The internationally infectious video game Pokémon has a new playable monster, and its references to cannabis culture are hard to miss.

The creature, a version of the long-loved Pokemon called Weezing, sports a top hat that doubles as a chimney. And when the hat/shaft is combined with its bubble-base face, it certainly looks exactly like a bong.

If Pokémon Sword and Shield’s developer, Game Freak, intended to make Weezing look like a dope-ass dual-ended water pipe, no one at the company is admitting it. But there are some in-game clues that suggest, yes, “Galarian” Weezing is a floating, gloating reference to marijuana. 

For those unfamiliar with Pokémon, the game’s title is a portmanteau of “Pocket” and “Monster.” Pokémon are strange, fantastical creatures that possess unique powers based on their “type.” For example, water type pokémon can blast jet streams of high-pressure water at their foes, whereas fire type pokémon can light shit up.

Galarian Weezing is a poison type Pokémon, which may offend some of our weed warrior readers out there. Poison type Pokémon often represent pollution or toxic elements, and they can defeat their enemies using suffocating cloud attacks or venoms that induce damage over time. While scientists and doctors debate the dangers of smoking, consuming cannabis presents the least risks compared to smoking other drugs, such as tobacco or meth.

Another fun fact about poison type Pokémon: they’re especially effective at defeating grass type pokémon. And nothing kills a bowl of grass like torching it in a two-foot-tall cartoon bong.

That’s not all! “Interestingly, the Galarian variant of Weezing isn’t just poison type, it’s also a fairy type,” wrote Kellen Beck at Mashable. “Some classic fairy-type moves in Pokémon are Aromatic Mist, Floral Healing, and Nature’s Madness. Tell me that doesn’t sound like drug stuff.”

Sounds like drug stuff to us. 

Gallery — Pokebongs, Gotta Smoke ‘Em All!

However, some Pokémon fans don’t see Galarian Weezing’s resemblance to a bong. Instead, they see something better resembling Rich Uncle Pennybags – the mascot of the monotonous board game Monopoly. These Marxian Pokemon fans have since dubbed the smoky Pokémon “Industrial Capitalist Weezing.” 

“Galarian Weezing is the strongest critique of capitalism since Das Kapital,” wrote one user at the Reset Era forums. “Poison due to fossil fuels, fairy because denying climate change is essentially believing in fairytales.”

We’ll stick to the bong interpretation, thank you very much.

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