This coloring book pairs nicely with weed
On Wednesday, 4/20, my girlfriend came over after dinner and we smoked a joint together on the couch. Right after that, we went to bed without even bothering to strip the comforter. Then we did it.
Which is to say, we colored.
After all, a book called The Stoner's Coloring Book: Coloring for High-Minded Adults lands on your desk at such a fortuitous moment, who wouldn't take the opportunity to properly review it?
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Marijuana is enjoying an extended coming-out party in America right now. Adult coloring is having a moment. It was only a matter of time before the two came together.
Every outlet from CNN to The Guardian to The Atlantic -- has run stories over the past few years about the popularity of coloring for adults. Even The New Yorker weighed in last year, and of course Mashable has a category page devoted to the subject.
Fans of the coloring fad tout the therapeutic benefits of sitting quietly and filling in intricate patterns with a variety of soothing colors. There haven't been a whole lot of scientific studies on this subject, but the anecdotal evidence is strong.
There's also a second thing many of us associate with relaxation and taking a step back from the hectic pace of modern life: marijuana.
Now you might ask: But can't any coloring book be a stoner coloring book?
Sure. But what sets The Stoner's Coloring Book apart is illustrator Jared Hoffman's savvy, skillful reliance on illustrations that hold special appeal for cerebral cortexes that just took sponge-baths in Tetrahydrocannabinol.
Hoffman achieves this with a diversity of images -- it's not all just trippy patterns, man.
There are historical cartoons, such as the famous "furthur" bus driven by author Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters in the 1960s:
There is artsy psychedelia:
And of course, there's goofy weed humor:
Plus, yes, plenty of trippy patterns too.
Sitting on the bed coloring together, with music in the background, was indeed a pleasant, bonding experience as my girlfriend and I enjoyed the mellow stone of that (perfectly legal) indica joint.
Colored pencils brushed against the book's pages. We drifted in and out of contented silence. It was like sitting on a park bench, with our own imaginations replacing the world passing by.
Other fun stoner activities, such as exercise or reading, tend to come with inherent pressures and expectations, goals achieved and targets missed. With coloring, you don't need any real focus point. The journey is truly the destination here. (Far out, man.)
How can you really criticize a coloring book for stoners? Well, it costs $15. Perhaps that's an indulgence, but hey, Hoffman's gotta eat, right?
A non-stoned solo coloring session the following day was pretty nice, too. Still, coloring for me seems best enjoyed under special conditions. And as with many other activities, it's sometimes fun to do alone, but much better with a friend.
The only downside? The Stoner's Coloring Book, which Hoffman put on Kickstarter last year, doesn't arrive in stores until June 21.
Sam Laird is Mashable's Senior Sports Reporter. He covers the wide, weird world of sports from all angles -- as well as occasional other topics -- from Mashable's San Francisco bureau. Before joining Mashable in November 2011, his freelance work appeared in publications including the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, Slam, and East Bay Express. Sam is a graduate of UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz, and basketball and burritos take up most of his spare time. Follow him on Twitter @samcmlaird.
