LAGANJA ESTRANJA LIVES LOUD + PROUD
we chatted w/ Laganja Estranja, who just performed at the VMAs alongside Sabrina Carpenter for her new single “Tears.” this summer Laganja worked w/ Culture Machine on an educational Instagram series called Loud and Proud. the series bridges the gap in U.S. history between the LGBTQIA+ community and cannabis. Alongside Laganja, other queer icons like Jorgeous spoke to their experiences with the plant and the importance of the HIV/AIDS crisis and its impact on cannabis today.
to learn more about Laganja and her episode read our exclusive Q+A below ;)
Laganja Estranja
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Laganja Estranja ★
photography, makeup, + styling by Robert Hayman (@roberthaymaniconography)
Q+A WITH ICONIC LAGANJA ESTRANJA
✮ what does being a flamer mean to u?
Laganja: being a flamer means being loud & proud while always showing up and showing OUT!
✮ fuck, marry, kill: indica, sativa, hybrid
Laganja: fuck sativa, marry indica, kill hybrid
✮ how does cannabis inspire u?
Laganja: cannabis inspires me in countless ways!! not only does the plant assist in regulating my system which physically helps me to complete my art, it also opens my mind to countless possibilities i might not think of if not for being stoned.
✮ do you smoke before or after you paint?
Laganja: i usually smoke after i paint as a reward for completing my mug, otherwise painting can take twice as long when stoned. i sometimes get too creative when i’m high, and usually i just want to slap on my war paint before i do my job.
✮ is there a correlation between being flexible + a stoner?
Laganja: weed definitely helps with achieving flexibility!! cannabis relaxes ur body which allows u to stretch further than u might have been able to do before getting elevated. that being said, i also started dancing at the age of seven—long before the plant was introduced to me. so i am extremely lucky that stretching and working on flexibility has been a practice of mine for decades.
✮ how do you use cannabis to get into a flow state?
Laganja: i had a really great friend, Lauren Glen, who wanted me to explore to help me unlock my creativity when I hit a wall with choreography. she had smoked for several years, but i was always a good girl:
i had straight As and parted my hair the way my parents wanted me to and wore pristine collared polos. i never broke the rules but for some reason i really trusted lauren. i knew that she wouldn’t expose me to something that was dangerous! her way of introducing me to the plant as a creative tool was for us to go get stoned after school before our choreography rehearsals. while i didn’t use the term “medicinal,” from day one, cannabis was already in my eyes something that was used to elevate and propel u forward.
i fell in love with the plant immediately! in fact, the piece i choreographed on lauren and two others ended up being performed at the Kennedy Center. in front of the president. i became what’s now called a YoungArts winner and a Presidential Scholar of the Arts. since then,
“i have continued to use cannabis as a choreographer to help alleviate any blockages i may have when trying to invent creative movement.”
✮ what’s ur ideal smoke sesh?
Laganja: my ideal smoke sesh would include my biggest inspiration, Missy Elliott! ideally it would just be she and i in the recording studio as we worked on our new single collaboration.
✮ tell us about ur work with the Loud & Proud project?
Laganja: as a queer-cannabis-activist for over a decade, it felt important for me to lend my voice and platform to celebrate the queer legacy of cannabis activism and advocate for a future where no one is incarcerated for cannabis or punished for being proud.
i also wanted to make sure all of those who came before me were remembered and given their flowers for the incredible fight they started. more specifically, my episode sheds light on the historical connection between LGBTQIA+ liberation and cannabis justice, tracing the origins of cannabis legalization back to the efforts of HIV/AIDs activists, many of whom were also queer.
✮ if u could change one thing about the cannabis industry, what would u change?
Laganja: i would change the communication skills of those in charge and have them put their money where their mouth is!
✮ what are some upcoming projects ur working on?
Laganja: i am currently working on The Roll Up, my new podcast “where fashion meets flower,” “realness meets ridiculous,” and every guest signs up for a healthy hit of culture, comedy, and controversy. hosted by urs truly, this unapologetic weekly show rolls up high fashion, hot takes, and heartfelt moments, all with a perfectly manicured middle finger to the mainstream. “don’t ash on the floor, the carpet’s expensive!” i am also continuing my work as a choreographer with Broadway’s Connor Gallagher on Miss Step, a heartfelt '80s dance musical comedy featuring a transgender/non-binary cast, live aerobics, stunts, competition, and exercise.
