When Will Cohen and Ben Kraim first started Tokin’ Jew, they were not trying to launch a business. They were two friends exploring the overlap between Judaism, cannabis, and community, laughing their way into something bigger.
Today, the Brooklyn-based brand is part meme page, part kosher edible company, part community builder, and part reimagining of what it means to be both Jewish and a cannabis consumer in 2025.
As cofounder Ben puts it, “We like to say that Tokin’ Jew is the intersection between Judaism and cannabis, and we are on a mission to destigmatize weed in the Jewish world and destigmatize Judaism in the cannabis world.”
Rituals, tradition, and the plant
The connection runs deeper than novelty branding. For Cohen, the ritual nature of both worlds creates natural synergy.
“Judaism is such a ritualistic religion, tradition-based,” he says. “And similarly, cannabis has that ritual base to it, right? Puff puff pass, no white lighters. There are all these traditions embedded in cannabis. It is funny to bring those intersections together.”
He adds a few theories about the long association. “There is historical and archaeological stuff people point to. I also joke that Jews have really bad stomachs, alcohol has never been great for us, so maybe cannabis became another way to unwind. Judaism is a religion of curiosity, and cannabis opens up that third eye. In typical Jewish fashion, there is no one right answer.”
Ben points to food and Shabbat as natural touchpoints. “So much of Jewish culture is connected to food, and cannabis and food are best friends. Observant Jews from Friday night to Saturday night do not touch fire or electricity, so if they want an elevated experience, edibles go a long way. Jews love that kind of hack for a more enjoyable 24 hours.”
From meme page …
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Author: Kyle Rosner / High Times
