Jelly Roll Claims Marijuana Keeps Him 'Sober,' Off Hard Drugs

Jelly Roll's sober strategy involves just a dash of drugs ... 'cause he says he needs marijuana to live a clean lifestyle -- claiming without it he'd go back to harder stuff in a heartbeat.

The singer-songwriter opened up about his coping mechanism during an interview with Taste of Country ... admitting he smokes weed to stay away from other drugs he's used in the past.

JR says, "I think a world without weed, Jelly Roll’s drinking codeine and popping Xanax and snorting cocaine again, but a world with weed, I’ll be alright" -- it's a bold statement, and Jelly admits it's a hot-button issue to argue Mary Jane keeps him sober.

That said, Jelly Roll swears by the stuff -- saying pot's helped lower his anxiety, and lessened the need to find relief in riskier drugs.

Jelly Roll might not be fully sober ... but, he's a huge voice against fentanyl and for people dealing with drug addiction. Back in January, he even appeared in front of Congress to back anti-fentanyl legislation.

Of course, many celebs have admitted they're "California sober" ... basically saying they don't do hard drugs, but they do enjoy a toke or a drink on occasion.

Demi Lovato, The Weeknd and Billy Idol are just a few celebs who have copped to the lifestyle in the past ... though, to be fair Demi's since dropped the habit and gone full-on cold turkey.