10 Celebrities Who Smoke Weed (Some May Surprise You)

Plenty of A-listers smoke weed and have said so on the record, from Patrick Stewart and Morgan Freeman, who use it for pain, to Rihanna, Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Lawrence. April 20 is the unofficial world weed day, a big date for anyone who smokes or backs legalization, and it's all about breaking down the taboos around cannabis. Celebrities who openly admit they love the herb have helped shift the way people see the plant.

Everybody knows Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson and Seth Rogen are showbiz's most dedicated stoners. There's no shortage of photos of them enjoying pretty much anything that comes off the plant. They're also part of the reason cannabis is seen today as less harmful, even as a habit that can improve your life when it's used mindfully.

So here's a list of famous people who get high, and some of them might surprise you.

Celebrities who smoke weed

Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart, the actor behind Professor X and Captain Picard, said in 2017 that he uses cannabis products (a spray, an ointment and edibles) every day to ease the pain of the arthritis in his hands. That same year, he publicly backed a University of Oxford research project on cannabinoid-based medicines.

Rihanna

Rihanna has never hidden her love of cannabis. She's one of the most open weed fans in pop music.

In fact, plenty of her Instagram posts have shown her smoking and enjoying weed. The singer is a big supporter of cannabis acceptance around the world.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron, the Oscar-winning actress, told Jimmy Kimmel in 2018 that she and her mom had both been dealing with sleep problems, so they decided to try cannabis edibles. The twist: her mom was the one who went to the store and bought them. Theron said they totally helped her sleep.

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz, who ruled the 2000s box office, doesn't talk about weed much, but in a 2011 TV interview she said she was “pretty sure” she bought weed from Snoop Dogg back in high school (they both went to Long Beach Poly). Snoop joked that he might have.

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey isn't exactly loud about cannabis, but you can't talk about celebrities and weed without him.

He's said in interviews that his famous “Alright, alright, alright” line came from thinking about what his character in Dazed and Confused loved: his car, rock ’n’ roll, getting high and girls. And he told Jimmy Kimmel that while shooting The Beach Bum (2019), Snoop Dogg secretly swapped the prop joints for real weed. McConaughey only found out after the take.

Armie Hammer

Plenty of places still treat cannabis as a crime, and actor Armie Hammer found that out the hard way: in 2011 he was detained for weed possession at a Border Patrol checkpoint in West Texas.

The case didn't go anywhere: the local district attorney declined to prosecute because the amount was too small for a felony charge. Hammer himself later posted his old mug shot on Instagram.

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg has never been shy about smoking weed. In 2014 she wrote a newspaper column about her vape pen, which she said she uses for the headaches that come with her glaucoma. Along the same lines, she later co-founded her own line of cannabis products for menstrual pain.

Sarah Silverman

No list of famous stoners would be complete without Sarah Silverman, who's never held back about her love of weed. On Conan, she's told stories about getting high with her family: bong hits with her dad during a poker game and an edible she shared with her stepmom.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence has been candid about her past weed use. In a 2015 Watch What Happens Live appearance, she admitted to taking a hit before an Oscars ceremony, though she pleaded the Fifth on which one. She's since said those days are behind her.

Morgan Freeman

With that saintly face nobody would ever suspect, Morgan Freeman, the man who played God in Bruce Almighty, has said he uses cannabis mainly for his fibromyalgia, a condition that causes pain all over the body. The legendary actor says he doesn't have a favorite way to take it: he'll eat it, smoke it or drink it.

Why it matters when celebrities talk about smoking weed

Cannabis can have some downsides for cognitive development and memory, but in 2020 the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs formally recognized its medical value. Obviously, if you can avoid smoking it, even better.

Whether they do it for the plant's benefits, for the effects, to take the edge off or just to be at peace with themselves, celebrities who openly back cannabis are setting an example that can help push regulation and legalization forward around the world.