Editing Cheech & Chong (section)

===Early years===
[[File:Cheech and Chong 1972.JPG|thumb|left|Cheech and Chong in the early 1970s]]
The duo met in [[Vancouver|Vancouver, British Columbia]], in 1969. Chong was a Canadian citizen, and Cheech had moved there from [[Southern California]] to avoid the draft at the height of the [[Vietnam War]].<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Greasy Love Songs |title-link=Cruising with Ruben & the Jets |others=Frank Zappa |year=2009 |first=Cheech |last=Marin |publisher=[[Zappa Records]] }}</ref> Chong had formed an improv group called "City Works" after seeing Second City Improv while touring as a musician. City Works performed as part of a "hippie [[burlesque]]" at Shanghai Junk, a [[strip club]] owned by Chong's family. Marin briefly joined City Works as a replacement for the original straight man.<ref name=autobiography>{{cite book |title=Cheech & Chong: the unauthorized autobiography|author=Tommy Chong |year=2008 |publisher=Simon Spotlight Entertainment |page=70-84}}</ref>

According to Chong's book ''The Unauthorized Autobiographyæ'', the two came out one night to warm up the crowd for a new musical group of Chong's, but never relinquished the stage due to the audience's strong laughter. As the improv group had not been a financial success at the strip club—they drew a large but low-spending crowd—the two decided to form a comedy duo and play different venues. Successful as a duo, they eventually moved to Los Angeles.<ref name=autobiography/>