Local man "Freddie the Stoner" has Hulu comedy series about Hollywood marijuana dispensary

BUCHANAN ― A local man, who was serendipitously discovered while standing in line for the first day of recreational marijuana sales at a dispensary in Niles in January 2020, is making the most out of his five minutes of fame.

Freddie Miller, now a budtender and cannabis ambassador for Cannavista Wellness in Buchanan, was between jobs back then when the ReLeaf Center became the first nearby dispensary to offer recreational marijuana for sale.

Since he had nothing better to do that day, Miller decided to brave the cold and stand in the long line for the opening and was among those interviewed by the media that day for the start of recreational sales.

But Miller’s unguarded and stereotypically stoner interview stood out as a made-for-TV moment.

“I was kinda hoping for a Willy Wonka thing with like gates and somebody coming out with a cane and doing tricks,” Miller told WSBT-TV while standing in line. “But so far it’s just cold.”

It’s nearly impossible to capture Miller’s random humor, but the clip of him discussing his desire to try some edibles and perhaps smoke a bowl while watching a “Dracula” series on Netflix went viral.

Folks working for “Jimmy Kimmel Live” found the video and arranged for a remote interview with Miller a week later at the ReLeaf Center. With his infectious laugh and comical answers, Miller’s interview with Kimmel also went viral.

From living at home and looking for work, Miller became a minor celebrity, being sought out for interviews and appearances at dispensary openings and other cannabis-related events in Michigan ― often for little or no compensation.

Just a few months later, Rick Paniagua offered Miller a regular job at Cannavista, initially as a sort of greeter for those coming into the store, but now as a sort of jack of all trades at Cannavista.

At the same time, the relationship with Kimmel continued to grow, with an additional remote interview from Cannavista in early 2021 and a trip to Hollywood for a comedy segment in which Kimmel arranges for a job interview for Miller at a cannabis delivery business in Los Angeles.

In that clip, Miller steps out of an elevator surrounded by smoke and sets about attempting to describe various strains of marijuana. It too, of course, proved to be popular, with Freddie providing unscripted laughs throughout.

In reality, Miller got the short-term job with the purpose of writing a 500- to -1,000 word description about each of the products offered by EmJay. Sounds like an ideal job for a person who says he’s “very weed-focused.”

But, in fact, Miller was missing his friends and family in Michiana and found it challenging to write essays on each product.

“It wasn’t as fun as it sounds,” he said in the break room at Cannavista. “I didn’t know there were 1,000 words.”

But it was another opportunity to continue to develop relationships, and Kimmel eventually invited Miller back out to California to film an unscripted reality TV show about a dispensary in Hollywood called MMD (Medical Marijuana Dispensary) owned by two brothers from Belarus.

The show, called “High Hopes,” is a workplace reality series on Hulu following Belarus-born brothers Slava and Mishka Ashbel as they try to grow their business with a largely stoned crew, including Miller.

High Hopes trailer: Buchanan man part of reality series on Hulu

Executive produced by Kimmel, the show will premiere on April 20 or 4/20, the annual date many stoners set aside to celebrate marijuana, and all episodes will be released at once.

Miller, for one, plans to binge-watch the entire season at once and has his fingers crossed for a second season. Cannavista also will stream the show.

Fortunes have changed for the 32-year-old from New Paris, Ind., since that day standing in line. He no longer has to live at home and he’s proud to report he has regained his driver’s license.

While he’s surrounded by friends at Cannavista, he’s also thankful for the friendship of Kimmel, whom he describes as “very cool, down to earth and just likes a good laugh.”

With a strong bond with family and friends, Miller can also be serious, though he has no problem with bringing some comedic relief to a world that he knows is more full of strife and more divided than ever.

“If I could be put on Earth for one purpose," he said, "it would be to make someone happier.”

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Freddie "The Stoner" Miller stars in new Hulu reality show "High Hopes"