How $25,000 Worth of Weed Changed Metal

Cannabis has always had an influential role in shaping music culture and influencing artists throughout the decades. What started off as a small symbol of rebellion quickly grew to become a recurring theme featured in albums and associated with artist personas across varying genres. However, one metal band took their love for cannabis more seriously than most would, demonstrating just how deeply cannabis can become intertwined within music and one’s creative process.

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Who is Sleep?

Sleep is a doom/stoner metal band that formed in San Jose back in 1990. ⁽¹⁾ The original band was composed of vocalist and bassist Al Cisneros, guitarist Matt Pike, drummer Chris Hakius, and other guitarist Justin Marler, although Marler had left shortly after the release of their debut album. The group was known for using slower tempos, down-tuned guitars, distortion effects, and repetitive riffs, and they were signed to their first label after creating their second album in 1991.

In 1995, Sleep went on to sign onto London Records and began to work on their third studio album, Dopesmoker. The record label declared the album unmarketable and refused to release it. The members of the band then fell into a deadlock with the executives of the label, leading them to disband. Cisneros and Hakius went on to form another band called Om, while Pike formed a band called High on Fire. Sleep went on to reform in 2009, but Cisneros now remains as the only original member still in the group.

The Album Dopesmoker

Dopesmoker is both an album and one continuous 63-minute track created by Sleep during their time under London Records. This track is considered to be one of the most influential albums of all time and received positive reception when the public heard it. It is written about a weed-filled land that is populated by creatures called Weedians, who are on a religious pilgrimage across a desert.

How Cannabis Contributed to Dopesmoker

Dopesmoker is not just an ode to cannabis but was written under the influence of it. London Records paid Sleep a substantial advance of $75,000 for the album, and the band proceeded to spend approximately $25,000 of that total on just cannabis alone.

In an interview with VICE, Matt Pike states that each member of the band had 30 ounces of cannabis on them at all times, of all different strains. They would sit and smoke out of a coconut chalice, and the members consumed more cannabis during this timeframe than they ever had. ⁽²⁾

Dopesmoker’s Release

Dopesmoker’s release was not what the band had initially hoped for and ultimately led to Sleep disbanding. When the band presented the track to London Records, it was declared to be unmarketable in its unedited state. The record label wanted a producer to mix and edit the hour-long song into different tracks, which led to a stalemate between the label executives and the band. The members of Sleep also had mixed emotions amongst themselves regarding this release.

Four different versions of the track had been released by 2009. A London Records promotion disk, a bootleg, an album released by Rise Above/Music Cartel Records, and a release by Tee Pee Records. The Rise Above/Music Cartel is an edited variation where the song was separated into six different tracks and released under the name Jerusalem. Most fans generally consider the Tee Pee Records release to be the most definitive version of the album.

Dopesmoker’s Influence on Rock and Metal Music

Dopesmoker’s release had a significant impact on the rock and metal communities, as it melded new sounds together in a way other bands had previously not done before. Sleep featured heavy, distorted sounds, low tuning, and repetitive riffs, rather than the traditional structures and sounds used by songs of the time. This inspired other musicians of the sludge, doom, and stoner metal genres to begin utilizing slower tempos and unconventional song lengths to give their audience a more immersive experience, rather than just a performance.

Cannabis Culture Within Music

Cannabis has influenced music for decades, and it has shaped certain sounds and how musicians choose to express themselves.

During the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, cannabis became associated with the concept of rebellion, relaxation, and challenging social norms and societal expectations. Artists stopped mentioning it in passing and started using it as a central focus, theme, and identity within their persona and art, which also reflected the shifting legality of the plant. Many also used cannabis as a way to open themselves up to more artistic experimentation, especially within genres such as reggae, jazz, hip-hop, electronic dance music, psychedelic rock, and more.

Several albums and tracks that openly embrace cannabis include:

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References

1. Sleep. Third Man Records. Accessed October 6, 2026. https://thirdmanrecords.com/collections/sleep
2. Tomich M. Talking “Dopesmoker” With Sleep’s Matt Pike. VICE. October 8, 2017. Accessed October 6, 2026. https://www.vice.com/en/article/talking-dopesmoker-with-sleeps-matt-pike/