Published at 09:20h on March 15, 2023
Last update: March 16, 2023 at 12:18h.
Ben Zbin left college his freshman year in pursuit of his dream to become a magician. He became a weed dealer after that failed. He’s now able to combine his two most beloved passions.
Zabin, 24, hosts “Smokus Pocus,” a cannabis-themed magic show headed for a two-week residency inside Las Vegas’ AREA15. It runs at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. from April 15 through June 15.
And if you understand why tickets for 4/20 are going faster than the other dates, then you’re definitely in the target demo for this show.
Zabin hit upon the gimmick in May 2021, honing the show during gigs in Portland, Ore., before passing it around the US for 14 months.
“Millions of people like to have their minds blown by watching magic and millions like to expand their minds by getting high, so I figured why not combine the two?” Zabin said in a press release. “This show is really interactive, and the audiences are always so receptive, it’s just a great experience for everyone.”
Smoke and Mirrors
As the world’s first weed-first magician, Zabin — a resident of upscale Greenwich, Conn., where cannabis is fully legal for recreational use — performs tricks that include making objects vanish and then reappear inside bags of his favorite plant.
“While many arrive baked and leave bewildered, the show is equally entertaining for both the stoned and sober,” Zabin said in the press release, which may be the first in history to feel the need to include the following warning: “Cannabis products will not be sold and consuming is not permitted inside.”
Parting Gifts
For the record, Zabin uses real marijuana in his act and lots of it. Lucky attendees will be able to take home some cannabis. Tickets are $30-$45 and only 21 years old or older.