Exclusive: Ziggy Marley: Why Marijuana Should Be Legal
Credit: Ray Tamarra/FilmMagic
It's pretty easy to spot Ziggy Marley. Long, wild dreads like his reggae legend dad Bob? Check. Classic reggae sounds coming from his trailer or dressing room? Yep. And, of course, the wafting smell of marijuana smoke? No shame in his game. I just phoned up the multi-Grammy winner, 42, to chat about his fourth solo album, Wild and Free (featuring his family friend Woody Harrelson!), the recent birth of his third son, Abraham (with wife Orly), and, of course, the source of much of his inspiration, marijuana.
US: What were you going for this time on your fourth album, 'Wild and Free?'
ZM: This album is grounded in the reggae foundation. I wanted to record music that would translate life well. I wanted to keep it simple so it comes across feeling good. To be able to translate these songs live without having to do a lot of thinking or trying different things is incredible.
US: How did you come to collaborate with Woody Harrelson on the opening track?
ZM: We have been friends for years and he was over the house when I was writing the song. We were hanging out and I was writing and I was like 'Come sing with me.' Woody has a soulful voice and so I said, 'you know, you got to be on the record.' He was like 'Ah, cool lets go.' So we just did it like that. It wasn't anything pre planned. It was spontaneous.
US: So, how did you first become friends?
ZM: Woody used to hang out with my grandmother. He knows most of my family.
US: Marijuana is also a topic on the album and your new comic book, Marijuana Man. Why do you think it should be legalized in America?
ZM: Alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical drugs are legal but they can hurt a lot of people. People get high from cough syrup that they can easily purchase at the pharmacy. Marijuana has a lot of benefits that we should utilize. People shouldn't go to jail for smoking marijuana in the privacy of their homes or be criminalized or demonized by that. I don't think it is as detrimental as alcohol in terms of the effects it has on society and people’s lives. Anything can be abused and overdosed so you have to be responsible. Plus, the industrial aspect of marijuana has had a bigger impact on society than even the recreation or medicinal uses. If people can utilize a natural resource properly, the impact it would have on the environment and the economy would be great. The argument against marijuana is confusing and hypocritical and stupid. It is a natural resource that we should use.
US: What do you think is the most personal song on the album?
ZM: There are a couple of them but I would say "Road Less Travelled." That song is a compilation of pieces of my life. It also speaks about my mother and father. In life I have chosen to do things differently, to step outside of my family environment and to be on my own.
US: Speaking of your dad, do you feel pressure to live up to his legend?
ZM: Not really. Back in the day I was naïve to this idea of pressure. We grew up in Jamaica, where the idea of a so-called superstar or celebrity didn't mean much. My father was well known in Jamaica and in the world before, but this started to pick up years after his death. He passed away and that legend grew, so now it is even bigger than when he was alive. The more people that asked me this question, the more pressure there was. I'm oblivious. I am making music and having fun that is all that really matters. At this stage in my life, that question is even more irrelevant now. I made my own name and I have grown into the man that I am now. I know who I am and I know the idea of my music and what I want it to be. My father and I had a really good relationship. We’re cool. I am not trying to outdo him or anything like that.
US: So now that this is the thirtieth anniversary of his death, what are you doing to preserve that legacy?
ZM: We are working on his documentary, which should be out in the fall. I am producing the documentary and Kevin McDonald will direct it. People are going to have not only the connection that you have now with the Bob Marley legend but it will also show the emotional side of our father. The emotion of Bob throughout his life experiences is a pretty pertinent thing. It is not just about his music.
US: How is your newborn baby, Abraham? Do you think any of your children will follow in your footsteps and be great musicians as well?
ZM: The new baby is good. He is very aware and inquisitive, always trying to see what is going on. We just leave them up to their own destiny. We give them all the tools we can as parents and then its up to them. Music will be a big part of their life.
US: Your brother Rohan is also expecting another baby with Lauryn Hill. Do your kids play together?
ZM: Nah. She lives out east and we're on the west side of the country now. I haven't seen her in a long time.
US: Why did you launch the comic book?
ZM: It was a creative outlet for me since I had a lot of ideas my head. I grew up in the comic book world and I used to read comics all the time. It was just a way for me to express the ideas I have about hemp. I have also always wanted to have a superhero. The superhero in my book is just like a kin to Superman and the Green Lantern guys, a superhero for the next generation.
US: Have you thought about getting together with the Melody Makers again and doing another record?
ZM: We have been talking about it a lot. Maybe!
By Ian Drew for Us Weekly. To read more of Ian's blog, click here.
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10I also agree 110% that marijuana should be legalized in America. I myself take over 25 pills everyday that are prescribed for me and honestly all them meds make me sick to my stomach. I smoke pot to make the nausea go away and it helps alot. Also it relaxes me so I could stop taking 5 of those pills a day if it were legal. ALso how many people do you know that have killed someone smoking pot? But yet prescription pills and Alchol have killed a many people. Drunk Drivers kill people everyday nation wide and overdose taking prescription pills. It's a shame that they don't open their eyes and legalize it and stop fighting it.
I agree 110% with him! Let's legalize marijuana America!!!!
Why is it ok for the government/business to make money from the sale of toxic and addictive cigarettes, cigarettes are filled with plenty of toxic chemicals that cause health problems or death, and a toxic chemical that has people hooked called nicotine is in them
Buzz, I'm confused after reading your post. Frankly, I think medical marijuana is a good idea but I am amazed that you believe marijuana wouldn't be abused just like alcohol is. We are after all knee deep in a generation that firmly believes they are entitled to anything because their parents never said no to them. So you want those people to regulate their marijuana use when they can't even obey a fairly simple set of laws now? Anyway Buzz, I'm thinking if you used a little less marijuana, you might actually understand a simple concept of grammar as well. Your run-on sentences are probably normal for you as is your constant need for munchies am I right? Anyway, Craig until your generation exhibits a modicum of control and respect for the laws already on the books then perhaps marijuana laws can be loosened. But until that time, medical marijuana is perfectly fine.
AMSTERDAM has some good laws...i mean the dutch...i thought we live in europe...peace n greetz
Friends of Cannabis: Below is a link on the subject on the Fed's once again flexing their imaginary muscles and placing once again fear foremost into personal medical decisions and backing old laws that do not take into considering the building medical evidence that indeed Cannabis is worth consideration for medical uses. How they continue to not read the current information disseminated all over the Internet.is pure intellectual sabotage to truth and the American way.of seeking new ideas to treat old problems that are health related and shared by the masses who seek medical treatments each day. I for one voted for our current President thinking he would temper these un-just laws on Cannabis once and for all....How wrong we have all been in our pot smoker's mind set that for sure this DUDE would not poop backwards on the medical Cannabis community with marching orders unchanged to the DEA and the justice system in total...We have been dubbed again by politicians playing games to appease the Moral Majority and not make a move out the box for the sake of better health for everyone seeking treatment with this Holy Herb that has been around much longer than the USA and it's laws. I propose that if you are a Democrat like myself that you change party registration to vote for Ron Paul who with Barney Frank have introduced new legislation to legalize Cannabis,,,That shows where Mr. Paul's head is at is where my head is at on this controversial subject...If the President and his handlers believe that alot of youth voters and older folks who tend to vote more often than the youth do will change parties just to vote for a canident who favors legalizing drugs might re-think his marching orders on those who beat are doors down to take our God given herb and close down are dispensaries. The politics of pot now demand more than reform and NORML should change their name to not reform it but flat out repeal it for medical reasons alone is good enough reason for me and what about you? Do you not all agree that you are tired of riding at the back of the bus on this issue? Are you not tired of being pulled over by the cops and turning your life upside down with arrests, incarcerations, fines, court costs, and lets not forget all those lawyers out there who have been getting rich for decades off pot users like you and I...When was the last time you saw lawyers marching for un-just pot laws in mass?? This is our problem and nobody from the justice system wants to change a damn thing that will take away from their vacations and retirement accounts... We the pot people have to gather together and share ideas like I am attempting to do today as I read again the lies from the Federal government on medical uses for Cannabis....Why should we vote for a President who does not keep his word on raiding medical marijuana clubs taking their cash and stash intended for the sick? Do you all think that's just fine and a part of business? Well lets vote the weak out of office if they are going to continue to harass us for the herbs we choose to treat our self with.\ Where is the Rosa Parks of the Cannabis movement, as she needs to get off her ass and move to the head of the line and make that bus tow the line for the sake of you and the millions of you out there who know the truth about Cannabis and its best uses...Free your mind and your ass will follow....Respectfully,, Craig "BUZZ" Bateman, Redding,CA.
Hey Ziggy here in the USA If we could get some real Marijuana. May be we could know and learn the benefits of the Plant
well i think that he is right what he say cos i know what it like with people what got ms my best friend die at home he used it all the time to take the pain away
Not sure how I feel about that but my doctor would certainly agree--he says the effects of marijuana is a lot LESS harmful than that of alcohol!
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