Actor Morgan Freeman is no stranger to weed. He has been quoted several times over the years declaring his love for the plant, going so far as to call prohibition “the stupidest law possible.”
In an interview with The Daily Beast in May, Freeman said it’s time to “legalize it across the board!” He explained he’s used the drug for several years to treat chronic pain and believes it should be available across the country.
“My first wife got me into it many years ago,” he said. “How do I take it? However it comes! I’ll eat it, drink it, smoke it, snort it! This movement is really a long time coming, and it’s getting legs – longer legs. Now, the thrust is understanding that alcohol has no real medicinal use. Maybe if you have one drink it’ll quiet you down, but two or three and you’re fucked.”
Weed helped Freeman to recover from car crash
Morgan has been using weed for many years, but an accident seven years ago taught him just how helpful it can be. He was driving across Mississippi when his Nissan Maxima veered off the road and flipped several times. EMTs used the Jaws of Life to remove him from the car, and he was hospitalized while surgeons saved his left arm.
The shoulder, arm, and elbow were crushed, and doctors had to scramble to repair nerve damage. He was left with persistent pain in the arm, as well as problems with blood flow and mobility.
Freeman said he also suffers from fibromyalgia, a condition that causes diffuse muscle pain and tenderness throughout the body. The weed has helped him manage his symptoms, he said.
“Marijuana has many useful uses,” Freeman said. “I have fibromyalgia pain in this arm, and the only thing that offers any relief is marijuana. They’re talking about kids who have grand mal seizures, and they’ve discovered that marijuana eases that down to where these children can have a life. That right there, to me, says, ‘Legalize it across the board!'”
Increasing number of A-listers openly discussing marijuana habits
Freeman belongs to a growing club of A-list celebrities who openly discuss their marijuana habits. Everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Brad Pitt has disclosed at least occasional toking, while younger stars like Miley Cyrus are increasingly opening up about other drug use.
The pot doesn’t seem to have slowed any of these celebs. Freeman was in four movies in each of the last two years, with two released this year and another two on the way. He’s one of the most recognized Hollywood elites, and his very presence tends to give films gravitas they wouldn’t otherwise have.
As proof that weed is a better alternative to booze, Freeman pointed to the Woodstock festivals. Weed was tolerated at the first concert, in 1969, he said, but much less so at the 30th anniversary event.
“Look at Woodstock 1969,” he said. “They said, ‘We’re not going to bother them or say anything about smoking marijuana,’ and not one problem or fight. Then look at what happened in ’99.”
