Heard About Cocaine Bear? How About Cannabis Bear?

If you’ve never heard of cocaine bear, it’s a wild story! In 1985, Andrew Carter Thornton II, a drug smuggler who also happened to be a former Kentucky narcotics officer, threw three duffel bags of cocaine out of a plane. Why? He’d overloaded the plane, and safety became an issue mid-flight.

So, with the intention of retrieving the dumped cargo later, he jettisoned three bags over the state of Georgia. The jettisoned bags crash-landed in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest near Georgia’s border with Tennessee.

Not too long after, an adult female black bear found the bags and chowed down on the bricks of cocaine. Now, why would a bear think cocaine is food? One theory is that the drugs were likely cut with flour and baking soda, giving it a pastry or dessert-like scent that got the bear’s attention.

Sadly, a few months later, a hunter found the bear long dead from acute cocaine intoxication after ingesting several bricks of the drug. Thornton didn’t get away with it either, as authorities had already found his body on a driveway in Knoxville, Tennessee.

He apparently jumped from his plane with a parachute strapped to his back and a bag of cocaine strapped to his front. But the parachute failed during descent, sending him plummeting to his death.

This story birthed the legend of “Cocaine Bear,” which Hollywood later turned into a movie released in 2023. However, the flick takes plenty of creative liberties, turning the bear into a bloodthirsty coke fiend that goes on a murder spree while intoxicated.

Is There a Cannabis Bear Story?

Since cannabis can grow in the wild, including in areas where bears roam, you’d think there would be plenty of stories about bears getting stoned. And you’d be right! Even better, unlike the tragic Cocaine Bear saga, which ended with fatalities, cannabis bear tales are usually lighthearted and amusing. Here are some of the most famous ones:

1.     Colorado Bear and Weed Edibles

In 2020, a bear in Cotopaxi, Colorado, raided a resident’s outdoor freezer. The bear might not have come looking for weed, but after an hour of rummaging through the freezer, it made off with a bag of marijuana edibles.

It also snagged a bag of frozen French fries, so you don’t have to worry about how it dealt with the munchies later. While this isn’t as dramatic as the cocaine bear story, it shows how wild animals can easily mistake canna-treats for food.

2.     Homemade Weed Cookie Bear Heist

In 2021, Lauren Vinopal was vacationing on Lake Tahoe with friends, one of whom had shown up with a batch of cannabis-infused cookies. These cookies were accidentally left on the deck overnight in a Tupperware container, attracting a nosy bear who decided to help itself to the treats.

While none of the vacationers actually saw the bear eat the cookies, they did find the Tupperware container ripped to shreds. Beside the wreckage were bear paw prints leaving the crime scene in a zigzagging pattern, suggesting the bear would have failed a sobriety test.

3.     The Bear Guardians of the Cannabis

In 2010, police in British Columbia, Canada, attempted to raid a suspected illegal cannabis farm and storage facility. But their plan was put on pause after they met a gang of 10 to 13 black bears calmly guarding the property.

See If You Qualify For Medical Marijuana - Select Your State!

Select Your State

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Never miss a post

Get updates on cannabis culture, new research, and expert insights

SIGN ME UP

While the bears weren’t aggressive, the police couldn’t risk approaching them without first assessing the situation. They later discovered that the property owner had been feeding the bears for several years, domesticating and using them to keep off intruders.

Eventually, the police figured out a way around the bears and apprehended two people on the property. As for the bears, authorities weren’t open to letting them return to the wild, as they’d become used to humans and human foods. This made them more likely to pose a danger to public safety, leaving conservation officers with the difficult decision of potentially putting them down.

4.     The Colorado Dispensary Break-In

In 2019, the staff of the Bud Depot, a cannabis dispensary in Lyon, Colorado, woke up to interesting CCTV footage. Over the night, a black bear broke through the store’s back fence to reach its dumpster. The bear then wheeled its prize into an empty parking lot, where it spent hours trying to get inside.

Unfortunately for the bear, the dispensary owners had the foresight to padlock the lid, thwarting our dumpster diver’s adventure. While we don’t know the exact contents of the bin that attracted the bear, it’s safe to assume it was a mix of cannabis and food leftovers.  

5.     The Freezer Raid of 2025

In Ucluelet, British Columbia, Canada, a black bear broke into Brandon Halvorson’s house while he was on vacation. The bear apparently let itself in through the dog door and made its way to the freezer, where it chowed down on $500 worth of meat.

The bear also helped itself to some raspberries and the homeowner’s weed stash, all of which were conveniently in the freezer. In true Goldilocks’ fashion, the intruder capped off its adventure by making good use of Halvorson’s bed.

According to Halvorson, “I was wondering why he didn’t hang around. He didn’t touch the pantry and cupboard, and he didn’t open the fridge. Then I remembered I keep my weed in my freezer. I think it’s the weed that saved us. He probably got so paranoid and had to get the (heck) out. I can’t think of another reason he left half of the food behind.”

READ: 5 Holiday Gifts Every Cannabis Lover Will Appreciate

Are Bears Attracted to the Scent of Cannabis?

Bears are omnivores, meaning that, like you, they can eat both meat and plants. Like most predators, they rely heavily on sight and scent to identify what’s edible. So, while the typical grizzly or black bear might not care for skunky cannabis, they might want a taste of a dessert strain.

For example, a dessert strain like Gelato, which smells sweet and creamy with notes of vanilla, berries, and citrus, will definitely catch a bear’s attention. The same goes for cannabis-infused treats like weed brownies and cakes, especially since a bear’s sense of smell makes it naturally attracted to anything sweet and aromatic.

It’s Not Entirely the Bears’ Fault

As the human population expands, we continue to push into territories where bears and other wildlife once roamed freely. This leaves them with shrinking hunting grounds and fewer natural food sources.

On top of that, many people have developed a habit of feeding bears foods they’d never find in the wild. This has led to some bears associating humans with easy, tasty meals, causing them to scavenge at campsites, homes, and trash cans. So, if a bear breaks into your stash for edibles or tasty-smelling buds, it’s not always random curiosity. We’ve unwittingly trained them to search out human goodies.

That said, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of bears or other wild animals coming for your canna-snacks or flower. Some of the most effective include:

• Secure Storage: Keep edibles and flower in airtight, odor-proof containers. This helps mask tempting scents that bears can pick up from miles away. A simple glass jar or purpose-made stash bag can go a long way.
• Dispose Properly: Never toss cannabis packaging, roaches, or leftover edibles in open trash bins. Bears will happily tear through garbage for even the faintest whiff, so always use bear-proof bins when available.
• Lock It Up: If you’re camping or living in bear country, store your stash in a bear locker or inside a sealed, hard-sided vehicle. Bears can easily break into tents, coolers, and even some cars if they smell something good.
• Stop Littering: Avoid leaving food or cannabis-related items lying around that might carry lingering scents.
• Be Mindful Outdoors: Don’t carry strongly scented edibles or flower on long hikes in bear-prone areas. If you must bring them, keep them double-sealed and out of reach to avoid turning your backpack into a bear magnet.
• Stop Feeding Wild Animals: It might feel harmless or even kind, but feeding wildlife teaches them to rely on people for food. Over time, this can make animals bolder, more aggressive, and more likely to cause dangerous encounters. So, stop it!