Gene Simmons Says He Was Totally Wrong About Cannabis

Gene Simmons Couldn't Believe the Medicinal Benefits of Cannabis

No one was more surprised that Gene Simmons recently accepted a role at Canadian-based cannabis products company Invictus than Simmons himself. 

The outspoken KISS bassist is a lifelong teetotaler who has often decried the evils of drug use and hailed the benefits of sobriety. While Simmons still loathes the horrors of addiction, which killed so many of his friends and contemporaries, he says now he's done his research on cannabis and he was "astonished" by what he learned.   

"Cannabis, I found out through doing research and stuff — and I urge everybody to ignore everything I say and find out for yourself — I was astonished to find out the medicinal value," Simmons said on a recent appearance on CNBC's "Squawk Box." 

He went on to describe the dramatic impact cannabis products can have on patients with conditions like epilepsy.

Simmons acknowledged that "everybody uses drugs," whether its aspirin or something more potent. He says he now understands that there's a difference between drinking a glass of champagne and being "a wino on the corner."

"I would like to admit that I was judgmental, arrogant and uninformed, as well as misinformed," said the bassist, explaining the reversal on his longtime anti-pot stance. "I was throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I was subjected to the Cheech & Chong-itis disease, which is the low end."

While Simmons won't be using pot recreationally, he says he believes it should be regulated just as cigarettes are. He went on to lament lawmakers who oppose cannabis legalization but have no factual understanding of the topic. 

In March, Simmons accepted a role as media spokesperson for Invictus, which produces cannabis, vaporizer and fertilizer products. 

A spokesman for the company said at the time that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer would provide it with "marketing counsel, serving as a spokesperson in the media, public appearances and participation in the company’s annual general meeting and investor meetings, among others."

Simmons once told Rolling Stone that he threatened his children with hard labor and being written out of his will if they ever used drugs.


Photo: Getty Images


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