Country superstar Jelly Roll said marijuana has helped him, especially in the area of mental health.
“I get in trouble for this, all the time, but my stance on marijuana will always be the same: I believe marijuana has helped me with so many things, with my anxiety,” the “Save Me” singer told Taste of Country in an interview published on Friday, May 24. “This is a hot topic, but, truly, marijuana has kept me sober.”
In the same interview, he also said that in a world without marijuana, he would consume codeine and continue to snort cocaine, “but in a world with weed, I’ll be fine.”
On the subject of addiction, Jelly added, “I know I have friends who don’t. I have friends who are in the program who are completely against any kind of mind-altering. I respect that. I have so much respect for those people. It’s just not the way my sobriety worked.”
It’s not the first time Jelly – born Jason DeFord – has publicly addressed the issue of substance abuse; the singer had previously been in prison about 40 times for drug-related offenses before turning his life around.
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“I had to learn that you can drink alcohol without cocaine. It took me a long time to learn that,” Jelly previously told PEOPLE. “I never said that, but it’s true. For a long time I just assumed, when people told me they were drinking without cocaine, I said, ‘I thought we were only drinking to consume cocaine.’ ”
He is also paying it forward as he has visited various centers in different parts of the country bringing warm meals and encouragement.
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“I’ve always said that if I’m ever in this situation, I’ll do whatever I can to fight back,” Jelly said. “The fact that just showing up in places can make people happy is such a gift, and I feel like I should show up, if God gave me that gift.”
Take a behind-the-scenes look with Jelly Roll at his sold-out Red Rocks show: All the photos
He also told PEOPLE that when he drinks alcohol and marijuana, he does so carefully and watches his behavior.
“I’ve never talked about it in interviews, but since I drink and smoke weed, I’ll occasionally come to meetings. If I’m really struggling to think about my behavior pattern, I’ll go to a meeting. I just — out of a lot of respect for people who have really gotten off drugs, alcohol, and weed — don’t necessarily claim to be part of the program, because I respect their work and I would never want to diminish it by any of my actions, but AA has done a lot for me.”
Earlier this year, Jelly spoke at a US Senate committee hearing and urged lawmakers to act amid the fentanyl crisis.
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“I think it’s important to tell you all that I’m not here to defend the use of illegal drugs, and I also understand the paradox of my history as a drug dealer standing before this committee,” he said on “But also, I think that’s what makes me makes it perfect to talk about. I was part of the problem. Now I stand here as a man who wants to be part of the solution.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the SAMHSA Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education