I’ve spent years watching cannabis content evolve, and most of it follows the same rhythm. Fast edits. Trending sounds. Quick hits. Then I came across Cough Creative, and something felt different before I could even explain why. The pacing was calm. The visuals felt familiar. It didn’t rush you. It invited you in.
Ally Train isn’t just making cannabis content. She’s building atmosphere. Drawing inspiration from old nature documentaries, her work blends humor, comfort, and intention in a space that often prioritizes speed over substance. Behind the aesthetic is discipline, lived experience, and a deep understanding of how storytelling can create connection.
I sat down with Ally to talk about creativity, censorship, discipline, and what it really means to build something original in an industry full of noise.
Ally Train of Cough Creative’s style is instantly recognizable. When someone lands on a Cough Creative video, what do you hope they feel before they even realize why they’re watching?
Ally Train: Comfort. I purposefully modeled my videos after old nature documentaries in order to bring a sense of familiarity to my viewers. I want them to immediately recognize the pace of my content, even if the subject matter is a new and comedic take on it.
Every creator has an origin story. What was the moment when you realized cannabis wasn’t just part of your life, but part of your art?
Ally Train: I’ve dealt with chronic illnesses my whole life, the most prominent of which is ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory autoimmune disease that causes immense pain in my joints as well as migraines. I was officially diagnosed and prescribed medication at age 15. The medication helped tremendously, but it didn’t fully end my migraines. I started smoking casually with friends around the age of 16 and realized that not only was I having a great time, but my head was also no longer throbbing. That’s when it really started to click for me, and I began researching the benefits of cannabis. My fire was ignited, and now I use cannabis for my migraines, nausea, anxiety, you name it.
Your edits, pacing, and visuals are on a different wavelength than most cannabis influencers. What’s the creative philosophy running behind your content that people don’t see?
Ally Train: I didn’t want to keep up with trends anymore. I wanted to be the trend. The idea behind my content is this: yes, I am making videos about smoking weed on the internet, but why can’t those videos be good? Why can’t they be dramatically funny? Why can’t they be incredibly detailed? Some of my videos are obviously filler episodes, and some are goofy and fun to make, but there are many that I spend a lot of time on and take tremendous pride in. I think that’s what makes the difference.
Cannabis creators often get shadowbanned, demonetized, and limited. What’s the most frustrating platform battle you’ve had, and how did you adapt?
Ally Train: In June of 2023, my account had just hit 20k followers. It happened pretty quickly after reaching 10k, and I was celebrating the milestone with friends and my now fiancée on a trip to Vermont. This was when I was still playing it fast and loose with my content, so I should have seen it coming. I had taken about 3g of shrooms and about 400mg of RSO when my parents called to tell me they had just bought a puppy. Right after that, Ariana from @IndicaWife called and said, “Do not panic, I need to let you know that your account is gone.” Then the shrooms and RSO hit, and my world crumbled. After months of appealing to Meta, I finally got my account back, and I’ve been much more low-key about what I do online since then. I use phrases like “getting some fresh air,” “increasing my appetite,” and “indulging,” and I never show myself lighting up on camera. I let the smoke or vapor allude to the action instead.
What’s something you refuse to compromise in your content, no matter what the algorithm or brands want?
Ally Train: I don’t drink alcohol, so you won’t ever see me selling it. If you think you see me drinking alcohol, I can promise you it’s juice or a sparkling drink in a pretty glass. I’m a sucker for a pretty glass. The same goes for nicotine. I’ve been approached by nicotine and tobacco brands, but I have no interest in marketing anything nicotine or tobacco-based.
You’ve built a loyal community. What do you think your audience understands about you that casual viewers miss completely?
Ally Train: At a glance, people think this is all that I am, which is understandable because it’s what I’m presenting. But it’s kind of insane to assume that just because someone makes videos about smoking weed, they must only spend their life smoking weed. I am a multifaceted person, and my followers understand that. This page is themed, and I’m only going to post within that theme.
In an industry overflowing with copycats, how do you protect your originality and avoid getting pulled into the sameness of social media trends?
Ally Train: It’s hard to get stuck in trends when I already have my own format. What am I going to do, work a TikTok dance into my videos? I’ll occasionally do a trending recipe, but I have the freedom to pick and choose what I use from the zeitgeist. Sometimes I get writer’s block and revisit things I’ve done in the past, but I always add a twist. No two videos are identical.
What’s a misconception about cannabis creators that you wish you could erase forever?
Ally Train: That we’re lazy or stoned to the bone 24/7. Recording and editing is one thing, but running a page is also running a business. I’m not just posting. I’m keeping the books, pitching brands, building websites, and designing merch. I’m doing all of it.
If you could design the perfect ecosystem for cannabis creativity, what would it look like?
Ally Train: That question is so loaded you would need three editions of High Times to print my answer, so I’ll keep it short. We could build the most perfect platform in the world, but none of it matters unless companies are willing to pay creators their worth for contracted content creation.
What’s the next evolution of Cough Creative?
Ally Train: I’m working on merch and hopefully a website where people can get to know me better. I also have a few bigger projects coming soon that I can’t talk about yet, but people should keep their eyes open.
People talk about your creativity, but rarely about the discipline behind it. What keeps you consistent?
Ally Train: It’s less a habit and more a deadline. I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and that keeps me working throughout the week.
When you scroll through cannabis content today, what feels missing?
Ally Train: The issue isn’t what people want to make, it’s what platforms allow. I miss the aesthetic reels where people set up rigs in beautiful places and took rips to vibey music. Seeing fewer of those videos feels like a symptom of the algorithm cracking down. It felt like we were smoking together as friends.
Your visuals feel emotional rather than transactional. What themes do you return to again and again?
Ally Train: Joy, camaraderie, and comfort. Everyone is exhausted. People are working hard, the news feels heavy, and connection is missing. If I can offer that through my videos, I’m happy to do so.
What risk almost didn’t happen but ended up defining your brand?
Ally Train: Switching to documentary style filming. I had been thinking about it for months, but it was far more involved than my usual content. Before that, I was just using trending audio. Once I took the plunge, I fell in love with the process and haven’t looked back.
If someone were discovering cannabis for the first time, what advice would you want them to hear?
Ally Train: Start slowly. Nothing is embarrassing about coughing, being a lightweight, or needing to lie down. Nothing is embarrassing about getting too high. Keep water nearby, grab your favorite snacks, inhale fresh air after you hit, and don’t hold it in. Put on some chill music and let fresh air hit your face. Isn’t it wonderful that you exist in this moment?
Photos courtesy of Ally Train.
This article is from an external, unpaid contributor. It does not represent High Times’ reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.
