Roseanne Barr arrives at the NBC Universal Summer Press Day on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, in Pasadena, Calif. (Richard Shotwell, Invision/AP)

Roseanne Barr: Weed legalization ‘solves about 75 percent of all our problems’

Denver Post journalist John Wenzel spoke with Roseanne Barr over the phone from Los Angeles about marijuana legalization and the 2015 documentary “Roseanne for President!,” which includes interviews with supporters and friends like Sandra Bernhard and Michael Moore. Read his full interview with Barr here, but we cherry-picked Barr’s more weed-centric questions for this Cannabist Q&A.

Q: What was your reaction upon seeing that Colorado legalized recreational marijuana?

A: That was one of the cornerstones of my campaign. We said “Yes we cannabis!” and that’s a real freedom issue, and I think it goes right to the heart of everything in this country. It’s the war on drugs, it’s the way they locked our country down and brought facism here. The legalization of marijuana I think solves about 75 percent of all our problems in this country. But my reaction? I was very humbled and very proud because Colorado was only one of three states where I was on the ballot (in 2012; the other two were California and Florida). It’s a free state and there’s a lot thinkers and they like freedom there.

Q: You’re opening your own medical marijuana dispensary in Santa Ana, Calif. (called Roseanne’s Joint). What do you think Colorado can learn from California on legalization, and vice versa? 

A: I think it’s all vice versa because marijuana needs to be fully legalized in California, and it still isn’t, and I think Colorado and Oregon lead the way. It’s a way to really increase state revenues. That, and hemp production. Like I say in our movie, that’ll save all of our asses. It’s the hope of the future.

Q: Why did you decide to get into the pot business?

A: I was researching it for a long time. It’s a very profitable business for women. I’m a farmer in Hawaii so that’s kind of where the idea came from — hemp even moreso than marijuana. It’s a great crop you can harvest up to four times a year. Now if you’re a farmer and you’re interested in cash crops, it’s the most profitable crop there is.

Q: In one of the opening scenes of the documentary, you’re seen smoking a joint while driving. Do you have a favorite strain or consumption method?

A: I like stuff that helps cancer patients, people who are really in need of medical marijuana. I like oils that treat illness because it’s a fantastic medicine and I approach it as that.

Q: When did you start smoking pot?

A: Oh, I was very young, like everybody of my generation.

Q: What’s young? Junior high? High school?

A: Yeah, high school.

Q: How was Denver weed in the ’80s?

A: You know, at that time I didn’t use it because I was a young mother with two kids. But I look forward to coming back and investigating it once I’m there.

This story was first published on DenverPost.com