Does Kathy Bates Smoke Weed?

With the recent release of Netflix’s new original cannabis-centric comedy series “Disjointed,” you’re probably wondering this about its much-beloved star: Does Kathy Bates smoke weed? Let us tell you. You’ve come to the right place to find out.

Who is Kathy Bates?

Born Kathleen Doyle Bates on June 28, 1948, in Memphis, Tennessee, the future actor and director displayed a prodigious intelligence and work ethic from an early age.

After graduating early from high school, Bates attended Southern Methodist University and immediately moved to New York City in 1970 to pursue a career in acting.

Bates first made her name on the Broadway stage, directed by greats like Robert Altman and alongside icons like Cher. In 1983, Bates garnered her first award nomination: a Tony for her turn in the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “‘night, Mother.”

During that time, she also appeared in multiple films and worked as a regular on a number of soap operas. But it wasn’t until her turn as Annie Wilkes, a stalker who terrorizes her favorite author and keeps him captive in her home in the film “Misery,” that Bates became a household name, winning an Oscar for Best Actress for the role in 1990.

Most recently, Bates has been featured prominently as a main cast member in multiple seasons of Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story.” 

Currently, the actor is headlining as the star of the Chuck Lorre/Netflix original sitcom series “Disjointed,” in which she plays a cannabis activist and the owner of a medicinal marijuana dispensary.

(And yes—this is the same comedy that Netflix created 12 weed strains for as part of a marketing campaign. You know, the one that managed to sell out $150,000 worth of weed in three days.) But let’s get back to the main topic of discussion: Does Kathy Bates smoke weed?

Puff or Pass?

In a recent interview with the New York Times, the award-winning actor cut right to the chase when asked if she, like her “Disjointed” character, enjoys recreational cannabis use. Her answer? A very blunt and very earnest “yes.”

“I’ve had a prescription for some time for chronic pain,” Bates explained. “I’ve really become a believer. I find it just as, if not more, effective than other pain relief.”

Bates started consuming medical weed regularly after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012.

“Originally, when I was going through breast cancer, my oncologist prescribed some, because my recovery was painful and the marijuana was a tremendous help,” Bates continued.

“And now they have vape pens, which are a lot less caustic in terms of smoke. And since you can control the amount of your intake, you can smoke and be functional during the day.”

She also made sure to state that while she enjoys weed, she keeps it separate from her professional life. “I don’t smoke when I work,” she emphasized. “That to me is unprofessional.”

She also professed her views on cannabis legalization, which she fully supports. “I do and even more so now that I’ve become more educated about what its properties are,” she said.

“And you see how it’s helping people like the partner of our cannabis consultant (for the show ‘Disjointed’), who has cerebral palsy, or the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition, a group of football players I met who were suffering from different head injuries. It helped them tremendously.”

Final Hit: Does Kathy Bates Smoke Weed?

At this point, we don’t have to spell it out for you, right? Regardless, check out Kathy Bates as cannabis activist Ruth Whitefeather-Feldman in Netflix’s “Disjointed.”