Lead Singer of The Chordaes Discovers the Power of Pot

Medication is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution, especially when it comes to ADD, where oftentimes conventional pharmaceuticals just fall short. For instance, I have one friend who traded in her Adderall and Ritalin for a high-protein/low-sugar diet and a steady fitness regimen, which also includes yoga and meditation. She’s been “pill-free” for three years now. I also know plenty of folks who have found respite through cannabis consumption. Take Leo Sawikin, the lead vocalist of the indie band The Chordaes.

Leo recently opened up to me about this very thing in a recent interview.

While I was originally intrigued by the band’s latest release, “What Do You Want from Me,” I found myself equally interested in his relationship with cannabis.

You see, like many folks beset by ADD, Sawikin relied upon a conventional ADD medication to manage his symptoms. For him, it was Vyvance, although there are plenty of other medications available in pharmacies all across the country. 

Sadly, many of those medications also come with all kinds of negative side effects, including sleeplessness and anxiety.

Fortunately for Leo, however, he was introduced to cannabis by a close friend who not only schooled Sawikin on the benefits of cannabis but also had access to a variety of strains that allowed Leo to find the right one for him.

Today, Leo successfully manages his ADD with his favorite strain, Cannatonic, which has a fairly high CBD content and is used quite often to treat things like anxiety, migraines and OCD.

He tells me his favorite method of consumption is the tried and true joint, using only RAW unbleached rolling papers, saying, “For me, the consistency is just better with joints.”

While Cannatonic works well for Leo, there are plenty of other strains that have been known to help folks with ADD, such as Super Sour Diesel, Haze and Hawaiian Snow.

Of course, like most musicians, Leo has also found cannabis to aid in the creative process.

“Cannabis definitely helps me with the creative process,” he said. “It helps me create in a more organic way. My songs now have their own souls.”

Leo wouldn’t be the only musician to suggest such a thing, as artists have long used cannabis as a way to boost focus and creativity. I would actually argue that some of the most influential musicians of all time were (and still are in many cases) cannabis consumers: Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, HR of the Bad Brains, the list goes on an on.

What makes Sawikin’s story so interesting, however, is that he initially used cannabis to treat his ADD, and later found that it could also assist in the creative process. 

And this begs the question: Will more and more folks with ADD using cannabis as a treatment be able to enhance their own creative processes? Yes, dear reader, these are the kinds of things I think about—even when I’m not high.

In any event, cannabis has clearly worked wonders for Leo Sawikin, not only as a treatment for ADD but also as a way to make some pretty good music. You can check out The Chordaes’ latest release, “What Do You Want from Me,” here. You can also see the Chordaes live, and get a chance to meet Leo, on October 31, at the Rockwood in New York.