Rubén, popularly known as "Uncle Kush," is the visionary behind The High Cloud, a pioneering platform in the cannabis industry. With a dynamic approach that blends entertainment and education, Rubén has been instrumental in changing public perceptions about cannabis. His journey into the cannabis world is deeply personal and driven by a commitment to normalize and educate about the plant's benefits.
What was your main motivation for founding The High Cloud, and how has the platform evolved since its inception? What specific challenges have you encountered while trying to change public perception of cannabis?
We started out in 2022 because I felt there was a big lack of Dutch cannabis content. There’s a lot of information online in English about the responsible use of new forms of cannabis consumption like vapes, dabbing, and all kinds of different edibles. I felt that the Dutch consumer wasn’t getting that message being told internationally. So, I thought it was a great idea to put something in a video form because there are some written magazines and some online magazines, but they weren't capturing the new generation of cannabis consumers. I thought podcasts were the thing at the moment, so let’s do a podcast, let’s do it with video and let’s try to inform people about the various uses of cannabis and show different sides of the cannabis industry.
Here in the Netherlands, we have the idea that cannabis is legal with the coffee shops and everything, and that it’s normal, it’s a status quo. But there is so much happening in this industry to make it work and that’s not always shown. It’s more than just growing a plant and smoking it. There’s a lot of things going on around it, so I thought how better to show that than to actually talk with people that are in that side of the industry, doing different things than just growing and smoking the plant. So we started inviting all kinds of people from different walks of the industry and trying to convey a message that was entertaining enough for young people to watch but also informative enough for it to be educational and not just make a clown version of the cannabis consumer online.
Cannabis gives us positive vibes and helps people lighten up the mood and loosen up a little bit, but it’s also a very serious thing that helps people with their health, with their mental health within families. It’s a stabilizer in a lot of families, for example, and I thought it was very important to show that. It’s challenging when you’re trying to show something that’s illegal or talk about things that are still a taboo or when you’re trying to give cannabis a positive image while there’s still a lot of propaganda demonizing the plant and its users. I get a lot of backlash in media comments on social media. People find it weird what we do, think we’re junkies, think we’re this, think we’re that, but for every hater, there are 1,000 people that tell me that we inspire them, that we help change their relationship with cannabis, and that it was for the better. Our content has helped them because we try to give people a perspective on what’s out there. A lot of Dutch cannabis consumers are used to a certain way of consuming their weed. They go out, buy 10€ of Haze, throw in some cigarette, and smoke it. It’s not the way anymore. It’s for some people, it still might be the thing, but there’s so much out there that’s better than that way or that might suit someone better, and that’s something we’ve been trying to carry out and doing it for two and a half years now. Getting a lot of positive reactions but also facing challenges as every cannabis entrepreneur.
The High Cloud emphasizes both entertainment and education about cannabis. How do you balance these two aspects, and what do you consider to be the most important message you aim to convey to your audience?
It’s very difficult to find a balance between information and entertainment in the content because I can be pretty heavy with the information sometimes because cannabis is very dear to me. I have experienced a lot of benefits from it in my life, and I have a lot of experience with it. So I want to share this with people, but I have to be careful that when I spray information and only teach people this and tell them to do and not to do, then people will get sick of me. They will not like the content and will not get the message because of it. So I’m trying to make something light, use humor but not too much, use light guests in between, and keep the spirit of cannabis within the conversations that we have.
Luckily for us, a lot of the cannabis people are not so corporate or strict and dull. They are just regular fun people who maybe are also artists or have things going on. They’re often very interesting people, so there’s a lot to talk about. That’s the vibe, and I try to stay true to myself, just be me. I don’t do a character, I don’t overdrive. I don’t do things that I would normally not do. What you see is what you get, and sometimes that’s Uncle Kush being in a certain mind state because I’m also a human being with things going on in my life. Sometimes I’m very happy and enthusiastic, and sometimes I’m chilling with things on my mind, but that’s just what it is.
I’m always myself, always to be my most authentic version of me with an open mind, trying not always to defend my ideas as well. I’m all for giving people a stage as well. If you have an idea that might not be my idea of a certain thing, you can go ahead and tell that, and I might say that’s something that I’ve been taught differently, or I’ve always thought it was like this or like that. But I’m not going to be the guy that’s going to say you’re wrong. That’s not my podcast, I’m not going to be in discussions. I’m not going to have that type of content. I’ve had a lot of people ask me why you don’t like debates? Have some pro and some anti-cannabis on. I’m like that’s not fun, that’s not fun to watch. Who wants to watch frustrating debates? And that’s where we lose our audience and our potential to bring information into that target group.
Is there a specific person you would love to interview one day?

There’s still a few people on my list, one of them being Hank de Vries, the owner of The Bulldog Coffee Shops. Just because he’s a rebel type entrepreneur, someone who always kicked against the system and he went out to search for the boundaries just to be able to break them, you know. And be able to pave the way for a lot of entrepreneurs that are active in the business now, and he’s still relevant. That’s something that’s very impressive.
I think he’s been active for a lot of years, and he’s only grown over all these years. Very impressive. That’s why I would love to have him on the podcast and ask him about his trajectory and how he’s developed his career throughout the years, the choices that he made, and his relationship with cannabis, also during those years. You know, has that changed or has it always been the same?
What role do product and strain reviews play in your mission to educate the audience about responsible consumption?
Definitely, the strain reviews help to educate people a little bit on the varieties that are available, the benefits that they might hold, how different strains affect the body and mind differently, and what’s available out there. Product reviews might help people get introduced to new forms of cannabis consumption, like vaporizers, for example. I found that for me, I started doing the strain reviews and the product reviews because I learned that the more channels you have to support your platform, the better. It’s all a funnel.
Actually, what I wanted to do was get people who are interested in a strain or in a product that I’ve reviewed to come to the website and see that there’s more than just a product review. There’s a podcast here. If any young blogger wants to get a chance to do some cool content on The High Cloud, I’d say get in touch with me and we can get you a cool chance to start writing some content.
What impact do you hope the podcast will have on public perception of cannabis?
My main goal is to normalize weed, so what I would love to see is that it will become as normal to smoke a joint at a birthday party as it is to open a bottle of wine. That you don’t need to go through the whole discussion of "what the fuck are you doing, that smells bad." No, it’s like, "oh, you smoke weed, that’s cool, good for you." That’s it, you know. It’s nothing more than that because it’s way less dangerous than alcohol, for example, but still gets treated way worse. Those are the perceptions that I’m trying to change, and I feel that it’s working.
I get a lot of people telling me, "I don’t even smoke weed and I watch the podcast just because it’s interesting and there’s a cool energy." And it taught me a lot about cannabis and changed my perspective on the plant. That’s exactly what we wanted to do. If cannabis is something you’re actually passionate about, go out and do that.
Do cannabis in whatever way, shape, or form suits your talents. Go do cannabis. If you like cars, go do cars. It’s as simple as that, and that’s something that I really want people to understand. It’s not only about the plant or joint. It’s a holistic lifestyle, and cannabis can be a support in that. Sometimes it can support a healthy and active lifestyle. Cannabis can be a support in that, and sometimes it can be something that stops you from getting where you want to go. That’s also the point where I tell people, maybe you should stop smoking weed or change your relationship with the plant in some way or form.
In your podcast, you have featured several influential figures in the cannabis industry. Can you share a story or interview that changed your perspective on a particular aspect of cannabis? What surprised or taught you something new?
Maybe not necessarily on my perspective of cannabis, but on life, I was changed when I talked to Jaya Felliman. He’s a very successful entrepreneur who started out in the light company, sold it for a lot of money, and then found himself rich but deeply unhappy. He stopped working, got a beautiful house and some sports cars, but he was unhappier than ever. He woke up crying in his multi-million euro mansion, in his Maserati, or whatever it was. He had always been working towards growth and having things to do, and when that stopped, his whole drive went away, and he didn’t have anything to do.
Years later, he started all over again with a new lighting company, traveling the world, engaging with the market, and making a marketing strategy. That’s what made him happy, not the money, but the process. It really made me realize that we can always work towards more, but we can never sit and say, "I made it." You never truly make it; you always have to keep busy, have goals, and have something to do. That’s what makes you happy: contributing in some way, having a routine, a rhythm, going out and selling stuff, or whatever. Find something you love and start doing that because then you’re not working anymore. You’re just living your life the best way you can. We all have to do something to earn money to live in this society, so why not do it with something you like?
In your experience, what are the most interesting emerging trends in the cannabis market, and how is The High Cloud adapting to or contributing to these trends?

What we see all over the world now is legalization happening. More and more countries are working towards a legal system for home growing and a commercial system where cannabis can be grown and sold. We’re trying to do more about legal cannabis, so we’re definitely working towards new content forms and maybe even new platforms where we’re going to be sharing other types of content about legal weed, everything that’s happening, the growers, even people transporting weed. We want to show the whole chain and everything that’s going on, to be able to have that gram.
We’re definitely focusing on modern forms of cannabis consumption, like dabbing and vaping. We might do a series on different products and have more product reviews on videos. Another trend we see is live streaming, which is more media than cannabis, but also in cannabis, we see more and more streamers.
That’s something we’ve been doing recently, reviewing strains online live, where people get a chance to interact and ask questions. That’s been very fun and something we’re also building out.
The concept of 'canna-infotainment' is central to your work. How do you think this approach helps demystify cannabis use and educate the audience about its uses and benefits in an accessible way?
Canna-infotainment is really the funnel we created to have the entertainment aspect for cannabis people to draw them in and give them information about cannabis. This helps change perspectives about cannabis for both consumers and non-consumers. We try to educate and develop the industry as a whole, and I think that’s how we have contributed to the normalization of cannabis—by informing people and making sure there is more content about cannabis where we just talk about it like it’s another thing instead of demonizing it like many other media outlets do when it’s about cannabis.
How do you see the impact of cannabis on current youth culture, and how do you think The High Cloud can positively influence the perception and use of cannabis among young people?
Helping people understand that cannabis is not necessarily an unhealthy habit if you do it consciously and choose the right form of cannabis for the right moment in your life is crucial. Some people might start their day with a sativa joint to get things done, and others might need an indica joint to wind down in the evening. If you don’t know those things and start with an indica joint in the morning, it might not help your productivity. So I’m trying to teach people that you could use cannabis as a support in your lifestyle if you know something about the plant and what you’re using. I hope that helps young people change their relationship with cannabis in a positive way and helps them develop in life.
What final message would you like to convey to your followers and the community at large about the future of cannabis and its normalization? How can consumers and businesses contribute positively to this process?
I think it’s very important for people to keep an open mind and understand that cannabis is for everyone, but not every cannabis is for everyone. There might be people who enjoy smoking their weed with tobacco, others who prefer BHO, some who lean towards pure joints or live hash rosin, and others who don’t like to smoke at all and prefer edibles. That’s all okay, as long as it positively contributes to your life. If you’re happy with it and it gives you something you’re searching for in cannabis, that’s great. But if you notice it’s not making you feel good and you’re still using it, that’s not what we want. It’s important for people to keep an open mind, be open to trying new things, and also be open to accepting other points of view and opinions. This way, we can learn from each other, expand the industry, and not work against each other. We want change, and it’s important that we work together to achieve it.