Puff, puff, pass is a rule when it comes to toking, but don’t pass on Ben Zabin’s cannabis-themed magic show, Smokus Pocus, when it blazes into Bend next week — especially if you’ve been puffing.

As the name implies, the Feb. 10 show is informed and enhanced by marijuana. Fret not, those who don’t inhale: Partaking of the devil’s lettuce is not necessary to enjoy the show, Zabin said.

“I designed the show so it’s really engaging for both the stoned and the sober,” he said. “Believe it or not, we do get a bunch of people who have never smoked weed, and the show is just as fun for them as it is for the chronic stoner.”

Zabin, 24, of Portland, has brought Smokus Pocus to Bend once before, performing to a sold-out room in December 2021.

“It was a blast,” he said. “We had a great audience. I love Bend and I’m pumped to be coming back.”

This time around, Zabin will perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 10 at Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave., in Bend. To buy tickets, which start at $30, and learn more, visit smokuspocus.com.

Zabin spoke to GO! Tuesday about Smokus Pocus and stony magic. What follows has been condensed for space and clarity.

Q: Dumb question, but are you stoned when you do the show?

A: I am not. It wouldn’t be a very good show if I was. There’s a part of the show where I do consume a little bit of weed in a way that people have never seen weed consumed. I’ll leave it there as a bit of a teaser.

Q: Nice, maybe through your magic wand or something? Well, are there any certain strains that you would recommend for the show?

A: Whatever people are comfortable with. We’ve had people show up that have just taken a small gummy. We’ve also had people that are baked out of their minds. We’ve had some people that show up after eating some shrooms. It’s a really good time no matter what level of intoxication you’re at.

Q: Was (creating Smokus Pocus) kind of a thing where you married two things you liked, weed and magic?

A: Yeah, I’ve been a magician … since I was 5. I dropped out of college after a year to become a magician and started touring on cruise ships and touring overseas with the Navy. While I was doing that, I was also living a life where I was selling weed and drugs back home in Boston. I was living these two simultaneous lifestyles as a magician and also as a drug dealer. Then the pandemic hit, and my magic shows all got canceled overseas, and my drug hustle quickly dried up. That inspired me to launch Smokus Pocus, which had been an idea on my mind for a few years. I packed up my car with my stuff and drove across the country to Portland, sight unseen. I didn’t know anybody, but I figured it was the best place to launch the show. It’s been my sole income since I launched it in May of 2021.

Q: How does the show hit differently for stoners? Are there certain jokes, references or sleight of hand things?

A: There’s a lot of jokes in the show that have to do with weed, and there’s some that hardcore stoners will get, and others that if you’re more sober, they might go over your head a bit. But everything’s designed to really be appealing to both ends of the spectrum. You’ll have guys from a college sitting next to a couple that was smoking at Woodstock, sitting next to a group that looks totally different from them. It’s a really broad range of demographics. I’ve also designed the show so it can connect across ages, across socioeconomic backgrounds. It’s a really cool melting pot at the show.

Q: What kind of feedback do you get from folks who have seen the show?

A: It’s been great. It’s a really unique show and it brings out a crowd that normally would not go to see a magic show. … People have been really receptive. We’ve done over 100 shows now, coast to coast, and it’s been really awesome getting to meet people, and bring folks together with cannabis. It’s really awesome to be kind of at forefront of the intersection of cannabis and entertainment, at a time that people are really excited about this concept.

Q: Are you able to do the show in states like Idaho, where weed is not exactly smiled upon?

A: No, I’ve not done any states where it’s fully illegal. I’ve done gray markets, like Philadelphia, Baltimore and Missoula before it got legalized recreationally, but I’m dying to try, like, Texas or Georgia.