Billy Crystal got high during MRI

13 August 2021

Billy Crystal got high during an MRI scan after consuming four cannabis sweets.

Billy Crystal

The 73-year-old actor wanted to ease his anxiety ahead of the procedure, which he underwent to find the cause of pain in his hip, but ignored the advice he was given and took more of the edibles than he'd been told to, leading to some comical effects.

He told talk show host Jimmy Fallon via Zoom: “I’m very claustrophobic, which is why I was a month premature. To make a long story short, when I was alone, I swallowed four edibles.

“The guy at the cannabis place said — because there’s a section for seniors — ‘two will make you feel good.’ So I said, ‘I really want to feel fabulous.' "

Around 30 minutes into the procedure, the 'When Harry Met Sally' star began to experience the side effects of getting high as he was gripped by hunger, prompting him to signal for assistance and ask the doctor for food from Taco Bell.

And 10 minutes after that, he again pressed the button and asked the medic if they thought Postmates would deliver to him.

He said: "I'm thinking gumbo or Nutella french toast. Something like that."

Billy eventually fell asleep and once the scan was over, he walked out of the hospital - but still wasn't fully aware of what was happening around him.

He said: "They take me out and I walk out of the building and someone says, 'Um, sir — you're still in your gown and your ass is hanging out.'

“So I came back in, I got dressed, and I went to Taco Bell and had a nacho fry box.”

The 'City Slickers' star has a strain of cannabis named after him, which is described by Sweet Lead YYC as a “light strain with a clean, smell and taste, but a mid-grade high."

They added: “Billy the Crystal is easy to smoke but provides an intense buzz. The balance between the genes and the strong buzz make this an ideal strain for helping with various medical conditions.”