A Talk With Priya Blunts: NYC’s Heavyweight of Cannabis Comedy

Priya Blunts is a Queens-born stand-up comedian, event producer, and cannabis enthusiast who’s bringing a whole new meaning to getting high on laughter.

With performances at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles, Comedy Mothership in Austin, New York Comedy Club, and Skankfest under her belt, Priya has made a name for herself on the comedy circuit. But lately, she’s been making just as much noise behind the scenes, producing cannabis-friendly comedy shows and events across New York City.

Her latest project, Heavyweights Comedy, is a monthly stand-up residency presented by Tyson 2.0, Mike Tyson’s cannabis brand, where comedians perform inside an actual boxing ring at a Brooklyn consumption lounge. Between producing sold-out 4/20 celebrations, curating comedy lineups, and stepping into a new marketing role with 420NY.com, Priya is finding that her background in comedy, cannabis, and digital marketing has finally come full circle.

I sat down with Priya to talk about growing up with a name like Blunts, the evolution of New York City’s cannabis scene, why she prefers her audiences high and herself sober, and what she’s cooking up in Brooklyn this October.

High. How Are You?

Good, good!

First things first, how did you get the name Priya Blunts?

It’s actually a nickname I’ve had for a very, very long time. Very simply put, I did used to smoke a lot of blunts in high school. And I did briefly sell a little bit of pot brownies and a little bit of weed in high school as well.

So I was given the name Priya Blunts by my peers. When I started my social media accounts, I decided to use that nickname. And then years and years down the line, when I started stand-up comedy, I decided to just keep it.

That’s a good name! But now I have to ask, how are your rolling skills?

Fantastic! Oh my God. I used to be such a pro at rolling a Dutch, and it’s just one of those things I haven’t done in so long. But I got to do it two nights ago, and it’s like riding a bicycle. You never forget.

You recently left your career in e-commerce and digital marketing to focus on comedy and cannabis. What’s that transition been like?

What’s really exciting me these days is that I let go of my e-commerce and digital marketing career about a year ago. And I’m finding that skill set, mixed with the comedy skill set and my involvement in the cannabis world, is all just colliding into one big thing.

There’s no delineation between my personal life and my professional life anymore. It’s all just one thing, and it’s beautiful.

I used to have to keep my stand-up comedy a secret from most of my workplaces. Always. So it’s honestly refreshing that now it actually adds to the work I’m doing.

I just started as the marketing officer for 420NY.com, so you’re going to see way more from them coming up in the future as well.

I lived in New York for eight years and did a lot of cannabis advocacy work before legalization. Then the pandemic happened, I got pregnant, and moved to Atlanta because I thought I needed a front yard. Turns out front yards are overrated. Anyway, I left right as weed became legal! What’s the New York cannabis scene like now? Make me jealous.

Even when I was growing up in New York, as soon as recreational marijuana got legalized in other states, I would make a point to visit those states. I went to the Cannabis Cup in Denver the first year they legalized recreational marijuana.

Having legal weed in New York was such a trip because you grow up your entire life hiding this thing and having to be so private about it. Making sure you’re always rolling something in private, finding a private place to smoke.

To go from that to people just walking down the street smoking a joint? Oh my God, it was so beautiful to see in New York.

Because, as you know, smelling marijuana used to be a reason to get stopped, searched, and frisked all the time. And now it’s not.

Seeing how the scene has evolved is really interesting too. I remember that first year people believed it was a free-for-all. Every deli you knew started selling weed! And then they eventually cracked down on that.

One of the things I’m really happy about is that New York gives priority dispensary licenses to people who were previously incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses. I think that’s super important. They’re also trying to give a strong platform to female owners as well, and I love that.

That’s exactly the kind of equity we were fighting for! And can we talk about the convenience? I used to have to wait around for my weed guy, who would randomly tell me he was in Buffalo when I needed him. Now you can just walk into a store and buy a pre-roll.

I definitely don’t envy those years when you had to deal with a dealer. I think they were called dealers because we were constantly dealing with them!

The transactions were never simple. They were never on time. The product was never consistent. The complaints could go on and on.

Now you can walk into a dispensary, and I think at this point a lot of people have brands and products they really love. You can walk in and say, “Hey, do you have these Tyson 2.0 Mike Bites?” You can get exactly what you want, whereas before you had to take what you were given.

Speaking of Tyson 2.0, you’ve been working with their consumption lounge in Flatbush. Tell me about that.

Fun fact, I actually got to produce the 4/20 grand opening event! It was such a blast.

I’ve always produced events on 4/20, usually comedy shows, so this was my third sold-out 4/20 show in a row. It was exciting to work with a brand like Tyson 2.0, and I’m happy I was able to go beyond their expectations for the event.

What I really love is the location. Some people would say it’s a tough location because it’s not in prime North Brooklyn, but I love it for those exact reasons.

I’m a born-and-raised New Yorker. There’s a guy cutting open fresh coconuts around the corner, and there’s a Peppa’s jerk chicken across the street. It just feels like the perfect place.

I want the consumption lounge, the events I do there, and the people I bring into it to feel like they’re part of the community and not just something that happens to be there.

I want to stay true to where we are and have it feel very New York.

I love that. And you’ve turned the space into a comedy residency called Heavyweights, which is such a clever name considering it’s Mike Tyson’s brand. How did that come together?

Heavyweights started with the 4/20 show. I thought it would be really fun, especially for that space, to go along with the Mike Tyson theme of fighters and boxing.

There’s actually a boxing ring in the space that acts as the stage.

Wait, the comedians perform in an actual boxing ring? That’s amazing.

Yeah! So I thought Heavyweights was a super appropriate name for it. The posters are all designed after vintage boxing posters, and that became the residency, which is now Heavyweights Comedy.

We had our first run of the residency at the end of September, and now it’s monthly. The next one is at the end of October.

We have a really fun lineup booked, and I’m still holding out on a few great names for headliners. We’ve had some great drop-ins in the past too.

Sometimes these larger names can never commit to a show like this, but you never know. Usually you end up texting a bunch of big comics that week to see if they’re free to pop in.

I love that you’re bringing something like this to Flatbush instead of making people travel to Manhattan or Williamsburg for a good comedy show.

The part of Queens where I’m from feels so similar to Flatbush. It’s a lot of working-class families, but people still want something fun to do in the area.

At our last show, I wanted to pay a little homage to Flatbush. Are you familiar with the TV show Flatbush Misdemeanors?

No, but I’m familiar with all the other brilliant shows that get canceled after two seasons. South Side, Bust Down… at this point, if a show gets canceled, I assume it’s probably really good.

Exactly! They become cult classics.

We actually had two actors from Flatbush Misdemeanors who are also stand-ups perform at the last show.

It’s like Deli Boys. The people who love those kinds of shows don’t just like them. They’re obsessed. It’s everything they’ve ever wanted. And then there are people who are indifferent because maybe it doesn’t speak to them.

But the people it does speak to, it really connects.

Let’s talk about your relationship with cannabis and comedy. Are you someone who likes to get high before going onstage, or is that a terrible idea?

When I’m in the ideation and brainstorming phase, that’s when I’ll maybe blaze a little something.

But when I’m performing, I prefer to do that stone-cold sober. You want to have control of the crowd. You want them feeling a little loosey-goosey. You want to be the one who’s in control.

When it comes to writing, ideation, and brainstorming, I feel good taking a few hits of something.

I really prefer flower. I know a lot of people love edibles and vapes, but I’m a flower girl at heart. A little sativa-dominant hybrid, just to get the creative juices going.

Honestly, I tend to smoke at the end of the day when all my responsibilities are done. Or in a social setting. That’s a big part of it for me.

If I’m smoking heavily, it’s never by myself. It’s always in a group setting.

So weed is more of a social thing for you. What’s on the soundtrack when you’re smoking?

I’m from New York, I’m from Queens, so hip-hop is very heavy in my rotation. Dancehall is very heavy in my rotation. Anything Caribbean-adjacent, really.

It’s just the sounds of Queens.

You’ve got a big event coming up on October 12 at the Tyson 2.0 lounge. What’s happening?

I’m super excited for this one!

We’re doing a watch party for Tyson’s new documentary that’s dropping on Netflix on October 13. We’re showing it a day early at the consumption lounge on October 12.

We have a fantastic projector and an amazing space to do something like this.

It’s also a free event because we wanted this to truly be something for the community.

We’re going to have pre-rolls sponsored by Skyworld, Sugar Factory is giving us complimentary bites for all attendees, and Branson Cognac giving us complimentary libations.

I hate the word free. I love the word complimentary!

Complimentary sounds so much fancier! And then Heavyweights is back on October 29?

Yes! It’s monthly now, so we’re really excited. We’ve got a fun lineup coming together, and you never know who might drop in.

Catch Priya Blunts in Brooklyn this October!

October 12: Mike Tyson documentary watch party at the Tyson 2.0 consumption lounge in Flatbush, featuring complimentary refreshments.

October 29: Heavyweights Comedy, the monthly cannabis-friendly stand-up residency presented by Tyson 2.0.

Follow @PriyaBlunts for more comedy, cannabis, and upcoming NYC events.