The Muso Melting Pot
Navigating Medical Marijuana in a Live Music setting
Let’s talk about something that’s becoming more common in greenrooms than guitar tuners — medical marijuana.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2025), approximately 10% of Australians now use medical cannabis. Of those, nearly half (49%) cite anxiety as the primary reason for use.
📍 AIHW Report – Medical Marijuana in Australia
In our own industry survey here at Pushworth, we found that just under 40% of live gigging musicians use medical marijuana to manage pre-show anxiety. The reported benefits are no surprise:
✅ Lower cortisol
✅ Improved energy and presence
✅ Sharper focus
✅ Relief from performance-induced anxiety
For many artists battling the invisible weight of stage fright, cannabis has been a game changer.
🚩 But Here’s the Reality Check: Public Use Still Has Boundaries
We recently had our first official venue complaint — an artist, legally prescribed medical marijuana, took a pre-show session in their car parked outside the venue. The complaint? They smelled like pot on stage — and the venue felt it compromised their image as a safe, family-friendly space.
💡 Fair concern or overreaction? Honestly, it doesn’t matter. What matters is how we respond.
If you're using cannabis as part of your wellness routine and you’re stepping onto a stage in front of a public crowd, you need to factor in optics, legality, and venue policy—just like you would with tech specs or dress code.
🧠 So, What Should You Do? Here's the 2025 Playbook:
1. Carry Your Script
Always have your doctor’s letter or TGA approval notice on hand. Don’t assume everyone understands or accepts medical cannabis. Be ready to calmly educate if needed.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) clearly states:
Medical cannabis cannot be smoked in public.
TGA Guidelines – Medicinal Cannabis
That includes carparks, alleyways, and loading docks — all legally ambiguous spaces where public safety laws still apply.
2. Use Discretion — Read the Room
If you're going to medicate before a set:
Move away from public or staff-accessible areas
Avoid proximity to other patron vehicles
Make sure your hair, clothing, hands, and breath don’t carry the scent to the stage
You may be legally in the right — but remember, perception is part of your performance.
3. Respect Venue Culture
Every venue has its own vibe, values, and clientele. You may be helping yourself perform — but if your presence makes customers uncomfortable or makes the venue look careless, they may not rebook you.
🎯 Solution? Be proactive. Let your agent or the venue know in advance if you use medical cannabis. Ask about their policy. Show them you care about their business as much as your own health.
4. Curate Your Personal Health Plan for Performance
Medical marijuana is a tool — not a free pass.
Design your use around:
🕒 Timing (how long before a show you medicate)
🌬️ Method (consider vapes, edibles, tinctures where legal)
🧴 Hygiene (scent-free = distraction-free)
📋 Awareness (OHS, public safety, crowd comfort)
This is about professionalism. If Music Means Business™ — and it does — then your wellness strategy is part of your gig contract.
🎤 Final Word from Me:
You’re not just the artist.
You’re the product, the brand, and the public-facing experience.
Self-care is non-negotiable. But so is respect for the stage and the space you're playing in.
So be transparent. Be prepared. Be clean, clear, and fully PAP-PROOF.
Because the only thing that should be intoxicating at your show is the music.
#StageReadyAndSmokeFree #MusoWellness #PAPProof #ALittlePitchy #MusicMeansBusiness #LiveMusicCulture #MedCanInMusic #ArtistHealthPlan #PushworthStandards #BookedAndBalanced
Written by Nichola Burton. I work in partnership with Agents, Artist Managers and Event Producers, who juggle a diverse range of relationships in the Musoverse, to curate, manage and measure data in systems, experience, creative and content to support the entire Musoverse operation in my enterprise A Little Pitchy Copyright 2025 #musicmeansbusiness
