Joe Rogan
Stand-up comic Joe Rogan became an overnight sensation when he began hosting Fear Factor in 2001. He'd previously appeared as handyman Joe Garelli on News Radio from 1995-1999.
Born in New Jersey on Aug. 11, 1967, Rogan came to our attention in 2002 when he hosted the Doobie Awards. He'd made some pro-pot comments and was hired to anchor the smoke-filled awards show.
Rogan often writes about marijuana on his blog:
"Cigarettes kill over 400,000 people a year in this country alone. Alcohol kills over 75,000. 150 people die all over the world each year because coconuts fall on their fucking heads. Marijuana? 0. That’s 0 - EVER. The estimated amount of marijuana that you would have to smoke to kill yourself is somewhere around 1,500 pounds. That’s all just an estimate really, because researchers have never been able to successfully give an animal enough pot to kill them.
"There are a lot of horrible, evil drugs out there in this world that can ruin a person’s life and tear families to pieces when one of its members is caught in its ruthless clutch and they should be eradicated from our society. Marijuana isn’t one of them.
"It’s a plant that gives you a different perspective. It’s a turbo charger for your imagination, it soothes pain and calms nerves, it makes sex feel 100 times better, it makes you more compassionate and more affectionate, it connects you to nature in a way that makes you feel like you’re seeing the world for the very first time, it’s the source of 99% of the comedy I write, and it’s never killed a single person - EVER.
"It seems like a frivolous issue, but I truly believe that legalization would completely change the direction of our society."
He's also a big fan of the hallucinogen DMT.
Like most comics, Rogan does stand-up at clubs around the country. He has popular podcast and appeared in the documentary, The Union: The Business of Getting High. He's also a color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Rogen is married and has two children.
