You probably remember the meme. It was 2018, and Elon Musk was sitting in a dimly lit studio across from Joe Rogan, nursing a glass of whiskey. Then, Rogan lit up a large blunt—a mix of tobacco and marijuana—and handed it over. Musk took a single puff, looked pensively at the ceiling, and the internet basically exploded. Within hours, Tesla’s stock was tumbling. Within days, NASA was launching a federal investigation.
But does Elon Musk actually smoke weed? Or was that just a one-time performance that went horribly wrong for his PR team?
If you ask the man himself, the answer is a hard no. Musk has gone on record multiple times saying he doesn't like it. He’s called it "the opposite of a cup of coffee" and claims it kills his productivity. But when you’re the richest person on Earth and you’re running SpaceX, Tesla, and X (formerly Twitter), your personal habits aren't just your business—they’re a matter of national security.
The Joe Rogan Puff Heard ‘Round the World
Let’s be real: that 2018 podcast appearance was a turning point. Before that, Musk was seen as the quirky "Iron Man" of tech. After that puff, he became a lightning rod for controversy.
On the Joe Rogan Experience #1169, Musk asked, "I mean, it's legal, right?" before taking a hit. It was legal in California, sure. But SpaceX is a federal contractor. The Pentagon and NASA don't care about state laws when it comes to "Schedule I" substances.
The fallout was intense.
- NASA’s $5 Million Review: NASA actually paid SpaceX $5 million to conduct a "culture study" to ensure employees were following drug-free workplace rules.
- The Random Testing: Musk later revealed that because of that one puff, he had to undergo random drug testing for three years. He claims he never failed a single one.
- Security Clearances: As a CEO launching military satellites, Musk holds high-level security clearances. Federal rules are extremely strict about drug use, and that "one hit" nearly cost him his ability to lead SpaceX.
What the Reports Say vs. What Musk Claims
Fast forward to 2024 and 2025, and the narrative shifted from "did he smoke weed once?" to "does he have a wider substance problem?"
In early 2024, The Wall Street Journal dropped a bombshell report. They alleged that Musk’s drug use—including LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms—was well-known among executives at Tesla and SpaceX. The report claimed some board members were so concerned they reached out to his brother, Kimbal Musk, for help.
Then came the June 2025 report from The New York Times. This one was even more specific. It alleged that Musk's use of ketamine—which he has admitted to using via prescription for depression—had become "intense" during the 2024 presidential campaign. The article cited sources saying he was using it so frequently it was causing physical health issues, specifically affecting his bladder.
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Musk’s response? He took to X and posted a screenshot of a negative drug test from Fastest Labs of South Austin. He captioned it "lol" and called the journalists "fake."
Honestly, it's a classic Musk move. He fights fire with fire, or in this case, data with "lol." But critics pointed out a flaw: the urine test he shared was taken about 12 days after the report came out. Many substances leave the system within 2 to 10 days. A hair follicle test would have been the gold standard for proving long-term sobriety, but Musk hasn't shared one of those.
The Ketamine Connection
We can't talk about Musk and substances without talking about ketamine. This isn't a "he said, she said" situation because Musk has been quite open about it.
He told journalist Don Lemon that he has a prescription for ketamine to manage "negative chemical states" similar to depression. He argued that from an investor's standpoint, if he’s taking something that helps him stay productive, he should keep taking it.
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"What matters is execution," he basically said. If Tesla is winning, does it matter if the CEO is using a legal, prescribed dissociative? To Musk, the answer is no. To the SEC and the Department of Defense, the answer is... complicated.
Why the "Stoner" Image Sticks
Despite his claims that he doesn't smoke weed regularly, Musk leans into the 420 culture constantly.
- The 420 Price Point: He famously tried to take Tesla private at $420 a share, a move that cost him millions in SEC fines.
- The Launch Dates: He frequently schedules SpaceX milestones or X announcements around April 20th.
- The Jokes: Even in March 2025, he was on a podcast with Senator Ted Cruz joking about smoking weed to boost viewership.
It’s a weird paradox. He wants the "cool" points of being associated with cannabis culture without actually being a "user" in the eyes of the federal government. He plays the character of a stoner on the internet while maintaining (officially) that he’s a straight-edged workaholic.
The Reality of Being Elon Musk
Is Elon Musk smoking weed in his "tiny home" in South Texas right now? Probably not.
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Between the federal oversight of SpaceX and the intense scrutiny from the boards of his public companies, the "cost" of smoking weed is too high. If he fails a drug test, he could lose his security clearance. If he loses his clearance, he can't be the CEO of SpaceX. If he’s not the CEO of SpaceX, the company’s valuation likely craters.
However, the allegations of "party drugs" and heavy ketamine use are a different beast. Those suggest a lifestyle of private parties where non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are the norm and phones are confiscated at the door.
We might never know the full truth. Musk is a master of "trolling" the media, and he clearly enjoys keeping people guessing. But the evidence we do have suggests that while he may have tried weed on camera once to be "one of the guys," he’s much more interested in the world of high-performance (and sometimes controversial) medicine than he is in being a casual pot smoker.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you’re following this saga because you’re an investor or just a fan, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Watch the Federal Contracts: The biggest threat to Musk’s companies isn't a bad tweet; it's a lost security clearance. If the Department of Defense ever takes the WSJ or NYT reports seriously enough to pull his "Secret" clearance, SpaceX is in trouble.
- Differentiate Between Legal and Illegal: Musk’s ketamine use is (by his account) legal and prescribed. His 2018 weed puff was legal in the state of California but illegal federally. The "party drug" allegations involve substances that are illegal everywhere. Knowing the difference helps you filter the news.
- Don't Believe Every "lol": Musk’s social media presence is designed to distract. A "negative" urine test taken two weeks after a report doesn't "disprove" the report, it just proves he was clean on that specific Tuesday.
- Look at the Productivity: Ultimately, Musk is right about one thing: the market cares about results. As long as SpaceX is landing rockets and Tesla is selling cars, the "drug use" conversation will likely remain a secondary concern for most shareholders.
The story of Elon Musk and weed is less about the plant itself and more about the boundaries of what a modern CEO can get away with. In a world where psychedelic therapy is becoming mainstream, Musk is—as always—right at the center of the cultural friction.