A THC VR video game contest in the United States

The Leafly website is hosting a virtual reality video game contest while high on THC. Each episode pits five contestants against each other, all of whom have vaped weed before playing. The winner of this mini-contest will walk away with 28 grams of weed and a nice, inexpensive trophy.

While the prize may motivate some, the participants are there to have a good time—more so than to walk away with a cup full of weed. Furthermore, four of the five participants are already part of the cannabis community in the U.S. Only eJamila describes herself as a regular smoker.

Players will take turns using the HTC VIVE virtual reality headset in an effort to achieve the highest score.

The show is produced in partnership with Da Vinci, the manufacturer of connected vaporizers. Each contestant can adjust the vaporization temperature via their smartphone and choose which cannabinoids they want to extract, allowing them to tailor the effects of the cannabis—with some choosing to consume less THC. Josh, one of the contestants, for example, set the vaporizer’s temperature to 410 degrees Fahrenheit (210°C), the perfect temperature for extracting THC from the herb.

Round 1: Fruit Ninja

Just like on a smartphone, the player must slice as many fruits as possible to win. Leafly and Da Vinci want to test a player’s precision, agility, and reaction time after smoking.

Americans have a knack for suspense and marketing, since each episode will represent a round. The upcoming games seem to test players' concentration and reaction time a little more.

According to the Virtual Reality, a real tournament called «Stoned Gamers» is held every year in Los Angeles. Participants compete in arcade versions of FIFA, NBA 2K, and Mortal Kombat. In this tournament, there’s much less fun to be had—it’s all about the number of wins and beating the competition.

Théo Caillart