Sharon Stone says she quit weed after stopping stroke medication
Stone told Variety she became ill after leaving a stroke drug and later quitting cannabis, while also discussing art, modeling and Broadway hopes.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
3 min read
Sharon Stone says she has given up cannabis after a rough year of cutting back on medications tied to her 2001 stroke.
In a new interview with Variety's Marc Malkin, the Oscar-nominated actor said she stopped taking one stroke medication last September even though doctors had told her she could not come off it. Stone described the experience as intensely difficult, saying it felt like withdrawal from heroin and that she was sick for four and a half months.
Stone told Variety she had already reduced many of the medications she was prescribed after the near-fatal stroke. Her goal, she said, was to live without drugs.
After that, Stone said, she decided to stop smoking pot. She told Variety she believes cannabis now contains more additives than it did in the past, and said she felt ill for about a month after quitting. According to Stone, her neurologist told her he had seen people dying in emergency rooms from marijuana.
The interview took place at Stone's Beverly Hills home, where Variety reported she was being photographed for the digital magazine Nineteen92 while also painting in a guest house she has turned into an art studio.
Stone's eldest son, Roan, was also part of the day. Variety reported that his company, Social Network Studios, now handles Stone's social media presence. Stone said Roan reworked her Instagram account after she had millions of followers but comparatively low engagement, and she credited the overhaul with bringing her “millions in engagement.”
That reshuffle came with some social-media drama. Stone told Variety that people sent angry messages after she stopped following them, saying some treated an Instagram follow as if it proved a personal relationship with her.
Painting has become a major part of Stone's life again, though she told Variety it is not a new passion. She studied fine arts in college before leaving to pursue modeling, and said the urge to paint returned during COVID lockdowns.
Stone said she began with supplies in her bedroom, then kept expanding until the room became a makeshift studio. Her sons, Roan, Laird and Quinn, eventually persuaded her to move the work into the guest house. She told Variety she is now selling paintings through galleries around the world.
Stone has also stepped back onto the runway. Variety reported that in June she walked in a fashion show for the first time in 33 years, closing the Vetements menswear presentation in Paris. Stone praised designer Guram Gvasalia and said she connects with punk because she was around for that era.
Her acting work has continued as well. Variety noted recent appearances in “Euphoria,” “Nobody 2” and the indie dramedy “In Memoriam.”
Stone also has Broadway on her mind. She told Variety she has considered stage ideas including “All About Eve,” with herself as Margo Channing, a punk-era take on “Mame,” and a lesbian version of “La Cage Aux Folles.” She said Broadway offers have come her way, but none has yet felt like the right fit.
Looking back on the year, Stone told Variety she sees the period as one of reclaiming her life.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.