Chris Barnes

Barnes began smoking marijuana at an early age. His father grew and sold the drug, and he recalled feeling like his "world opened up" upon smoking it for the first time, smoking roach clips lifted from his father's ash trays. He recalled feeling lucky growing up in a progressive household where his dad grew and sold cannabis, and he said "I remember the original Acapulco Gold strains, and Panama Red, the real Red, that were eradicated." Barnes first met bandmate Paul Mazurkiewicz when the former moved to the neighborhood with his mother. According to Barnes, the two were not friends at first. Barnes recalled being struck in the groin by Mazurkeiwicz during an altercation between the two while playing street football. The two began smoking marijuana and listening to heavy metal together soon thereafter. Barnes graduated high school in 1986. He found employment at a warehouse after entering the workforce. A friend of his during this time had drug problems, and he claims to have spent time in underprivileged neighborhoods to see how people lived there. According to Barnes in the book Precious Metal: "I put myself in weird situations just to get something out of it."

At some point, Barnes relocated from Florida to Seattle, Washington. He said that he heard many cool stories about when his mother lived there in the 1970s, and he always felt comfortable there while touring. He also stated that the legality of cannabis in the state strongly influenced his choice of destination. Barnes had been widely known for his marijuana use, which he would use for meditative and artistic purposes. In a 2017 interview, he called cannabis his best friend for his entire life, and said that everything he does is with the use of "medicinal and spiritual use of Cannabis." In 2024, Barnes stated that he had quit smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol due to personal choice. Barnes has owned several dogs throughout his life.