<p>A rare strain. A murder. A stoned process server and his dealer somehow becoming action heroes.</p><p><br></p><p>Episode 4 of Helping or Hurting? revisits Pineapple Express, the 2008 cult classic that pushed cannabis deeper into mainstream Hollywood than ever before. What begins as a stoner comedy quickly becomes a full-scale action film, blending strain culture, paranoia, friendship and absurd violence into one chaotic ride.</p><p><br></p><p>Hosted by Paul O’Donoghue of Give &amp; Toke, alongside Joel Green and Bashar Al-Humrany of Exotican, this episode explores whether Pineapple Express helped normalise cannabis for a wider audience, or simply repackaged old stereotypes for a new generation.</p><p><br></p><p>From the legacy of Reefer Madness to the rise of commercial strain culture, this conversation unpacks how cannabis moved from counterculture into blockbuster entertainment.</p><p><br></p><p>Helping or Hurting? is a four-part podcast series by Give &amp; Toke and Exotican examining how cannabis has been portrayed on screen, and whether those portrayals have helped or hindered progress.</p><p><br></p><p><a href="giveandtoke.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">giveandtoke.com.au</a></p><p><a href="exotican.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">exotican.com.au</a></p>