Jelly Roll Reveals What Has Helped Keep Him “Sober”

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In a new interview, country music sensation Jelly Roll has revealed what has kept him off hard drugs.

Jelly Roll had been an open book even before he broke into the country music scene. But now, with his newfound fame, his message is getting to many more people. Before dedicating his life to music, Jelly Roll was in and out of jail since he was 14. In December 2023, he estimated he had been to jail “some 40 times.”

He struggled with drug and alcohol abuse for many, many years and even had rap songs and albums dedicated to his reliance on those substances. Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, has opened up about addiction and mental health thanks to his songs “Save Me,” “Halfway to Hell,” and “I’m Not Okay.”

Despite not going to rehab, Jelly Roll was able to kick his hard drug habit. As for what drugs he was addicted to, he has admitted to snorting cocaine and was sent to jail on a crack cocaine charge when he was 23.

The “Need A Favor” singer has admitted to attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings but doesn’t claim to be in the program out of respect for those who “really got off the drugs completely, and the alcohol and the weed.”

“I would never want to diminish it with some of my actions, but AA has done a lot for me,” he told PEOPLE in December 2023.

In the same interview, he revealed he still drank alcohol and smoked weed but attends AA if he is struggling. He admitted he never really had a problem with alcohol, which is why he still drinks, but he had to cut out hard drugs.

In a new interview with Taste of Country, Jelly Roll admits what has kept him sober from drugs.

“I get in trouble for this all the time, but my stance on marijuana will always be the same: I believe marijuana has helped me, in so many regards, with my anxiety. This is a hot-button topic, but, truly, marijuana has kept me sober.”

He continued, “I think a world without weed, Jelly Roll’s drinking codeine and popping Xanax and snorting cocaine again, but a world with weed, I’ll be alright.”

We love that Jelly Roll has raised awareness about addiction and is open about what has worked for him. While it may not work for everyone, his story is relatable to many who are trying to dig their way out of holes they’ve fallen into for whatever reason.

Watch Jelly Roll perform “Liar,” a song about confronting addiction head-on, at the 2024 ACM Awards.