Woody Harrelson Finally Quit Smoking Weed
Woody Harrelson is known for his eccentric roles in productions like True Detective and Natural Born Killers and of course, loving weed. But that hard-partying Woody is a thing of the past, apparently, according to a new interview with Vulture.
Asked if there were any misconceptions fans might have of him, Harrelson responded: "They think I’m a party animal, which… I am a party animal. I mean, that might be one thing. But I am a party animal. But on the other hand, I haven’t… I’m now extremely moderate and… I actually stopped smoking pot almost a year ago."
Wait -- what? Up until this afternoon, Woody Harrelson was one of Hollywood's most iconically unapologetic stoners. He's tried (and failed) to open a marijuana dispensary in Hawaii. A few years back, he was working with Willie Nelson to open a weed-themed restaurant. He is (was?) on the advisory board for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). He once quite literally smoked pot during an interview with Playboy, because Woody Harrelson's multitudes cannot be confined by your silly rules, man. In that interview, he explained: "I've seen it printed that I’m a marijuana activist, and I understand that, but it’s really just something I enjoy.... I like the mellow vibe of herb, its uninhibiting effect. For me, it’s a better drug than any of the others, and since we’re all drug addicts, I don’t think it’s a bad choice."
For now at least, it seems like Harrelson's had a change of heart on that front, but that doesn't mean he's not tempted. Just look at this snippet from their conversation about what he does when he thinks of smoking again.
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What do you do to keep from relapsing?
Well, like, last night, someone had — not just good herb but sativa; really good sativa. There’s a joint, and beautifully rolled. I like a beautifully rolled … and I just was like, I mean, I’ve gone this long. It would be weird to just be like, “Okay, let me have a hit off that,” and then suddenly go back to smoking too much, which is… I don’t have a problem at all with smoking. I think it’s great. I think it’s a great drug, in terms of… Even cops say that the side effect is euphoria. Or the… what do you call it?
The effect?
Right. The effect of it is euphoria. But when you’re doing it all the time, it just becomes… Well, you know. I feel like it was keeping me from being emotionally available. I really don’t want this interview to turn into a whole thing about that.
Well, congratulations. It’s not easy.
I still drink. But I try to be moderate with the drinking, too.
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Good on you, Woody. The whole interview by Abraham Reisman is worth a read and covers his new film, Wilson, his thoughts on acting, including a surprise Marlon Brando impression if you can imagine what Harrelson might sound like doing that sober.
H/T: Vulture