The kids are foul mouth, opinionated, and always on point…and they love a little green plant

Since its debut in 1997, South Park has never shied away from taboo topics, and marijuana has been one of its most enduring themes. From early jokes about stoners to full-blown cannabis entrepreneurship, the evolution of weed in South Park mirrors shifting cultural attitudes—and reflects the creators’ own evolving stance.

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The Tegridy Farms storyline, which spans multiple seasons, is satire at its best: equal parts critique of corporate cannabis, commentary on the commodification of wellness, and a portrait of midlife crisis. As Randy evolves into a weed mogul, South Park explores everything from THC-infused products to international cannabis trade.

For Parker and Stone, Tegridy Farms is more than a plot device—it’s a reflection of how far cannabis has come in mainstream America. In interviews, both creators have acknowledged they support legalization and view the war on drugs as a failure. “We always thought it was ridiculous,” Stone said in a 2020 interview. “People getting locked up for something safer than alcohol? It never made sense.”

The irony, of course, is that South Park itself has grown up with its audience. Millennials who watched the show in middle school are now adults—many with mortgages, careers, and legal weed in their states. The cannabis storylines, once rebellious, now resonate as social satire for a generation navigating late-stage capitalism and ever-shifting norms.

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Just days after the Senate confirmed Terrance Cole as the new head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA Administrative Law Judge John Mulrooney — the judge who was tasked with overseeing the stalled-out cannabis rescheduling process — told witnesses in the case that he is retiring “from the bench” on August 1, Marijuana Moment reports.

Judge Mulrooney said his departure “will leave the DEA with no Administrative Law Judge to hear this matter or any of the Agency’s other pending administrative enforcement cases.”

“The Controlled Substances Act requires that DEA administrative enforcement hearing proceedings must be conducted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act and presided over by an Administrative Law Judge. 21 U.S.C. § 824(c)(4); 5 U.S.C. § 556(b)(3). Until there is a change in this circumstance, all matters filed in this case will be forwarded to the DEA Administrator, for whatever action, if any, he deems appropriate.” — Mulrooney, in the report

Mulrooney noted that his previously issued orders “remain in full force and effect unless otherwise modified by a successor Administrative Law Judge, the DEA Administrator, or the Attorney General.”

Cole has not yet indicated whether he wants to allow the federal rescheduling process to move forward, although he said previously that the decision would be “one of my first priorities.”

The rescheduling process has been on pause since Mulrooney canceled a hearing in January for expert testimony in the case. The judge said previously that he would not reschedule the case until the agency’s new administrator had been installed.

“Naturally, I wish all the parties the best in resolving this important issue in a fair, transparent, and accurate manner, and extend my heartfelt gratitude to the parties and their representatives for their sincere, diligent, and indefatigable advocacy,” Mulrooney said.

The Department of Health and Human Services first issued the recommendation to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law about two years ago, under the Biden Administration. Meanwhile, President Trump said last year on the campaign trail that he supported the move to reschedule, but in the six months since the start of his second term, the president has so far failed to take action or even comment on the issue.

The National Cannabis Industry Association, one of the parties advocating for rescheduling in the administrative law case, congratulated Cole on his confirmation to in an open letter this week, urging him to “fulfill President Trump’s campaign promise to ‘unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule III drug’ and ultimately ‘implement smart regulations, while providing access for adults, to safe, tested product.’”