Barker in 2008; PC: Wikimedia

Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker has announced his split from one of his lifelong loves – cannabis. The pop-punk percussionist decided to part ways with the recreational plant after discovering he had six ulcers in May of this year.

Although the ulcers themselves could not stop the liberal-minded drummer from enjoying one of his favorite activities from time to time – one he himself hoped “to do for the rest of my life,” – the swollen lump found in his throat sure did. Earlier in the year, Blink-182 was forced to cancel a series of shows when it was discovered that Barker had been suffering from Barrett’s esophagus – a disorder where the lining of the esophagus is continually damaged by stomach acid that can also lead to other serious digestive system problems.

"They found that I had six ulcers, and I had a condition called Barrett's esophagus, which is basically from really extreme acid reflux or if you excessively smoked, your esophagus lining becomes pre-cancerous,” said the unusually clear-eyed Barker during an interview with Red Bulletin. “Right then and there, I changed my whole life around. I had to stop eating and drinking certain things. And I had this lump in my throat around the same time. My tonsils were three to four times the size they should have been."

Although Barker admits that he will be saddened by the departure of his once great “love,” he adds that “when your health is on the line, you don't mess around.”

Along with the current edition of problems caused by his on-going bout with Barrett’s esophagus, Barker is also battling a very understandable fear of flying stemming from his 2008 plane crash, causing the drummer to sit out Blink-182’s upcoming tour of Australia due to an unavoidable 24-hour long flight to the land down under.

Even though Barker will no longer be able to “smoke weed at night,” he will be plenty busy with Blink as the band is currently working on their upcoming album.

As the man himself sums it up, “I used to love smoking weed…[but] I love being a dad and I love playing music. I’m not trying to give up any of that.”