to be picky, if not pickier, about their joints. Enter OCB, the 106 year old french rolling paper company which “has been around for so long and has a global reputation for being the best at their craft”, Rogen says.
The Houseplant/OCB marriage has birthed the only rolling papers crafted with 100% renewable bamboo and brown rice, instead of the traditional “rag fibers”—typically a blend of sisal, hemp, esparto, flax, or wood pulp. A customer of OCB long before the 2023 partnership was realized, Rogen jumped at the chance to tour the production facility in Perpignan, a small city in southern France nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Proving what he already knew to be true, the trip “solidified my view that this team is making the best rolling papers on earth.”
Houseplant co-founder and suit Michael Mohr echoes the sentiment, “We really admired OCB’s dedication to their craft; they have incredibly high standards, consistently deliver above what is minimally required, and are just as obsessed with quality as we are. They have a strong legacy in the market and we knew that together we could create a best-in-class product with a unique angle that would resonate well with consumers.”
Matching energies and mutual admiration is paramount for any successful union. Don Levin, founder and CEO of Republic Brands, the parent company of OCB, thinks as highly of Rogen as Rogen thinks of OCB.
“Houseplant by OCB represents a true partnership between people with shared values. Seth’s authenticity and passion for the products has solidified his reputation as a trusted tastemaker in the cannabis industry. Similarly, OCB has long been a preferred brand of connoisseurs. Together, we are disrupting the industry by asking consumers to take a minute and think about what’s in their rolling paper.”
“Innovative, Sustainable, Functional”
Three words Levin used to describe the brand, which—let’s be real—is an ambitious take on the humble rolling paper. However, OCB by Houseplant is toeing the line and turning what was once was a level playing field into a hierarchy of joint paper supremacy. They’ve asked themselves the hard questions and produced something worthwhile, because it does matter what we smoke.
Esparto (a common ingredient in standard rolling papers) is wildly carcinogenic. As is bleach, which is what you’re smoking if your papers are white. Wood pulp neither tastes good nor is it renewable or environmentally friendly.
Levin continues, “No other brand in the U.S. provides a paper made of 100% bamboo or real rice fibers. This is possible because we can harvest those plants dozens of times, compared to the time it takes to grow a tree.
“Because OCB makes our own paper and cares about protecting the environment, we use sustainably harvested materials that provide the best possible smoking experience. The paper is almost tasteless – I would describe Bamboo as a super clean mouthfeel, whereas Brown Rice has a more silky feel to it.”
Elevating what was once an overlooked aspect of smoking into a near artform in its own right, Houseplant by OCB is yet another scene in the double feature that is Seth Rogen’s life. Who would he choose to play himself in his own biopic?
“Christian Bale, or maybe a Roadhouse-shaped Jake Gyllenhaal.”