Snoop Dogg says he's quitting smoking

American rapper and actor Snoop Dogg announced that he is giving up smoking.

"After much consideration and conversation with my family, I've decided to give up smoke," he wrote on Instagram. "Please respect my privacy at this time."

A monochrome photo and signature accompanied the statement, leaving others to question if it was a prank.

"I'm waiting for the plot twist," a fan wrote in the comment section.

"Two days from now he's going to say his account got hacked," said another.

"Smoking briskets?" a social media user asked.

It was not stated in the statement that Snoop Dogg is giving up cannabis in general because edibles are undoubtedly a popular choice.

The 50-year-old marijuana activist, who has business connections to a number of edibles and cannabis strains, is well-known for smoking weed. He once claimed to have a personal blunt roller and smoke 81 joints a day.

Snoop Dogg had previously stated that he was reducing his smoking after becoming a grandfather.

"Being a grandfather has changed me in multiple ways," he told the Daily Mail in March this year.

"The main way is being concerned with how I live, how I move, the kind of people I'm associated with, because I want to see my grandkids grow old. The only way I can do that is to take precautionary steps as far as how I move, who I hang out with, where I go out, my intake, what am I taking. Am I doing extracurriculars or am I just doing what I'm supposed to be doing?"

Long assumed to be relatively safe, new research indicates marijuana usage may be more harmful than previously thought. According to two extensive longitudinal studies, marijuana usage may have a "sizable and significant" negative impact on cognitive function. (ANI)