The Pot Brothers at Law became recognizable through direct, often profane advice about interactions with law enforcement.
1986–1996: Two Brothers, Separate Legal Careers
The Pot Brothers at Law are Craig Wasserman and Marc Wasserman. Their handles are @Wasslaw (Marc) and @wasslawdog (Craig). Craig was admitted to practice law in 1987. He worked at traditional law firms before establishing his own practice. His brother Marc was admitted in 1996. Before becoming an attorney, Marc had worked as a child actor on the television series CHiPs. Marc entered criminal defense as California passed Proposition 215, allowing medical cannabis under state law. The original caption places their separate professional beginnings within the 1986–1996 period.
2008: Craig's Son Jerett Is Arrested
A family experience became an important part of the brothers' public story. In 2008, Craig's son Jerett, also known as J Cures, was arrested on cannabis charges. The original account identifies Jerett as a co-founder of West Coast Cure (@westcoastcure_). Jerett was Craig's son, not a third Wasserman brother. According to the caption, Craig and Marc advised him to remain silent rather than answer investigators' questions. Their instruction was direct:
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
The original account credits Jerett's decision to follow that advice with helping secure a dismissal of the case. The experience became a central example in the brothers' later public education.
2015: The Brothers Take the Message to Instagram
In 2015, Craig and Marc took their legal message to social media and formed Pot Brothers at Law — the brothers' circle had pushed them online, and Jerett's cases had already pulled them deep into cannabis law. They launched:
@pot_brothers_at_law
Their videos combined legal education, humor and blunt language. A recurring series became known as:
#STFUfriday.
The format made their advice recognizable and easy to share.
Snoop Dogg and the Viral Spread of #STFUFriday
The original account identifies Snoop Dogg among the people who reposted the brothers' videos. These reposts helped the content reach a wider audience. Craig and Marc developed from local California attorneys into recognizable online personalities. Their direct delivery and repeated message helped distinguish them from more conventional legal educators.
The Script: Four Questions and Statements
The brothers developed a recurring script for interactions with law enforcement. The original caption preserves the following sequence.
"Officer, why did you pull me over?"
"I'm not discussing my day."
"Am I being detained or free to go?"
"I invoke the 5th."
The script concludes with their signature instruction:
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
The original account presents this script as the foundation of their viral message. It is reproduced here as their public teaching, not as a substitute for individualized legal advice.
2015–2020: Nearly 500,000 Followers
Between 2015 and 2020, the brothers' audience expanded significantly. According to the original account, @pot_brothers_at_law reached nearly 500,000 followers by 2020; documented counts put the account at 120,000 followers in December 2018, more than 300,000 in 2019, and 485,000 by July 2022. Their videos continued combining constitutional-rights education with humor and blunt delivery. The content attracted viewers both inside and outside the cannabis industry.
Marc Becomes the Face of TikTok
As the brothers expanded beyond Instagram, Marc Wasserman became the prominent face of their TikTok presence. The original account credits his combination of humor and legal advice with helping their message reach a new audience. TikTok became an additional platform for their short-form educational content.
Trademarking #STFU
Craig and Marc trademarked:
#STFU.
The original account connects the trademark with their broader public identity. The slogan became shorthand for their message about remaining silent during police questioning and understanding constitutional rights.
2019: Advocates of the Year
In 2019, the Pot Brothers at Law received an Advocates of the Year award, according to the original caption. The recognition reflected their public advocacy and legal education work. The account also describes them as grassroots champions within cannabis culture.
CannaCon: Bringing the Message to Industry Events
Craig and Marc became regular participants at CannaCon. Their appearances brought their social media message into cannabis industry gatherings. The original account presents these events as another opportunity to educate people about legal rights.
Continuing Their Practice in Stanton, California
At the time of the original account, the brothers continued practicing law in:
Stanton, California.
Their work included consulting for cannabis businesses. They maintained their legal practice while continuing to develop their public education presence.
Cannabis Talk 101
Craig and Marc also co-hosted the:
Cannabis Talk 101 (@CannabisTalk101) podcast.
The podcast provided another platform for cannabis discussion, legal education and advocacy. It extended their work beyond short-form videos and event appearances.
From Criminal Defense to Viral Legal Education
Craig and Marc Wasserman began their legal careers separately, with Craig admitted in 1987 and Marc admitted in 1996. Marc's background included acting on CHiPs before entering criminal defense during the Proposition 215 era. The 2008 arrest of Craig's son Jerett became an important experience behind the brothers' advice about remaining silent, and his silence helped get the case dismissed. At Jerett's encouragement, they launched Pot Brothers at Law in 2015. Their #STFUFriday videos spread through social media, including reposts by Snoop Dogg. By 2020, their following approached 500,000. They trademarked #STFU, received an Advocates of the Year award in 2019, became CannaCon regulars and continued practicing in Stanton, CA, consulting cannabis businesses and co-hosting the Cannabis Talk 101 podcast. The original account presents the brothers as California attorneys who used social media to make constitutional rights understandable and memorable.
Sources
Nugg Notes. "The Pot Brothers at Law: California's Cannabis Legal Pioneers." Instagram, May 5, 2025. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJTPyiWAc6z/
The original Instagram post behind this article.
State Bar of California. "Craig Stephen Wasserman #128657 — Attorney Licensee Search." apps.calbar.ca.gov, n.d. https://apps.calbar.ca.gov/attorney/Licensee/Detail/128657
Verifies Craig Stephen Wasserman was admitted to the State Bar of California on June 17, 1987, with offices at 12362 Beach Blvd Ste 15, Stanton, CA.
State Bar of California. "Marc David Wasserman #182352 — Attorney Licensee Search." apps.calbar.ca.gov, n.d. https://apps.calbar.ca.gov/attorney/Licensee/Detail/182352
Verifies Marc David Wasserman was admitted on June 11, 1996, at the same Stanton address, with the website potbrothersatlaw.com.
Wikipedia. "Marc Wasserman." Wikipedia, n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Wasserman
Verifies Marc began acting as a child, appearing in one episode of Sigmund and the Sea Monsters and a few episodes of CHiPs; was admitted to the California bar in June 1996, just before Proposition 215 was enacted, with one of his first clients facing a criminal cannabis charge; that Craig's son J Cures (Jerett Wasserman), a cannabis grower Craig helped set up, was arrested, said nothing to police, and had his case dismissed; that the first video, posted with the hashtag stfu, went viral, reposted by Roger Stone, P. Diddy and Snoop Dogg; that Marc is the face of the group on TikTok; that the brothers have a Cannabis Talk 101 podcast on iHeart Radio; and that the firm won Advocates of the Year at the International Cannabis Business Awards in 2019.
Marc & Craig Wasserman. "How Two Brothers Became Pot Brothers at Law — And Took Shut the Fuck Up Viral." Pot Brothers at Law (Substack), October 25, 2026. https://potbrothersatlaw.substack.com/p/how-two-brothers-became-pot-brothers
In the brothers' own words: Marc became a California attorney in June 1996, the year voters approved Proposition 215, and began representing clients facing cannabis-related criminal allegations; Jerett's cannabis business led them deeper into cannabis regulations, licensing and compliance; the Script runs "Why did you pull me over?" / "I'm not discussing my day." / "Am I being detained or am I free to go?" / "I invoke the 5th, I want my lawyer." / then "SHUT THE FUCK UP"; and "We trademarked SHUT THE FUCK UP and #STFU for legal services."
OC Weekly. "Cannabis Talk 101 Is Changing the Voice of Cannabis Culture in OC." OC Weekly, April 2019. https://www.ocweekly.com/cannabis-talk-101-is-changing-the-voice-of-cannabis-culture-in-oc/
Verifies the brothers co-host Cannabis Talk 101 with Chris "Blue" Wright and Joe Grande, running since 2015; that West Coast Cure is a dispensary co-founded by Craig's son Jerett; that protecting Jerett after his arrests for marijuana possession motivated the brothers' cannabis-law focus; that they had more than 300,000 followers on Instagram at the time; and the Script lines, including "Officer, why did you pull me over?" and "I invoke the Fifth [Amendment]."
Legally Speaking Podcast. "How to Deal with a Cannabis Stop and Search in the US — Pot Brothers at Law, S4E6." Legally Speaking Podcast, n.d. https://legallyspeakingpodcast.com/pot-brothers-at-law/
Records Marc's own words: Pot Brothers at Law was formed in 2015; the saga with his son's cases ran "back in the 2008, 2009," ending with the case dismissed and all product returned; his nephew pushed them to get on Instagram; and the account had 120,000 followers by December 25, 2018.
Cannabis Now. "Can the Smell of Cannabis Get You Arrested?" Cannabis Now, January 31, 2022. http://cannabisnow.com/can-the-smell-of-cannabis-get-you-arrested/
Verifies the firm is brothers Marc and Craig Wasserman, based in California's Orange County, specializing in cannabis cases, and that they gave their law-enforcement seminar at the CannaCon Northeast Cannabis Expo — supporting the CannaCon-regulars claim.
Cannabis Talk 101. "Cannabis Talk 101" (show transcript). Omny, n.d. https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/cec2b4ea-44ef-4cae-88ec-ae280073c986/transcript?format=SubRip
The show's intro handle callout — "Marc's at Wasslaw. Craig's at Wasslawdog" — establishes the correct handle assignment behind the correction flagged below.
Listen Notes. "Marc Wasserman." Listen Notes, n.d. https://www.listennotes.com/ko/top-podcasts/marc-wasserman/
Verifies a July 20, 2022 podcast bio stating the firm's Instagram had 485,000 followers — the dated count behind the follower-timing flag below.
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