Ben Sinclair reflects on marijuana in Substack 'Low Maintenance'

Ben Sinclair, 41, the co-creator and star of the comedy High Maintenance, is writing about his efforts to decouple marijuana from his life in a new Substack called “Low Maintenance,” the New York Times reported on Jan. 29, 2026. Mr. Sinclair’s career grew around his relationship with marijuana: High Maintenance began as a Vimeo web series in 2012 and ran on HBO from 2016 to 2020.

In his Substack he writes that his attachment to the drug had started to feel like “gripping the rope for dear life,” but he also makes clear that he is still figuring it out, adding, “This isn’t a sobriety blog.” The essays are described as vulnerable and reflective and at times the opposite of his on-screen role as “The Guy.” The newsletter is intended, he said, as a way to support people who identify with his experience of addiction.

He does not shy away from painful subjects: in a post titled “Bro Maintenance,” Mr. Sinclair reflects on his friendship with the screenwriter and director Jeff Baena, who died by suicide in January of last year. In interviews included in the piece, he discussed reconnecting with an audience, re-evaluating his relationship to marijuana and making something new after a hit TV show.

Mr. Sinclair said his relationship to weed has been a long process: “I would say for 20 years, I’ve been like, Man I’m dependent on this stuff,” and since Covid he has had periods of quitting for 45 or 90 days only to return to heavier use.

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