Musicians’ Shifting Stances on Cannabis Use

Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, who has long credited cannabis with inspiring complex guitar parts, announced in a recent interview that he has stopped using weed. He said the habit was creating “negative feelings about my confidence” and interfering with the focus and discipline he wants for the band’s upcoming reunion tour. Lifeson emphasized that the change was a personal choice aimed at improving his mental clarity.

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Willie Nelson told a San Antonio radio interview in 2019 that he was done smoking weed after 65 years, noting past lung abuse. His publicist later clarified that Nelson continued to consume edibles and vape cannabis. Paul McCartney, in a 2012 cover-story interview, declared he was finished with smoking weed, describing his past use as “enough” and linking the decision to a sense of responsibility. David Crosby reported a 14½-year period of total sobriety in the 1980s that included abstaining from cannabis, though he later resumed smoking and identified himself as “just another stoner” around his 80th birthday.

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Lukas Nelson, son of Willie Nelson, quit both weed and alcohol around 2023, stating he still uses mushrooms and that his father respects his choice. SZA announced a weed quit in February 2022 via Twitter, later noting the change in a follow-up post. Kid Cudi first stopped using cannabis in 2011, entered rehab in November 2024, and described a prior habit of 15 blunts a day; after two months of total abstinence he reduced use to occasional evenings. Justin Bieber claimed in his 2020 docuseries “Seasons” that he had stopped smoking weed, but a 2025 source close to him reported sightings of him using a bong. Snoop Dogg posted a November 2023 statement that he was quitting smoking, but a later revelation showed the announcement was part of a marketing stunt.

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Across the decades, artists cite health concerns, career focus, and personal responsibility as primary motivations for quitting cannabis. Several musicians later resumed use, often citing lifestyle changes, creative needs, or limited periods of sobriety. The varied timelines illustrate that quitting cannabis remains a personal, sometimes fluid decision within the music community.

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