On January 13, 2015, Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz debated marijuana legalization with host Nancy Grace on her HLN show, arguing for legalization while Grace argued it endangered children. The segment went viral, and much of the coverage concluded that the rapper had come off as the calmer and more persuasive of the two. It was an early sign of how far the legalization debate had moved into mainstream culture.
What Happened
2 Chainz, born Tauheed Epps, appeared on Nancy Grace on Tuesday, January 13, 2015, to talk about legalizing marijuana (XXL). Grace, a former Atlanta prosecutor, was one of cable news’s best-known opponents of legalization.
She built her case around child endangerment. She asked how he could support marijuana given stories “like a mom and a dad on the porch, and the baby dies in a fire,” and the show aired a viral video of a toddler apparently being given marijuana (BuzzFeed News). 2 Chainz answered that people who would give drugs to a small child would behave recklessly with or without legal marijuana, and that most people know better (The A.V. Club). He also called her out for interrupting him (theGrio).
Grace pressed him on his own image, at one point reading a drug lyric from his song “Feds Watching” back to him. He answered with his trademark ad-lib, “Truuu” (XXL). After the show he tweeted his thanks to Grace and suggested they “make this a monthly thing” (BuzzFeed News).
Why It Mattered
The timing gave the segment weight. Colorado and Washington had opened the first licensed recreational stores in 2014, and in November 2014 voters in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C. had approved legalization. Alaska’s law would take effect six weeks after the broadcast. National television was still treating legalization as a two-sided fight, and Grace’s show was a natural stage for the “think of the children” argument.
A rapper known for party records arguing policy calmly on a prosecutor’s show was unexpected, and the clip spread quickly online. The A.V. Club ran a satirical headline saying Grace had won the drug war “by yelling at 2 Chainz.” XXL later called the appearance a first in hip-hop history.
What Happened Next
Grace soon challenged 2 Chainz to a rematch, but it never happened, according to XXL. 2 Chainz kept a public profile around cannabis and luxury culture, including hosting the Viceland series Most Expensivest.
The policy argument moved his way in much of the country. Many more states have since legalized adult use, as our state cannabis laws page shows. His home state has not: recreational marijuana is still illegal in Georgia, which allows only a limited medical program (see our Georgia marijuana laws guide). For the national picture, see federal marijuana laws.
Legacy
The debate is remembered less for any single argument than for what it showed: by 2015, legalization had supporters who could hold their own on cable news, and audiences were ready to side with them. It belongs alongside the other turning points in our marijuana history archive and our cannabis news coverage from that era.
2 Chainz vs. Nancy Grace FAQ
When did 2 Chainz debate Nancy Grace?
On January 13, 2015, on HLN’s Nancy Grace. Some later posts date it to 2014, but contemporary coverage confirms the January 2015 airdate.
What did they argue about?
Marijuana legalization. Grace argued it endangered children, citing cases of neglectful parents. 2 Chainz argued that reckless people would be reckless regardless and supported legalization.
Did 2 Chainz and Nancy Grace have a rematch?
No. Grace challenged him to one, but it never took place, according to XXL.
Originally reported by The Weed Street Journal; rewritten and updated in October 2026 with what happened next.
