Paramount wanted the initial screenings to be filled with their most ardent fans. Cheech and Chong also came up with the novel (and ultimately successful) idea of advertising the film through comic strips, which they left on bus benches. The film had test screenings in August 1978 and opened in nine theatres in Texas in early September, grossing $344,785 in its first 10 days. The film went on to become a huge success. Prior to its official release date, the film had grossed $1.7 million, and by the end of the first month of release it had grossed $20 million and went on to gross $76 million at the domestic box office and over $104 million worldwide. The film had midnight screenings at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17 and 18, 1979. The film was banned in South Africa during apartheid. Censors in the country said that the film "might encourage the impressionable youth of South Africa to take up marijuana smoking". It was also banned in Colombia. Home media On April 10, 2018, a 40th Anniversary Edition set was released, which featured the movie on Blu-ray and DVD, and the album on vinyl record and compact disc, as well as a 7-inch picture disc vinyl record single featuring the songs "Earache My Eye" and "Lost Due To Incompetence (Theme From A Big Green Van)", with an image of Cheech from the film on the A-side and the "YESCA" license plate image on the B-side. The 40th Anniversary Edition CD featured two bonus tracks, a previously unreleased version of the song "Up In Smoke" with an additional Spanish verse by Cheech, and a newly recorded "2018 version" of the same song. The set also featured oversized Up In Smoke branded rolling papers, a 11×17 film poster and a booklet with new essays by both Marin and Chong, along with rare and unseen photos. Soundtrack album The soundtrack album was released in 1978. Allmusic gave the album a score of 3 out of 5 stars. In 2017, Billboard named Up in Smoke as one of the 10 best stoner film soundtracks. Track listing Charts Personnel Lou Adler - Producer Waddy Wachtel - Producer (8, 9, 11, 13) Danny Kortchmar - Producer (8. 9, 11, 13) Jerry Leiber - Producer (5, 6) Mike Stoller - Producer (5, 6) Jerry Goldstein - Producer (3) Steve Katz - Engineer Howard Frank - Assistant