Louis Theroux opens up about the drug habit that became part of his nightly routine

Theroux admits cannabis became part of his nightly routine

The filmmaker was looking back at his teenage years and 20s during an appearance on Katherine Ryan’s What’s My Age Again? podcast when he revealed just how routine it had become.

Theroux explained that his social smoking was fairly limited, usually amounting to one or two cigarettes when he was out at parties. Cannabis, however, became a much more regular part of his evenings.

“I was like one or two cigarettes at parties and a nightly spliff through my late teens and 20s,” he said.

The admission appeared to cause a reaction from those around him, which Theroux immediately noticed.

“There was a reaction in the room to that. Did that surprise the kids?” he asked.

Image credit: What’s My Age Again? podcast

He went on to explain that his usual routine involved smoking one spliff before bed, although there were occasions when he would have slightly more. According to Theroux, the main reason is that it helped him sleep.

Although the confession may have sounded more dramatic than he intended, Theroux stressed that he did not see himself as having an especially heavy habit.

He says his hangovers have an unexpected upside

Theroux may have left his nightly cannabis habit behind, but he admitted he still has a soft spot for drinking.

During the podcast, he explained that he enjoys pretty much every stage of it, starting with the first drink and continuing through the second, third and fourth before eventually getting drunk and going to bed tipsy.

Even the hangover does not seem to bother him as much as it might most people.

“I quite like waking up feeling groggy,” Theroux admitted.

He explained that part of the appeal is being able to work out while feeling rough, then slowly notice himself recovering as the day goes on. 

Ryan compared the whole process to “another mini war”, which Theroux said was actually quite accurate.

“It is a bit like a war,” he said. “You’re like, ‘Oh, I’m dying.’ And then you come back, you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m alive.’”