RVD says one fan completely changed the way he looks at one of the biggest arguments against marijuana.
The WWE Hall of Famer revealed on his 1 of a Kind podcast that a fan celebrating years of sobriety from heroin recently told him cannabis played a major role in helping her get clean. To RVD, it wasn’t just an inspiring recovery story—it was proof that marijuana can be the exact opposite of what it’s been labeled for decades. Not a “gateway drug.” A “gateway out.”
The story came to RVD while recording a Cameo for the fan, who wanted a message celebrating both her relationship anniversary and another year free from heroin. As she explained how cannabis helped her break away from addiction, RVD said one thought immediately came to mind.
“Just the last week, I left a Cameo message for somebody. It was an anniversary of a relationship, but also it was also… so many years from being sober from a heroin addiction, right? And so they wanted me—and they were a big fan of mine—and they used marijuana to actually help them get off the heroin and they wanted me to leave a message, of course, for them. And I just thought it was worth sharing. I’m sure that they won’t mind. I can’t remember their names anyway, but I couldn’t help but think, like, man, I really like that story right there because they try to misinform everybody intentionally and they’ve for years labeled cannabis a gateway drug. And this lady said, ‘You’re absolutely right. It’s a gateway out.’ And I like that story.”
RVD doesn’t believe that fan’s experience is unique. He said he’s heard similar stories from other people who credit cannabis with helping them walk away from far more dangerous drugs. That’s why he believes the long-standing “gateway drug” narrative doesn’t line up with what he’s seen firsthand.
“She was on heroin, addicted to it. She used cannabis, a much lower-level kind of drug, even though they got it classified together—or did until recently—but anyway, you get where I’m coming from. I like that. So that weed actually helped her. And I have heard a few stories like that before that people have used weed to help them get off of something else. You know what I mean?”
RVD also knows what critics are going to say—that replacing heroin with marijuana simply means swapping one addiction for another. He rejected that idea outright, arguing the comparison ignores what he sees as the biggest difference between the two.
“And it’s like the haters will say, ‘Well, you’re giving up one addiction for another.’ No. This one is actually one that isn’t toxic. So that’s a pretty big significant difference.”
RVD has spent years advocating for cannabis, but this wasn’t another conversation about legalization or personal freedom. It was a real-life story he believes challenges one of the most common claims made against marijuana. In his eyes, this fan didn’t prove cannabis leads people toward harder drugs—she proved it can help some people find a way out.
What do you make of RVD’s comments? Do stories like this change the conversation around cannabis, or do you think the “gateway drug” debate is more complicated? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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