Eating a Sandwich is the metaphorFuture Ted uses for smoking cannabis, when telling his kids stories about them. This element is seen most commonly through flashbacks to Ted, Marshall, and Lily partaking in this activity in their college years together at Wesleyan University. It first appears in How I Met Everyone Else and is featured as a running gag throughout the series.
Barney never "eats a sandwich" on the show; he tells Imaginary Jim Nantz in Perfect Week that he has never used any "performance-enhancing drugs", albeit referring to PDE5 inhibitors.
Episode Appearances[]
How Lily Stole Christmas - Ted tells Marshal about a Christmas gift (an easy bake oven) that Lily had told Ted about in their college days after eating a sandwich. This episode happens before the "sandwich" metaphor is established.
We're Not From Here - Robin eats a muffin not knowing that it contains marijuana.
Marshall, Ted and Lily "eating a sandwich" that Marshall confiscated from a kid at their class reunion in 2020
him "eating a sandwich" in his dorm room, and the latter mistakes him for the dean. Ted is later seen eating a sandwich as well, and Marshall realizes he isn't really the dean. Also, later in the episode, in a flashforward to their class reunion in the year 2020, Ted, Marshall and Lily are seen sharing a large sandwich.
The Fight - In a flashback to Ted's college years, Ted and Marshall are again seen eating a sandwich.
Natural History - Another flashback to college Marshall eating a sandwich.
Blitzgiving - Another college flashback to Ted and Marshall.
