Woody Harrelson Opens Up On Real Reason He Quit Marijuana, But Is He Really Done With Pot?

For years, Woody Harrelson’s marijuana advocacy has been one of his most defining characteristics. That’s why it might shock you to find out that, as the actor claims, he hasn’t smoked weed for the past 14 months. Why did Harrelson quit smoking pot, and is it really true that this longtime pro-pot advocate has given up on the herb?

In an interview this week with the Hollywood Reporter, the 55-year-old Harrelson discussed a wide range of topics, but Woody’s biggest revelation, as it seems, is his admission that he hasn’t been smoking pot for over a year and counting. As the star of the upcoming film Han Solo: A Star Wars Story explained to the publication, it all boils down to health reasons.

“I stopped smoking pot [14 months ago]. I had some weird reaction, which I looked up later, and it was adrenal exhaustion.”

WebMD defines adrenal exhaustion, or adrenal fatigue, as a condition where stress may lead to one’s adrenal glands not producing enough hormones. While there’s no proof that this theory is valid, symptoms of adrenal exhaustion may include chronic tiredness, difficulty in thinking clearly, or difficulty getting out of bed. However, some doctors believe that these symptoms may be a result of other health issues.

Woody Harrelson’s decision to quit smoking marijuana didn’t end there, as he also admitted to drinking much less these days, due to his tendency to “drink, and then drink too much.” Harrelson added that due to his celebrity status, it’s easy for him to run into people who want to have a few drinks with him, as those few drinks could easily turn into “a lot of shots,” depending on the people he hangs out with at bars.

“I still drink, but I try just to drink on weekends. I mostly just drink wine now, but a few years ago I got into cognac for a while — you know, I’d do shots. I’m a happy drunk, but sometimes I drink to the point where I’m not really thinking very clearly.”

.@WoodyHarrelson: "I'm not George Clooney, but it's still a pretty amazing life" https://t.co/C8hSpqZmC4 pic.twitter.com/2iDwdZrbpF

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 12, 2017

This isn’t the first time Woody Harrelson has admitted to quitting marijuana in recent months, as he made a similar statement to Vulture in a March interview. In that interview, Woody confessed to having mellowed down from his “party animal” days and to having quit smoking pot almost a year prior, which matches up with his latest revelation. But at that time, he wasn’t clear on the exact reason why he gave up marijuana, simply agreeing with his interviewer that pot tends to mess with one’s head, and noting that he had probably had it with 30 years of “partying too hard.”

Then again, maybe the operative words are “smoking pot,” as Civilized brought up Harrelson’s recent appearance on The Late Show. When asked by host Stephen Colbert if he’s really done smoking pot, Woody said that he “doesn’t smoke weed any less,” before adding the following quip.

“No, I did. I quit smoking…this morning. I’ll pick it up after this [interview].”

Colbert would bring the topic up once again toward the end of the interview, as he noticed that Harrelson was having some problems sitting up properly in his chair. As Woody Harrelson explained it, marijuana doesn’t necessarily need to be smoked to be consumed.

“You don’t have to smoke a brownie dude. You know what I’m saying?”

[Featured Image by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images]