Ivan Moody Brings California Sober to Vegas

Ivan Moody, the lead vocalist for the band Five Finger Death Punch, is an influential and iconic figure in the world of heavy metal music, achieving tremendous success and creating a lasting impact on the genre. With a career spanning over two decades, Ivan Moody has become one of the most respected voices in modern metal music. His heavy-hitting stage presence and unique vocal style have earned him widespread acclaim from fans and critics alike.

And now, he’s becoming a respected voice for finding sobriety through cannabis and a respected name in Las Vegas cannabis production. Cannabis Tech asked Ivan a few questions about his journey and how cannabis helped lead him to a healthier lifestyle.

Getting Personal with Ivan Moody

Like so many of us working in the cannabis industry, Ivan was compelled into cannabis-based on his own success with the powerful herb.

After joining Five Finger Death Punch in 2005, the band became an overnight success, achieving 25 top hit music singles and even breaking the world record for most consecutive Mainstream Rock Airplay #1 hits (14 total). They have six gold albums, four platinum albums, and a platinum single.

But fame and success often come with stresses, anxieties, and significant pressure to perform. In June 2017, Ivan made a concerted effort to change his priorities and focus on his health and recovery from alcohol use disorder and addiction.

Unfortunately, the traditional pharmaceuticals for treating addiction caused a host of unwelcome side effects, including increased anxiety, appetite issues, and sleeping problems.

“Acceptance,  first and foremost, accepting the fact that I was powerless.  Admitting to myself that I have a problem was the first problem,” Moody explained. “Taking action and putting into motion the WANT, the NEED, and the NECESSITY were harder than they sound but absolutely necessary.”

He added, “The hardest part for me personally, and my recovery, was the realization that very few people die of natural causes in my industry. So, it’s almost expected of us to diminish and just fade away into a bottle, suicide, or some other form of addiction. It seems to be the norm of being a ‘rockstar.’”

Adding Cannabis to the Equation

Moody admits he was no stranger to marijuana products, and it was easy for him to adapt to the herbal approach to ending his addiction. “Implementing Marijuana was never a problem because I have always used products like CBD, CBN, marijuana, even Delta 8,” he stated during our conversation.

Within the community, however, his approach wasn’t a popular one; he recalled, “Though I was shunned in the sober community for still using cannabis products while I was in recovery, being no stranger to over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs - I still continued to use them because the benefits of healing naturally and not being reliant or dependent on man-made chemicals outweighed the options.”

But for Moody, cannabis simply worked better for his needs than other traditional treatment options. 

“Cannabis took the place of medications prescribed to me for things such as anxiety, depression, night terrors, and even things as simple as encouraging my appetite,” he explained. “When you quit drinking/drugging, your body goes through so many chemical alterations that I realized it was ignorant to prescribe one thing to everyone.”

“Cannabis took the place of 5 prescribed medications given to me during my recovery,” Moody proclaimed.

Balancing Music, Addiction, and Entering Cannabis

Moody mentioned that he feels the biggest challenge was “never implementing marijuana/CBD or any other natural products” into his recovery plan. Rather he said the approach was simply about “keeping ‘the bad ones’ out.”

But Moody believes wholeheartedly that “if it weren’t for cannabis, CBD, CBN & Delta 8, I probably wouldn’t have gotten as far as I have in my recovery.”

Comparing industries, Moody added, “Once again - in the music business, it’s ‘cool’ to be a drunk or an addict.  But [in the cannabis industry], to stay professional, to be taken seriously, and to have substance or a product that you plan on selling or giving away to someone else, you have to be comfortable with that AND yourself within your own skin.”

“Too many people deceive, and it makes it hard to believe,” he eloquently pointed out the problem with unproven products.

California Sober and Loving It

Understanding the herbal approach to health and wellness, Moody was passionate about sharing his path to sobriety. Founding Moody’s Medicinals in 2019, Moody intended to provide “effective holistic relief for himself, his mother, and other consumers” who may be struggling to manage their symptoms with synthetic pharmaceuticals.

Moody’s Medicinals includes a link of vegan, full-spectrum CBD products such as tinctures, pre-rolls, gummies, and roll-on topicals.

Celebrating five years of sobriety, Moody launched a high-end cannabis line called Greenings at Exhale Dispensary in Vegas in October of 2022. The product line includes premium flower, infused pre-rolls, and gummies.

We asked Ivan to tell us about his favorite product and what makes it unique, to which he responded,

“I really love the “Angel De la Muerte” flower! The strain started as a joke/present for a good friend and turned into, in my opinion, the most subtly potent and perfectly blended strain of marijuana I can remember to date. It is “Heavenly.” See what I did there?”