What Pouches Does Joe Rogan Use? Ultra, ZYN, and Alpha
Roon Team
What Pouches Does Joe Rogan Use? Ultra, ZYN, and Alpha
What pouches does Joe Rogan use? The answer changed in 2026. On the April 29, 2026 Joe Rogan Experience (episode #2491, guest Brian Simpson), Rogan said he had recently gotten off nicotine pouches and started using Ultra, a nicotine-free nootropic pouch he said he bought on Amazon. Before that he was seen with ZYN. There is no public record of a paid relationship with Ultra, and he has no connection to Roon.
What follows is a source-by-source breakdown: what Rogan actually said, what each brand claims, and what remains unverified.
Key Takeaways
- The only pouch brand Rogan has named on the record since April 2026 is Ultra, a nicotine-free, caffeine-free nootropic pouch built on paraxanthine.
- He was photographed with ZYN (a nicotine pouch) at UFC 299 in March 2024, but by April 2026 he stated he had gotten off nicotine pouches entirely.
- Alpha from Fully Loaded claims a Rogan mention, but no clip, transcript, or direct quote has been located.
- Several other brands attach his name to their marketing. Most of those claims have no primary source.
What Joe Rogan Said About Pouches on April 29, 2026
Around the 1:00:00 mark of JRE #2491 (2h 38m episode, also on Apple Podcasts and Spotify), Rogan and Brian Simpson are talking about whether addiction is genetic. Rogan mentions a friend who had "like 2 weeks where he was super tense and yelling at people" after quitting nicotine. Then he describes his own experience.
The auto-generated HappyScribe transcript renders the key passage roughly as: "I recently got off of nicotine [pouches] and I started taking Ultra [pouches]... it's like nootropics. It's like vitamins, like brain vitamins." He adds: "No, no, no nicotine" and "I just bought these off Amazon." He also says he personally had no withdrawals.
A caveat on the transcript: HappyScribe is auto-generated, and it mis-transcribes "pouches" as "patches" in at least two spots. The audio is clear. Rogan does not name a specific nicotine-pouch brand in this passage, only that he stopped using nicotine pouches and switched to Ultra.
Later in the episode, around 1:13:34, he says people who use other forms of nicotine "are way more addicted than smokers are."
| Detail | Source |
|---|---|
| Episode | JRE #2491, Brian Simpson |
| Air date | April 29, 2026 (JRE Library) |
| Runtime | 2h 38m |
| Timestamp | ~1:00:00 to 1:02:00 |
| Brand named by Rogan | Ultra (nicotine-free nootropic pouch) |
| Nicotine brand named | None in this passage |
| Paid relationship disclosed | None; not listed on JRE's sponsor page |
Does Joe Rogan Use Ultra Pouches?
Yes, by his own unprompted account. There was no sponsor read, no promo code, and no landing page (takeultra.com/rogan returns a 404).
Within 24 hours, two investors posted on LinkedIn. Brian Sugar (Sugar Capital) and Nathan Cooper (Barrel Ventures) both quoted the clip and disclosed their financial stakes in Ultra. Two weeks later, Ultra itself posted the clip on TikTok with the caption: "The best marketing is the kind you can't buy."
Ultra's website now carries a "Featured on: The Joe Rogan Experience" carousel alongside several other podcasts (Theo Von, Shawn Ryan Show, Tim Dillon Show, and others). Google Ads by Ultra run with the headline "As Seen On Joe Rogan." The phrase "featured on" describes a mention, not a sponsorship. Ultra closed an $11M Series A led by Left Lane Capital in January 2026; investors include Joe Burrow and Dak Prescott. Rogan is not named as an investor.
What Ultra Pouches Actually Are
Ultra Focus is a nicotine-free, caffeine-free oral pouch. Its listed actives are Enfinity paraxanthine, L-theanine, Alpha-GPC, Panax ginseng, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. Paraxanthine is a primary metabolite of caffeine, the compound your liver converts caffeine into. Ultra sells on Amazon and takeultra.com.
One important distinction: Ultra is not ZYN Ultra. ZYN Ultra is a nicotine product from Philip Morris. A New York Post article from July 16, 2026 captioned a photo of the nicotine-free Ultra tin as a "nicotine pouch," which is incorrect. The two products share a word, not a category. For a deeper look at what separates them, see our Ultra vs. ZYN comparison. For a full ingredient breakdown, see our Ultra pouches review.
Does Joe Rogan Use Alpha Pouches?
This one is murkier. Fully Loaded LLC told the Akron Beacon Journal that "a mention of Fully Loaded on the popular Joe Rogan podcast" in April 2024 gave it a "revenue boost." The company's own April 5, 2024 TikTok reads: "Joe Rogan uses our ALPHA Nootropic Pouches!? Is this real life?"
But no clip, transcript, or direct Rogan quote has been found to confirm this. Cyclone Pods' own Alpha review (May 2026) states plainly that Rogan "has not specifically endorsed Alpha Pouches." The company's claim is a company's claim. It is not a verified statement from Rogan.
A separate source of confusion: searching "alpha brain joe rogan" on Amazon mixes results for Onnit's Alpha Brain (a capsule Rogan co-founded and has promoted for years) with Fully Loaded's unrelated Alpha pouch. The two products share a word. That is all. For more on Onnit's actual product, see our Alpha Brain review. For the Fully Loaded pouch specifically, see our Alpha pouches review.
Did Joe Rogan Quit ZYN? The Nicotine Timeline
Here is what is on the record, in order:
August 2022: A widely circulated clip shows Rogan describing going 5 days without nicotine pouches, then returning at a lower strength. He does not name the brand in the clip.
March 9, 2024: During the UFC 299 broadcast, Rogan was seen with a ZYN can in the commentary booth. This is the strongest visual evidence linking him to ZYN specifically.
April 29, 2026: On JRE #2491, he says he got off nicotine pouches and switched to Ultra. He reports no personal withdrawals, though he notes a friend's two rough weeks.
That is the timeline. Specific claims about his ZYN flavor and strength ("Wintergreen and Citrus, 3 or 6 mg") circulate on retailer blogs. None cite a source. Treat them as unverified.
Other Brands Attached to His Name
Several brands besides Ultra, ZYN, and Alpha have connected themselves to Rogan. Here is what exists for each:
Athletic Nicotine: A 2026 STAT News piece says Athletic Nicotine "has won endorsements from people like Rogan." No episode, clip, or direct Rogan quote has been located.
Black Buffalo: The brand's own September 2023 blog post claims Rogan used its pouches on an episode with brand ambassador Brendan Schaub. No episode number or Rogan quote is provided.
Lucy Breakers: No clip or quote located. A "Lucy ULTRA Focus" product cited by some retailer blogs does not exist and was corrected by the blog that originated the claim.
One clear sentence: since his April 2026 statement, Rogan has not named or recommended a single nicotine-pouch brand on the record.
Joe Rogan's Nootropic Gum: Neuro
Separate from the pouch question, Rogan has praised Neuro gum on air for years. Each piece contains 40 mg caffeine and 60 mg L-theanine. By his own account, he bought it himself for about a year before any advertising relationship, going through roughly 4 to 5 boxes a month. Neuro is listed as a current JRE advertiser on the JRE Library sponsor page.
The caffeine-plus-L-theanine combination has real evidence behind it. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis in Nutrition Reviews found that L-theanine combined with caffeine improved attention-switching accuracy and self-reported alertness across acute trials. The paper included studies of L-theanine alone and L-theanine plus caffeine; the combination results specifically should be verified against the full text. That is the science underlying Neuro's formula, and it is the same pairing used in several nootropic pouches in the broader category. For more on L-theanine's role in Rogan's stack, see our L-theanine and Joe Rogan breakdown.
Why the Switch Is the Whole Story
Rogan's April 2026 statement describes a simple substitution: same ritual (a pouch tucked in the lip), different active ingredient. No nicotine, just "brain vitamins." That is the nootropic pouch category in one sentence.
But not all nicotine-free pouches work the same way. Ultra's primary active is paraxanthine, a caffeine metabolite. Other products in the category use caffeine itself, paired with L-theanine. These are different approaches to the same goal, and comparing them matters more than which celebrity mentioned which brand.
How to Check Any "Rogan Uses This" Claim in 60 Seconds
If you see a brand claiming Rogan's endorsement, run through four questions:
- Is there an episode number and date? A real mention should have one. JRE #2491, April 29, 2026 is the Ultra reference.
- Is there a transcript or clip you can verify? Auto-generated transcripts are free on HappyScribe. Search the text.
- Does the person posting the claim disclose a financial stake? Both Ultra investors who posted the clip did. That is a good sign, not a bad one.
- Does "featured on" mean a mention or a paid ad read? Check the JRE Library sponsor list. Ultra is not on it. Neuro is.
One more thing: deepfake video ads using Rogan's face to sell supplements have circulated before. A familiar face in a clip is not proof by itself. Look for the episode number.
The Record as of September 2026
The only pouch brand Joe Rogan has named on the record as one he uses is Ultra, a nicotine-free nootropic pouch, stated unprompted on JRE #2491 (April 29, 2026). Before that, the strongest evidence was a ZYN can visible at UFC 299 in March 2024. Every other brand connection is marketing copy, a company's own claim, or an unsourced retailer blog. If a brand does not give you an episode number and a transcript link, that should tell you something.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Joe Rogan use Ultra pouches?
Yes. On JRE #2491 (April 29, 2026), Rogan said he got off nicotine pouches and started taking Ultra. He described them as "nootropics... brain vitamins" with no nicotine, and said he bought them on Amazon. There is no evidence of a paid sponsorship. Ultra is not listed on JRE Library's current sponsor page.
Did Joe Rogan quit ZYN or nicotine pouches?
Based on his April 29, 2026 statement, yes. He said he "recently got off of nicotine pouches" and switched to Ultra. He was previously seen with a ZYN can at UFC 299 in March 2024. Specific claims about his ZYN flavor or strength have no cited source and should be treated as unverified.
Does Joe Rogan use Alpha pouches from Fully Loaded?
Unverified. Fully Loaded's own marketing claims a Rogan mention in April 2024, but no clip, transcript, or direct quote has been located. Cyclone Pods' own review states Rogan "has not specifically endorsed Alpha Pouches." Do not confuse Fully Loaded's Alpha pouch with Onnit's Alpha Brain capsule, which Rogan co-founded and does endorse.
Is Joe Rogan sponsored by a pouch brand?
Not that is publicly known. Ultra is not on JRE Library's sponsor list as of September 2026. Rogan's Ultra mention was unprompted, with no promo code. He is not a named investor in Ultra's $11M Series A. The only nootropic brand currently listed as a JRE advertiser is Neuro gum.
What gum does Joe Rogan chew?
Neuro gum, which contains 40 mg caffeine and 60 mg L-theanine per piece. Rogan has said he bought it himself for about a year before Neuro became a JRE advertiser. He reportedly goes through 4 to 5 boxes a month. Neuro is a current JRE sponsor.
Are Ultra pouches the same as ZYN Ultra?
No. Ultra is a nicotine-free, caffeine-free nootropic pouch built on paraxanthine. ZYN Ultra is a nicotine product from Philip Morris. They share a word, not a formula. A New York Post article in July 2026 made this exact error, captioning the nicotine-free Ultra tin as a nicotine pouch. For the full breakdown, see our Ultra vs. ZYN comparison.
The Ritual He Described, Without Nicotine
Rogan's April 2026 description is simple: a pouch you tuck in your lip that delivers "brain vitamins" instead of nicotine. That is exactly what the nootropic pouch category does, and there is more than one way to build one.
Ultra uses paraxanthine and no caffeine. Roon uses 80 mg caffeine and 60 mg L-theanine, the combination supported by a 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis linking it to improved attention-switching accuracy and alertness. It adds 25 mg methylliberine (Dynamine) and 5 mg theacrine (TeaCrine) to extend the window. In a randomized, double-blind, crossover PK study (n=12), methylliberine co-administered with caffeine cut caffeine's oral clearance from 41.9 to 17.1 L/hr and extended its half-life from 7.2 to 15 hours, with no increase in peak concentration (Mondal et al., 2022). That study used 100 mg methylliberine and 150 mg caffeine, roughly four times the methylliberine and nearly double the caffeine in a Roon pouch. The mechanism is directionally the same, but the study did not measure Roon's formula. Roon's felt window is 6 to 8 hours, and the trade-off is real: stop at least 8 hours before bed.
Pricing starts at $9.16 per tin on the 12-tin subscription ($0.61 per pouch), or $15.00 per tin one-time for 4 tins. First orders carry a 30-day money-back guarantee, once per customer.
Joe Rogan has no relationship with Roon. He has never used, reviewed, or endorsed it. Roon is not a nicotine product and not a substitute for one. The choice here is a caffeine ritual versus a nicotine ritual, not a way to quit anything. If the idea of a nootropic pouch interests you because of what Rogan described, Roon is a different formula built on a different active, worth comparing on its own terms.
Related from Roon
- Ultra Pouches Review: Ingredients, Feel, and What the Science Says
- Roon vs. Ultra Pouches: Paraxanthine vs. Caffeine Compared
- Nootropic Pouch vs. Nicotine Pouch: What Is the Difference?
- The Best Nootropic Pouches: A Buyer's Guide
Written by Roon Team
