{"id":1313,"date":"2021-09-24T19:58:57","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T19:58:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=179569"},"modified":"2021-09-24T19:58:57","modified_gmt":"2021-09-24T19:58:57","slug":"how-mila-kunis-got-stoner-cats-made-with-nfts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=1313","title":{"rendered":"How Mila Kunis got \u2018Stoner Cats\u2019 made with NFTs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>How Mila Kunis got &#8216;Stoner Cats&#8217; made with NFTs &#8211; Leafly<\/title>     <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. 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You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p>On one level, <em>Stoner Cats<\/em> is a rather charming animated series about a groovy elder woman (voiced by Jane Fonda) and her five feline friends. One fateful day the cats accidentally get high on the old lady\u2019s supply and find themselves sentient. On another level, it\u2019s an experiment in alternative financing via the emerging world of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). <\/p>\n<p>The cast features a wealth of A-list talent\u2014Fonda, Mila Kunis, Chris Rock, Ashton Kutcher, Seth McFarland\u2014playing the titular stoner cats. <\/p>\n<p>The show\u2019s animated world, according to an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonercats.com\/faq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online FAQ<\/a>, is brought to life by \u201cthe creative forces behind <em>Toy Story 2<\/em>, <em>Spider-Verse<\/em>, <em>Happy Feet<\/em>, <em>Cryptokitties<\/em> and much much more\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wait, <em>Cryptokitties<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p>Yes, <em>Cryptokitties<\/em>. It\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/videos\/2018\/5\/24\/17390778\/cryptokitties-blockchain-explainer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a whole thing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The crypto and NFT world is buzzing about the new series, but <em>Stoner Cats<\/em> the show has nothing to do with NFTs and everything to do with CATs on THC. The first (and so far only) episode is available on YouTube. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n[embedded content]\n<\/p><figcaption>The sale of 10,420 NFTs financed the production of <em>Stoner Cats<\/em>. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"h-pitching-the-idea-to-hollywood\">Pitching the idea to Hollywood<\/h2>\n<p>The traditional way to raise the money required to make a top-flight animated series is by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/saraschaefer1\/status\/1421622886574395393?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pitching the idea<\/a> to Hollywood, which these days includes everything from movie studios to television networks to streaming platforms. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-left\">\n<p>An old lady and her cats getting baked was too hot for Hollywood to handle.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Mila Kunis (<em>That 70s Show<\/em>, <em>Black Swan, Forgetting Sarah Marshall<\/em>) and her production company Orchard Farms originally went that route with <em>Stoner Cats<\/em>, after developing the idea internally for more than a year. <\/p>\n<p>But even with Kunis\u2019s star power, they found \u201cthe drug content was a detractor\u201d from getting quality offers. This despite wanting only to tell a heartwarmingly wholesome tale, one inspired by the mother of series co-creator <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sarahsosweetly?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sarah Cole<\/a>, who turned to medical cannabis as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/health\/can-cannabis-fight-prevent-alzheimers-disease\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a treatment<\/a> for Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>Apparently, an old lady and her cats getting baked is too hot for Hollywood to handle. Stop and think about that next time you see a movie poster where the selling point is a promise to deliver epic levels of ultra-violence.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-plan-b-cryptocurrencies-and-nfts\">Plan B: cryptocurrencies and NFTs<\/h2>\n<p>Fortunately, Mila Kunis spent her quarantine time fully immersing in a disruptive new tech play, one with the potential to undermine the old media gatekeepers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome people took up baking or knitting, I deep dived into crypto and NFTs,\u201d she told Conan O\u2019Brien on his late night talk show in June. \u201cAnd then I thought, \u2018Well, that was fun,\u2019 so during the pandemic I helped create a piece of entertainment called <em>Stoner Cats<\/em> that we will be releasing soon. You can buy a NFT stoner cat and then that is your token.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Conan, for the record, didn\u2019t seem to understand NFTs any better than most people. But he definitely dug the <em>Stoner Cats<\/em> vibe, as evidenced by the fact that he smoked a joint live on camera less than a week later while interviewing Seth Rogen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCats just sit around anyway,\u201d Conan joked to Kunis. The implication being: <em>Why shouldn\u2019t they get stoned?<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n[embedded content]\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"h-8-3-million-raised-in-35-minutes\">$8.3 million raised in 35 minutes<\/h2>\n<p>When the<em> Stoner Cats<\/em> team released their first batch of 10,420 NFTs in late July, the entire run sold out in 35 minutes\u2014bringing in around $8.3 million.<\/p>\n<p><em>Now<\/em> do you want to know what an NFT is?&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, there\u2019s a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/the-goods\/22313936\/non-fungible-tokens-crypto-explained\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wide range<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-crypto-currency-nft-explainer\/explainer-nfts-are-hot-so-what-are-they-idUSKBN2B92MA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online explainers<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-crypto-currency-nft-explainer\/explainer-nfts-are-hot-so-what-are-they-idUSKBN2B92MA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">choose from<\/a> depending on your level of interest and technological acumen. For the purpose of this story, it\u2019s most important to understand that each of those 10,420 NFTs represents a unique <em>Stoner Cat <\/em>illustration that\u2019s stored in the blockchain, the same way cryptocurrency is stored.<\/p>\n<p>People who spent $800 for a <em>Stoner Cat<\/em> NFT to call their own did so for a variety of reasons, including wanting to support the show\u2019s creators and creation, wanting to own a piece of \u201cnon-fungible\u201d art, and wanting to potentially get in on the ground floor of a lucrative investment opportunity, as there\u2019s lately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/tech\/tech-news\/nft-boom-digital-collectibles-rcna430\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">been a boom<\/a> in the NFT art and collectibles market.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-re-sold-for-a-60k-profit\">Re-sold for a $60k profit<\/h2>\n<p>Already the highly-sought-after Ms. Stoner NFT token has been re-sold on a secondary market at a $60,000 profit. The current holder now has it listed with a sale price of $81 million worth of <a href=\"https:\/\/ethereum.org\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ethereum<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of Ethereum, the crypto currency\u2019s co-founder, Vitalik Buterin\u2014one of <em>Time<\/em> magazine\u2019s 100 <a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/100-most-influential-people-2021\/6095980\/vitalik-buterin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">most influential people<\/a> of 2021\u2014also lends his voice to the <em>Stoner Cats<\/em> cast. But he\u2019s mostly just along for the ride.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-a-women-led-crypto-team\">A women-led crypto team<\/h2>\n<p>The project\u2019s brain trust is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfx.com\/post\/the-inside-story-of-stoner-cats-nfts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The 3050 Gang<\/a>, one of the first all-female crypto teams to have a major impact in what co-founder Mila Kunis describes as a very male-dominated field. And their goal isn\u2019t simply to mint money, advance NFTs and make a show about some seriously stoned cats. Their higher aim is to pioneer a new funding model for creative projects, one that puts artists directly in collaboration with the public. <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-left\">\n<p>Kunis and her team aren\u2019t just creating a cartoon series. They\u2019re blazing a new path in artistic financing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Technology aside, buying a Stoner Cats NFT is not much different from buying an old Disney animation cell, except instead of getting it second-hand from a collectables shop, you can go direct to the artist. It\u2019s basically a new form of crowdsourcing that includes a chance to own a potentially valuable part of the very creation you\u2019re supporting\u2014and putting the means of production in that artist\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cConsumers want to see and hear stories that otherwise wouldn\u2019t be produced,\u201d Morgan Beller, general partner at the 3050 Gang, explained on an episode of <a href=\"https:\/\/nfx.simplecast.com\/episodes\/stoner-cats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the NFX podcast<\/a>. \u201cConsumers also want to share in some of that creative control (and deservedly so) and to belong to something.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-is-this-an-investment-a-contribution-or-just-hype\">Is this an investment, a contribution, or just hype?<\/h2>\n<p>Is there an element of hype to NFTs in general, and <em>Stoner Cats<\/em> specifically? Undoubtably. Hype is a natural part of art, investment, entertainment, and any possible combination of the three.<\/p>\n<p>But as things stand, a humble little show about a bunch of high-flying felines just went to series without asking anyone\u2019s permission or making a single artistic compromise. If thousands of people dropped millions of dollars to buy a cartoon cat because they hope for a return on that investment, how is that any less rational than collecting stamps or Picassos? <\/p>\n<p>For that matter, when Hollywood financially backs a movie, the studios and streamers most emphatically expect a return on their money. So why should this be any different?<\/p>\n<p>Still, even after the first run of <em>Stoner Cats<\/em> NFTs sold like cat nip, the project\u2019s backers continue to carefully play down the investment angle in favor of more utopian ideals, like community-supported art and expression.<\/p>\n<p>After all, as Ms. Stoner herself says in the premiere episode, \u201cmaterial possessions are a social construct.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/how-mila-kunis-got-stoner-cats-made-with-nfts.jpg\" alt=\"David Bienenstock's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>David Bienenstock<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Veteran cannabis journalist David Bienenstock is the author of &#8220;How to Smoke Pot (Properly): A Highbrow Guide to Getting High&#8221; (2016 &#8211; Penguin\/Random House), and the co-host and co-creator of the podcast &#8220;Great Moments in Weed History with Abdullah and Bean.&#8221; Follow him on Twitter @pot_handbook.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/david-bienenstock\">View David Bienenstock&#8217;s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2021-09-24 12:59:15 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Mila Kunis got &#8216;Stoner Cats&#8217; made with NFTs &#8211; Leafly Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? noyes Remember me for 30 days. I confirm that this is not a shared device. Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. On one level, Stoner Cats is a rather charming animated series about a groovy elder woman (voiced by Jane Fonda) and her five feline friends. One fateful day the cats accidentally get high on the old lady\u2019s supply and find themselves sentient&#8230;. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/how-mila-kunis-got-stoner-cats-made-with-nfts.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}