Paul McCartney Explains Why He Doesn't Smoke Marijuana Anymore: "It's Now a Parent Thing"

The Beatles member also reveals his secrets to feeling good at 72

By Mike Vulpo Jun 01, 2015 3:12 AMTags
Paul McCartneyGetty Images

Paul McCartney isn't afraid to admit he's smoked some marijuana over the years.

But as his children and grandchildren have grown older (and likely wiser), The Beatles member has admitted that those habits are far behind him.

"I don't do it anymore," he revealed to the Daily Mirror over the weekend. "Why? The truth is I don't really want to set an example to my kids and grandkids. It's now a parent thing."

He added, "Back then I was just some guy around London having a ball, and the kids were little so I'd just try and keep it out of their faces. Instead of smoking a spliff I'll now have a glass of red wine or a nice margarita. The last time I smoked was a long time ago."

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McCartney would later admit he got his first taste of the drug by Bob Dylan back in 1964. He claimed marijuana got him "thinking for the first time, really thinking" and even helped with his songwriting process.

At 72 years old, the legendary performer is now focused more than ever on staying fit and healthy. And with five children and eight grandchildren in his life, McCartney surprisingly has never felt better.

"I feel pretty fit. I'm not the sort of person who particularly needs a trainer. I'll just watch what the trainers do and then copy them," he told the U.K. publication. "I do a bit of the cross-trainer, a bit of running, a bit of cardio and then I do some weights, some abs on the Swiss ball, before ending up on the mat doing a few stretches. And then standing on my head."

Wait, we're kind of exhausted as we picture doing only half of those routines.

"….What's cool about it is that I'll be in the gym with all these guys doing really big weights, while I'm there doing not big weights," he explained. "And afterwards, when I've done my headstand for about five minutes, these big guys will come up to me and say, ‘That was pretty impressive, man!'"

Yah, we would definitely second that.