#2492 - Ari Shaffir

Episode of The Joe Rogan Experience · April 30, 2026 · 2 h 42 min

Joe Rogan and comedian Ari Shaffir discuss Shaffir's seven months of off-grid travel, psychedelic drug policy, MMA weight cutting, Gaza, ancient megaliths, and his storytelling series The End.

Summary

Comedian Ari Shaffir returned to The Joe Rogan Experience after roughly seven months travelling through South America without social media. The two traded drug stories, and Rogan praised Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick for backing a $100 million state ibogaine initiative after meeting with its advocates. Rogan blamed the Nixon-era Controlled Substances Act for decades of misconceptions about psychedelics, while cautioning that strong cannabis is not for everyone. They also discussed Brittney Griner's detention in Russia, how media coverage of Donald Trump boosted him, the opioid crisis as depicted in the series Painkiller, the Chicago Tylenol murders, the Ford Pinto, and allegations against Coca-Cola in Latin America.

Rogan argued that weight cutting in MMA should be eliminated and that more weight classes are needed. The conversation moved through chess and pool ratings, Mike Caro's book on poker tells, and the Israel–Gaza war. Rogan described Gaza as looking as if it had been nuked slowly and criticized Israeli strikes in Lebanon, while Shaffir said people he met abroad separated hostility to Israel from Jews. Shaffir said his father, a Holocaust survivor nearing 90, would like to appear on the show.

The pair then discussed climate change, which Rogan said is real but exploited for profit, and ancient sites including Machu Picchu, Baalbek, the Nazca Lines, Petra, Derinkuyu and the Longyou Caves. Shaffir described his opposition to plans to raze Manhattan's Elizabeth Street Garden. In the final hour Shaffir explained how he banked months of podcast episodes before travelling and how his series The End, produced with Tom Segura's YMH Studios, revived the concept of his Comedy Central show This Is Not Happening. Rogan recounted that Comedy Central canceled that show after Shaffir took a special to Netflix, despite Rogan offering to host for free. Shaffir closed by saying stand-up is the coolest job in the world and advising comics not to chase short-form clips.

Chapters

0:12
Ari the Wanderer returns
Rogan welcomes Shaffir back from seven months of travel, and they joke about podcasts, yerba mate and early unregulated edibles.
11:35
Psychedelics, ibogaine and drug policy
They discuss ibogaine, MDMA and psilocybin research, Texas's ibogaine funding and the legacy of the Controlled Substances Act.
23:07
Griner, media and endless war
The talk covers Brittney Griner's detention, late-night and CNN coverage of Trump, terrorism and the Afghanistan withdrawal.
28:46
Opioids and corporate misconduct
They discuss Painkiller, overprescribed opioids, the Chicago Tylenol murders, the Ford Pinto and Coca-Cola allegations.
38:47
Outsourcing, Detroit and pizza
Rogan recalls Ross Perot and NAFTA-era job losses before a tangent on Detroit pizza, Dave Portnoy and Krispy Kreme.
48:53
Early UFC days and weight cutting
They recall antics at early UFC events and Rogan argues weight cutting should be banned and more weight classes added.
1:02:02
Chess, pool and poker tells
Discussion of chess ratings, pool's Fargo ratings, Dominican pool halls and Mike Caro's book of poker tells.
1:19:03
Gaza, Israel and Lebanon
They discuss the Egypt–Gaza border, Israeli strikes in Lebanon, pre-October 7 protests and the destruction of Gaza.
1:32:15
Holocaust memory and climate change
Shaffir describes his Holocaust-survivor father, and Rogan addresses Holocaust number disputes and climate change profiteering.
1:37:09
Ancient mysteries
They discuss megalithic sites in Peru and Lebanon, the Nazca Lines, Petra, Derinkuyu and China's Longyou Caves.
1:53:16
Influencers, nature and parks
Topics include rude influencers, birdsong and anxiety research, Elizabeth Street Garden and the value of wilderness.
2:04:24
Podcasting remotely and The End
Shaffir explains banking episodes, the cancellation of This Is Not Happening and making The End with YMH Studios.
2:30:29
The coolest job in the world
Shaffir reflects on reactions to stand-up abroad, advises against chasing short clips and mentions Legion of Skanks.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Linked moment · 13:23Skip to 13:23 using a listen link in the info box.
Joe Rogan
Rogan praises Dan Patrick for allocating $100 million to the Texas ibogaine initiative after being persuaded by its advocates.
“So he's allocated rather $100 million in Texas for the Ibogaine Initiative, which is amazing”
Listen from 13:23 · Ibogaine
Joe Rogan
Rogan cautions that modern cannabis is very strong and not suitable for everyone, especially those predisposed to schizophrenia.
“I think this is important about weed, too. I'm very adamant that it's not for everybody”
Listen from 14:29
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues that public misconceptions about psychedelics stem from the Nixon-era Controlled Substances Act of 1970.
“It's the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. And that thing, it's really nuts. But for 56 years, we've been living underneath that”
Listen from 16:59 · Controlled Substances Act
Ari Shaffir
Shaffir claims late-night hosts kept talking about Trump for money despite knowing it helped him.
“They knew after Trump won that like talking about him helps him”
Listen from 24:39
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues CNN's constant negative coverage made Trump more popular because Americans distrusted the network.
“it just made him more and more popular because I don't think they understood how much Americans despise them”
Listen from 25:03
Joe Rogan
Rogan says opioid makers told doctors their drugs were not addictive while knowing otherwise.
“They told doctors. They told people. They told everybody that it wasn't even addictive. They knew it was addictive”
Listen from 30:01 · Opioid addiction
Ari Shaffir
Shaffir describes how, per Painkiller, opioid marketing expanded use from severe pain patients to people with mild pain.
“Why don't we just extend the pain threshold to three to 10? And that allows a lot more people in”
Listen from 30:35 · Painkiller (TV series)
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues that fighters should not be cutting weight.
“The whole thing's gross. They shouldn't be weighing in. They shouldn't be cutting weight”
Listen from 52:17 · Weight cutting in mixed martial arts
Joe Rogan
Rogan says banning weight cutting would require adding more weight classes.
“But the only way they're really ever going to be able to do that is to make more weight classes”
Listen from 56:29 · Weight cutting in mixed martial arts
Ari Shaffir
Shaffir says people he met while travelling distinguished between opposing Israel and opposing Jews.
“They really were like, we don't have any problem with Jews. But they would be very staunchly anti-Israel”
Listen from 1:21:14 · Gaza war
Joe Rogan
Rogan describes Gaza's destruction as comparable to a nuclear strike carried out with conventional bombs.
“It looks like they dropped a nuke. They just did it slowly”
Listen from 1:24:17 · Gaza war
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues that children in Gaza bear no responsibility for the October 7 attack.
“Those kids that live in Gaza, they didn't do October 7th”
Listen from 1:24:58 · Gaza war
Ari Shaffir
Shaffir says his father, a Holocaust survivor, works as a docent at a Holocaust memorial and would like to share his story.
“He would love it because he works at the Holocaust Memorial as a docent or something”
Listen from 1:32:42
Joe Rogan
Rogan says humans affect the climate but that figures like Al Gore profit from climate change and use it to restrict rights.
“But that people like Al Gore and a lot of these fucking these greenies, they're profiting off of this concept of climate change and then also using it to clamp down on people's rights”
Listen from 1:35:58 · Climate change
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues that the giant stones at Baalbek predate the Romans because Roman records do not mention building them.
“Now, the thing about the Romans is Romans had meticulous record keeping. And they talked about all the construction of all the different things they had. They don't even mention those stones”
Listen from 1:40:30
Ari Shaffir
Shaffir says he is a single-issue voter on protecting Elizabeth Street Garden from redevelopment.
“So yeah, single issue voter. I don't know about the rest. You got to protect that park”
Listen from 1:59:39 · Elizabeth Street Garden
Joe Rogan
Rogan says cannabis's move to Schedule III is an improvement but that it should be regulated like alcohol.
“Yeah, and now it's Schedule 3, which is still not good. I mean, it should be just like alcohol, but at least it's getting close”
Listen from 2:02:27
Joe Rogan
Rogan says Comedy Central canceled Shaffir's successful show because he took his special to Netflix.
“Ari had a successful show that was doing very well on Comedy Central, and they canceled it because he wouldn't do a comedy special on Comedy”
Listen from 2:14:08 · This Is Not Happening
Joe Rogan
Rogan recounts offering to host This Is Not Happening for free to keep it on air.
“I go, tell Comedy Central I will host it for free”
Listen from 2:15:56 · This Is Not Happening
Ari Shaffir
Shaffir says The End recouped its budget on its first day of release.
“I mean, we made our budget back day one”
Listen from 2:21:57 · The End (storytelling series)
Ari Shaffir
Shaffir says reactions he got in ten countries convinced him that stand-up comedy is the coolest job in the world.
“Bro, we have the coolest job, and I've tested this, in the world”
Listen from 2:31:53
Ari Shaffir
Shaffir advises comedians not to shape their material around short-form video formats.
“It's got to have a punchline at 59 seconds, or I can't put it on YouTube Shorts. That's a dumb way to be building your stuff”
Listen from 2:33:23

People

In the conversation

Joe RoganAmerican comedian and host of The Joe Rogan Experience
Ari ShaffirAmerican stand-up comedian, storyteller and host of the podcast You Be Trippin'

Discussed

Dan PatrickLieutenant Governor of Texas who backed state ibogaine funding
Rick PerryFormer Texas governor involved in the Texas ibogaine initiative
Brittney GrinerWNBA player detained in Russia on cannabis charges
Benjamin NetanyahuPrime Minister of Israel
Wesley ClarkRetired U.S. Army general who described a post-9/11 plan to attack seven countries
Coleman HughesWriter who debated Dave Smith about the Wesley Clark memo
Magnus CarlsenNorwegian chess grandmaster with the highest rating in history
Bobby FischerAmerican former world chess champion
Kurt AngleOlympic gold medal wrestler cited for not cutting weight
Mike CaroPoker author of Mike Caro's Book of Poker Tells
Tom SeguraComedian whose YMH Studios produced The End
Duncan TrussellAmerican stand-up comedian, voice actor and host of The Duncan Trussell Family Hour
Shane GillisAmerican comedian and co-creator of the Netflix series Tires
Eric AdamsFormer New York City mayor who pledged to protect Elizabeth Street Garden
Johnny SomaliStreamer sentenced in South Korea
Dave PortnoyBarstool Sports founder known for pizza reviews

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From the publisher

Ari Shaffir is a comedian, writer, and host of “You Be Trippin’.” His seven-episode live storytelling series, “The End,” is available now from YMH Studios.https://theend.ymhstudios.comwww.youtube.com/@youbetrippinpodwww.youtube.com/@arishaffirwww.arishaffir.com Perplexity: Download the app or ask Perplexity anything at https://pplx.ai/rogan. Get a free welcome kit with your first subscription of AG1 at drinkag1.com/joerogan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 27, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

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