Did Pot Ruin Kevin Smith's Career?

(Newser) – The past couple of years have not been great for Kevin Smith: He has been in the news more for his rants (see here and here) than for his film successes (see here and here). Plus, he recently floated the idea of retirement. What's to blame? Perhaps marijuana, sources tell the Daily Beast. Though he has made quite a few slacker movies, Smith was not actually a pothead himself until 2008, when Seth Rogen introduced him to the wonders of weed. Now, says one insider, "the pot is something that has everyone around Kevin concerned."

Smith, the insider continues, "does 'wake and bake'—he starts smoking the minute he gets up and smokes all day long. It’s like somebody who drinks too much. You wonder if they’re impairing themselves in ways that cause them to not be attentive to important things.” And his attitude isn't helping, says another: “In Kevin’s world, you’re either with him or against him," which has led to the aforementioned—and other—rants. Ultimately, however, retirement isn't the answer, says one associate: “You don’t turn your back on the business after two failures and expect to be a success. Where would Steven Soderbergh or Woody Allen be if they quit after making films nobody went to see?"