As an aspiring stand-up comic, I have traveled all around this part of the country doing small shows.
I still have not “made it big” but I keep grinding away.
Until I can get some higher paying gigs I can only do shows in places within driving distance. This can be very limiting, but a few months ago I made a discovery and found a whole new untapped market. As marijuana becomes legal in more places there are more dispensaries and smokers lounges open, and these places sometimes look for live talent. Doing a stand-up routine in front of a bunch of potheads at the cannabis dispensary is really good for my self esteem, because I never get bigger laughs! The downside of these gigs is that they pay very little, and nine times out of ten the owner wants to pay me in cannabis instead of cash. Of course I always take it, because it winds up being a better deal for me. I would be lucky to make 25 bucks at one of these gigs, but I will routinely receive $100 or more worth of cannabis. When money gets tight I don’t even smoke the cannabis, I shop it around to my friends and see if anyone wants to buy it. These cannabis dispensary owners never give me low-grade stuff, everything is always the top of the line. At this point I try not to worry about the money or the cannabis, I just keep grinding out shows hoping that one day I will catch my big break. Can a big break come at a cannabis dispensary? Let’s find out.