You can't smoke that, Snoop! Rapper lights up Paris by carrying Olympic torch ahead of tonight's opening ceremony- as viewers joke that it looks like a massive cannabis joint

Snoop Dogg carried the Olympic torch through Paris ahead of the opening ceremony this evening - as viewers joked that it resembled a giant cannabis joint.

The rapper - famous the world over for his love of marijuana - is in Paris as a special correspondent for US TV network NBC and carried the Olympic flame on a short run around the Stade de France this morning.

For Paris 2024, Olympic organizers turned to French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, who said he drew inspiration from the themes of 'equality, water and peacefulness' in creating the curved steel beacon, which has ripples on its lower half.

But viewers watching Snoop - real name Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr - immediately thought of something else associated with the rapper as it burned at one end: a rippling cannabis joint.

It prompted a tidal wave of memes on social media as pranksters manipulated images to swap the torch for an oversized spliff, while a cartoonist even sketched Snoop taking a draw from the torch.

The 2024 Paris Games officially launch on Friday evening, with over 10,000 athletes set to gather on boats on the River Seine for the opening ceremony.

Last month, he ran a 34.44 in the 200m against American athletes Ato Boldon and Wallace Spearmon.

Snoop Dogg was one of many stars carrying the torch, with French actress Laetitia Casta and French rapper MC Solaar carrying the torch as well.

The 52-year-old, dressed in all white, was all smiles as he carried the flame through the city with anticipation building ahead of the launch.

The Dogg Father has been throwing himself into his unlikely side gig as a sporting commentator, which began during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as he took on work for American TV network Peacock.

Last month, he ran a 34.44 in the 200m against American athletes Ato Boldon and Wallace Spearmon during the US Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Oregon.

'34.44 for a 52-year-old? Ain’t bad,' he said after posing with his time.

Snoop Dogg - known for songs like The Next Episode, with its 'smoke weed everyday' lyric - detailed his love of the Games in a December statement to the network.

'I grew up watching the Olympics and am thrilled to see the incredible athletes bring their A-game to Paris,' he said before the carry. 'It's a celebration of skill, dedication, and the pursuit of greatness.'

The performer hails from the Los Angeles area, where the 2028 Olympics will be held.

He showed his support for Team USA last month when he attended the track and field trials.

The rapper even got to run on the track in Eugene, Oregon, and met with Sha'Carri Richardson before she sealed Olympic qualification.

During the parade, meanwhile, there will be over 3,000 performers in the ceremony with the delegations and passengers on the boasts.

The pre-ceremony press conference was canceled due to directors being pulled away for last-minute preparations, with concern rife over the volume of rain in the city.

The parade will finish in front of the Trocadero where the rem