Alex Lifeson Quit Weed for Rush’s Tour. These 10 Musicians Gave It Up, Too (Or At Least Tried)

Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson revealed he gave up marijuana ahead of the band's high-pressure reunion tour, after decades of using it as a creative aid while writing music, though he always performed sober. He told Rolling Stone that halfway through preparing for the tour, cannabis began undermining the confidence, focus and discipline he felt he needed, prompting him to quit despite it being "too late to jump off this ship."

Lifeson joins a long line of musicians who have publicly announced they were giving up weed, with mixed results. Willie Nelson said he'd quit smoking in 2019 after breathing problems, though his publicist later clarified he still used edibles and vaped; his son Lukas Nelson quit more thoroughly in 2023, having previously smoked six or seven joints a day. Paul McCartney declared himself done in 2012, though later sightings cast doubt on that; Snoop Dogg's 2023 announcement turned out to be a paid promotional stunt for a smokeless fire pit brand; and both Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber quit and later resumed, with Cyrus eventually telling Zane Lowe in 2025 that she had given up all drugs and alcohol.