In his twenty-eight years, THEM, the mysterious photographer behind the @WeedNeedThem Instagram account, has learned that creativity, like cannabis, has many different faces. His blunt shots illustrate how cannabis, the ancient nymph that she is, can lure you into a hypnotizing trance, push you to the edge of anxiety, and ravish your soul with true creative fulfillment.
THEM’s relationship with cannabis is incredibly raw and appreciative, but it is also relatively new.
“Growing up in the 90’s and experiencing a hint of the 80’s crack era, [I was] steered away from drugs or any alcoholic substances ENTIRELY,” THEM shared in an Instagram message. “My mom, grandmother, and grandfather were all addicts during that time.”
His father was a well-known local DJ in Brooklyn. The house and techno-beats that he dropped around the city like gems inspired THEM to find solace in his own creativity through music and photography.
“Music was always my first love,” THEM told High Times. He comes from a creative family, so he was always able to practice his rhyming skills, listen to a wide-variety of genres, and use childhood pranks, like roasting his friends, to add flair to his craft.
In 2007, THEM began to explore his love for photography while working in front of the camera as a model for Versace when he was 17. “[Modeling for Versace] was my first way of seeing how set life and the professional side of the [photography] industry works.”
“Fast forward to 2016, my mom had [been] clean for 20 years but my dad and grandfather had gotten sick,” shared THEM. That same year, his father passed away on 4/20. His grandfather’s death followed four months later on August 20th.
“Now, I’m not a spiritual person but isn’t this a sign of a new journey? The only drug my …
Read More
Author: Lyneisha Watson / High Times
