Legendary comedian Roseanne Barr was over the “f—ed up” two-party political system long before the disaster of democracy that is the 2016 presidential election. So much so that she decided to run for president in 2012, taking encouragement from one of her friends, documentarian Michael Moore, to capture it all on camera. The documentary, directed by Eric Weinrib, had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015 and hits theaters and on-demand July 1.
While the California Democratic primary was causing a ruckus up and down the coast Tuesday night, The Hollywood Reporter paid a visit to Barr’s home to catch up on politics and pot. Last year, Barr revealed she was going blind and credits cannabis as “good medicine” for relieving the pressure in her eyes. Plans are also underway to open her own medical marijuana dispensary called “Roseanne’s Joint” in Orange County.
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The 63-year-old had plenty to say in the interview about Trump (“We would be so lucky if he won. Because then it wouldn’t be Hillary”) and Clinton (“She probably got the receipt, because she paid for the Oval Office”), but also shares some new thoughts about cannabis.
Highlights from The Hollywood Reporter interview:
Was running for president a disappointment?
Hell no! They legalized pot in Colorado. I was on the Colorado ballot. So I was really thrilled with that. I was a Green and I got the Green Party on the Hawaiian state ballot. So I feel like I accomplished a lot just for me and on behalf of the tax-paying public, which I felt I was trying to represent ’cause I’m one of them, especially farmers. And also artists and writers.
Changing directions here, you’ve said that you didn’t want director Eric Weinrib showing too many scenes of you smoking marijuana in the documentary, yet in the second substantial scene, you’re driving and smoking a joint.
I told him not to put that in but he did. We fought for two years. That’s why it’s late. I wanted him to concentrate more on the issues I was running on rather than the pot I was smoking. But whatever. I ran on legalization and I do use it. So what the f—? I smoke a lot of it. It’s ganja, God made it, it’s awesome. I was gonna smoke during the debates but they kept me out of the debates. But I’m opening a dispensary here in Santa Ana, Calif., in July, when the movie comes out.
You still tour and do live stand up. Is your new material focused on politics?
Just how f—in’ stupid people are! I can’t stand it anymore. ‘Cause they’re not doin’ any hobbies. I think that people need a minimum of five hobbies that they enjoy and that makes them stay home, concentrate, be productive, be private, enjoy their inner resources and build them and mind their own goddamn business. But now people don’t have any inner resources and they look outside for something to f—in’ do. They don’t find nothin’ ’cause they have no talents. They don’t even know what talent is, obviously. They just talk shit. And now that’s an art form. But that bores me.
Roseanne for President, 2020?
Watch a clip from “Roseanne for President”:
