Overview of Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast Ep. 611: “Goblin AKA Nick”
This episode is a loose, funny, and candid conversation with Goblin (aka Nick), a drug-focused YouTuber/podcaster known for storytelling about addiction, recovery, and the realities of party culture. The discussion ranges from his early days of using drugs and making content, to YouTube censorship, drug rankings, harm reduction, and the darker consequences of addiction in his orbit.
Who Goblin Is
Nick introduces himself as:
- a YouTuber
- a podcaster
- a “California sober” guy
- someone open about past and ongoing drug use, especially weed and psychedelics
The hosts clearly respect his content and note that many listeners had already recommended him as a guest. He has a large following, including about 1 million subscribers on his main YouTube channel, though he says YouTube has repeatedly refused to award plaques for major milestones.
Origin Story: How He Got Into Drugs and Content
Early drug use and the “crack” story
Goblin tells a wild origin story about smoking homemade crack at 17 with friends after school. The group:
- were already using coke, weed, Xanax, and other drugs
- found instructions online on Erowid
- used a spoon, lighter, foil, and basic ingredients to make a small personal amount
The story is played for laughs, but it also shows how early and casually his drug life escalated.
First major content that popped off
He says the crack story became one of his most notorious videos, but his channel truly started growing after he:
- got arrested for Walmart theft
- went to rehab
- documented his rehab and recovery experiences online
That rehab content became the first major breakout on his channel.
YouTube, Censorship, and Monetization Problems
Goblin explains that his channel has been heavily restricted:
- demonetized for years
- denied YouTube plaques
- unable to get sponsors easily because of his subject matter
He jokes that the homepage of his channel includes a video about his first time smoking crack, which makes support agents at YouTube understandably reluctant to approve awards.
The hosts also discuss how his content is often framed as storytelling and education, but still gets treated as dangerous because it is drug-related.
Drug Culture Discussion: Rankings, Risks, and Harm Reduction
A big chunk of the episode is a casual but serious debate about drugs, their effects, and their relative dangers.
Goblin’s drug ranking opinions
He is especially harsh on:
- DXM / Robitussin — his clear bottom-tier drug
- Opiate pills like Percocet, Norco, and Oxy — he sees them as grimy and inferior to “real” opiates
- Xanax — one of the most addictive and dangerous, but also one he loves and fears most
He describes Xanax as a “problem solver pill,” while acknowledging that it can completely derail people and that withdrawal can be deadly.
Cocaine
He calls coke the “adult drug” because it can let people function socially and professionally for a while, even though it is expensive, anxiety-inducing, and often a path to worse habits.
The fentanyl problem
The conversation turns serious around fentanyl:
- it’s now commonly found in pressed pills, coke, and street opiates
- it’s cheap enough to be used as a cut
- many people don’t realize how widespread it is
- even drug test kits can be misleading because trace contamination can trigger positives
Their point: the drug market is far more dangerous now than it was a decade ago.
Smoke shop / hemp loophole
Nick, who works in the hemp space, explains the weird legal gray area around:
- THCA
- hemp-derived products
- unregulated smoke shop items
- fake “shroom” products that may actually be research chemicals
He argues that many products sold as “hemp” or “mushroom” items are poorly regulated, contaminated, or outright deceptive.
Recovery and What Actually Helped Him
Goblin says rehab didn’t really work for him by itself. What actually helped was:
- realizing his stimulant use was causing severe anxiety and paranoia
- reaching a breaking point where he felt physically and mentally awful
- switching to harm reduction and eventually using weed/edibles to “smoke his way out” of harder addictions
His recovery philosophy is not preachy or all-or-nothing. He’s basically saying:
- don’t bring the bag home
- keep drug use in social settings if you’re going to do it
- avoid the most dangerous substances
- moderate use matters more than moral panic
One of the Darkest Stories in the Episode
The most tragic anecdote involves a former coke plug:
- he had just gotten out of jail and was trying to raise his kids
- his relationship was deteriorating and he became paranoid
- he took a shroom chocolate bar
- he spiraled into a psychotic episode
- he violently attacked his children, leaving one child permanently damaged and in a vegetative state
Goblin uses the story to show how quickly drug use can turn catastrophic, especially when combined with untreated mental health issues and unstable home life.
Socializing, Alcohol, and Stage Presence
The hosts also talk about:
- being bad at socializing sober
- using alcohol or weed to loosen up
- how comedy and podcasting can become dependent on substances
Goblin says he often drinks lightly before podcasts, but not to blackout levels. The hosts compare notes on how they’ve both had to learn how to function socially without relying entirely on substances.
Main Takeaways
- Goblin’s content is part memoir, part cautionary tale, part comedy.
- He is not anti-drug in a simplistic way; he’s strongly in favor of harm reduction and moderation.
- He argues the modern drug supply is much more dangerous because of fentanyl contamination and unregulated products.
- His own life shows both the chaos of addiction and the possibility of getting better without pretending the past didn’t happen.
- The episode balances jokes with genuinely sobering stories about addiction, psychosis, and long-term consequences.
Notable Perspective
A recurring theme is Goblin’s belief that drug use is inevitable for many people, so the better approach is to give honest information rather than just say “don’t do drugs.” His version of advice is more practical:
- know your limits
- avoid the most dangerous substances
- don’t use alone at home if you can avoid it
- and for the love of God, stay off fentanyl