“I Was High 24/7 for 16 Years”: Rock Star Opens Up on Addiction

Chris Barron, the unmistakable voice behind ’90s hits like Two Princes and Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong, has opened up in a new Rolling Stone interview about spending a huge part of his life in a haze of cannabis.

“I was baked outta my mind high 24/7, man,” said Barron, now 57. “I was high from the age of, like, 14 to 30.”

That’s not an exaggeration. The Spin Doctors were peaking in the early ‘90s, with their debut album Pocket Full of Kryptonite selling over 10 million copies. Behind the scenes, Barron was coping with inner noise in a way that felt manageable at the time: by lighting up constantly.

He says marijuana helped him “quiet down the voices in my head,” and looking back, he suspects he would’ve been prescribed antidepressants if he’d grown up in a different time.

But everything changed when his daughter was born.

“I wasn’t together with her mom,” Barron said, “and I had this epiphany of like, ‘If I’m getting high all the time, this is an avenue for my kid to be taken away from me.’”

That was the moment he decided to stop. Cold turkey. And over two decades later, he’s still clean — and still rocking.

This month, the Spin Doctors released their first full-length studio album in over a decade: Face Full of Cake, produced by Phish bassist Mike Gordon. “Mike is like, ‘You guys have 350 million plays on Spotify — that’s crazy!’” Barron recalled. “And we’re like, ‘You guys do 13 nights at Madison Square Garden!’”

In the same interview, Barron reflected on the band’s journey, a rivalry with Pearl Jam back in the day, and a few musical regrets — but mostly, he just seems grateful.

“I get to sing ‘Two Princes,’ which is a really good f—ing song, man,” he laughed. “And ‘Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong.’ I love singing those tunes. People go nuts when we play them.”

What Smoking Weed Every Day Can Do to Your Body

Smoking cannabis daily for 16 years straight — as Barron did — is no small thing. While everyone’s body reacts differently, long-term, heavy cannabis use can lead to:

• Mental fog or short-term memory problems

• Dependency – even if it’s psychological, not physical

• Mood shifts – anxiety, depression, or demotivation in some users

• Lung health issues if smoked (though vaporizing or edibles carry different risks)

• Tolerance buildup – leading users to consume more over time to feel the same effect

Cannabis isn’t inherently dangerous, but overuse — especially without breaks — can dull the mind, cloud emotions, and in some cases, mask underlying issues like anxiety or trauma.

Let’s Talk: How’s Your Relationship with Cannabis?

Chris Barron’s story might sound extreme — but how many of us have gone months or years without ever taking a tolerance break?

• Do you use cannabis daily?

• When was your last break?

• Are you using it to relax… or to avoid something deeper?

• What would happen if you didn’t smoke for a week?

These aren’t judgmental questions — just real ones. Because even something as good as weed deserves reflection sometimes.