In a nod to minimalism, pop culture and cannabis we present: Celebrity Weedists. It’s a homage to the famous pot smokers who’ve helped bring cannabis more into the public eye and ultimately, greater acceptance by the majority (whether they wanted to or not). It’s precisely by bringing cannabis out of the dark shadows that enables public sentiment to change so quickly.

We commissioned artist Michael Ian Weinfeld to create the portrait series that’s available as an 18×24 inch poster. Please visit the newly opened Weedist Shop to purchase the artwork for $15.

Below is a breakdown of who made the series and why.

Cheech Marin As part of the Grammy Award-winning comedy duo Cheech and Chong, who have based their 42-year career on counterculture humor with a particular emphasis on smoking giant amounts of weed, Cheech sees federal medical marijuana legalization coming in a couple of years: “The tipping point is 24 states to legalize medical marijuana, so it’s coming soon.”

Richard Branson Founder of the Virgin Group, this British billionaire formed a Global Commission on Drug Policies with former political and cultural leaders of Latin America and elsewhere in a bid to boost the effort to achieve more humane and rational drug laws. He’s also the person who fearlessly asked President Obama for some weed: “I asked him if I could have a spliff, but they didn’t have any,” said Branson after attending a White House state dinner.

Lil Wayne This 30 year old lyrical genius of humble origins and four time Grammy Award-winning rapper has kept cannabis in the public spotlight through his rhymes and actions: “I smoke weed all day. I’m a very successful addict. And a smart one. And a very charismatic one.” Indeed.

Snoop Lion The mega artist formerly known as Snoop Dogg needs no introduction on his musical or marijuana cred. Now 41-years-old and a father of three, Snoop said that if his kids are going to smoke, he’d like to teach them the necessities: “It’s not that I would ever push weed on our kids, but if they wanted to, I would love to show them how, the right way, so that way they won’t get nothing put in their shit or overdose or trying some shit that ain’t clean.”

Paris Hilton American trust fund darling Paris Hilton doesn’t make the cut for saying anything intelligent on cannabis (or any other topic), but rather for being a highly visible and wealthy socialite caught smoking weed all over the globe, twice within a month at a World Cup quarter-final match in South Africa and at an airport on the French island of Corsica. These acts may just be her greatest contribution to humanity thus far.

Michael Phelps Despite his apologies, the guy smoked weed (knows good glass) and went on to not only win a staggering 18 Olympic gold medals for swimming, but also to break 39 world records. Michael Phelps is a real American hero and the poster child, literally, for weed. U-S-A. U-S-A!

Woody Harrelson This longtime proponent pulls no punches when it comes to discussing his support for weed: “Marijuana’s about marijuana. That’s consensual, victimless crime. That’s saying, I think I should have the freedom to do whatever the hell I want to do if I’m living in a so-called free country, as long as I’m not hurting someone else.”

Barack Obama Although Barack Obama has waged an unprecedented war against medical marijuana, he was candid about his weed-smoking days and in a 2006 interview said: “When I was a kid I inhaled frequently. That was the point.” Obama was likely referring to his high school crew, “the Choom Gang.” As reported by ABC News, “Choom was slang for smoking marijuana.” But his greatest contribution to the weed movement is clearly his resume: POTUS. Yes Weed Can!

Cameron Diaz This A-list celebrity hasn’t been shy about sharing her love for cannabis, whether sharing a joint with Drew Barrymore on a public beach in Hawaii with paparazzi around or sharing who her high school weed dealer was: “We went to high school together, [Snoop] was a year older than me. He was very tall and skinny and wore lots of ponytails in his hair and I’m pretty sure I got weed from him. I had to have!”

Bill Maher This television host, comedian, NORML and MPP advisory board member has been a longtime advocate for marijuana legalization, particularly on television where most voices remain silent or employ lame stoner cliche jokes to dismiss this civil rights issue: “Pot is the new gay marriage and by that I mean it’s the next obvious civil rights issue that needs to fall.”

Seth Rogen Hollywood’s biggest stoner and Pineapple Express weed action comedy mastermind Seth Rogen freely admits that he smokes a lot of weed when he’s writing and sees it as no different than a cup of joe: “I think pot is like anything else, I drink coffee… I wouldn’t tell everyone to drink coffee, if you don’t need to drink coffee… don’t drink coffee, if coffee helps you get through the day… then drink coffee. I think weed is a similar thing.”

Willie Nelson This 10-time Grammy Award-winning musician and co-chair of the NORML advisory board smoked weed on the White House roof in 1978. Marijuana is often the first word conjured up in peoples’s minds when they hear his name, he’s fought for the cause so long & tirelessly: “Of course, I would endorse it anywhere, in any state, any time. I think eventually, the worse the economy gets, the more sense it makes to legalize marijuana. First of all, you save all that money being spent on drug enforcement, all the money that goes for putting people in prison for smoking pot. There’s just millions and millions of dollars that can be saved by legalizing it…”

Check out other must-have gear and pop art for the cannabis connoisseur available at the Weedist Shop.