Survivor has become a lot more accommodating over the years, at least when it comes to what they let castaways bring with them to Fiji. What was once just the clothes on their back has turned into multiple outfit changes and plenty of protection from the weather. Fans have conflicting opinions about whether they like the wardrobe options, but apparently, production isn’t quite so permissive with other requests.
Survivor fan favorite Ethan Zohn, who won Africa and returned for two more seasons, recently revealed that he applied to bring cannabis with him during his most recent appearance on Winners At War. He’s battled cancer on multiple occasions and has been open about how being a medical marijuana patient helped him eat and stay mentally positive enough to keep fighting. He was hoping the Survivor medical team would give him a pass since he has a prescription.
They apparently took his request seriously, but he ultimately got told no. Here’s what he told Entertainment Weekly…
Because I’m a medical cannabis patient, I actually asked CBS and Survivor if I could bring it to the Winners at War season. The doctor told me, ‘Well, no one has ever asked us that before.’ I was this close… but the plant is illegal in Fiji, so it was a hard no.
Survivor definitely isn’t opposed to castaways having a little fun on the island. There have been plenty of rewards in the past that have involved alcohol, and there have been plenty of contestants who aggressively jumped into the open bar. Not everyone looks at marijuana the same way as alcohol, however, and given Survivor’s close relationship with Fiji, there’s no way they would go against the country’s laws.
Once upon a time, the beloved reality show used to move around the world and shoot seasons in various countries. Fans loved seeing all the different locations and the wildlife the players would encounter, but ultimately, the producers made the decision to stick with Fiji permanently. Having a homebase allows the show to control the elements a bit more (even if they have to share with Love Island), and it allows the budget to stay within a certain range, as there’s less unexpected expenses.
At this point, it seems unlikely that we’ll see Zohn appear on Survivor again. Host Jeff Probst has said several times that they’re not looking to bring back players who appeared on Winners At War. He was, however, very positive about Zohn's last trip to Fiji and went out of his way to talk about how much he enjoyed having him on the show again.
Fortunately, we do know we’ll see Zohn on television in the near future. He announced that he recently filmed a reality show that’ll air sometime next year. It’s unclear if he was allowed marijuana during that shoot, but regardless, it’ll be a blast to see him back on our screens.
