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By Janine Rubenstein
Rohan Marley, the highs far outweigh the lows. The Jamaican entrepreneur and son of late reggae legend and activist Bob Marley is well-known for his love of marijuana, tied to his cultural beliefs and lifestyle.
“I was born this way,” Marley, 51, tells PEOPLE. “We as Rastafarian people see the herbs as a sacrament, with all the medicinal components as well as the psychosis component.”
That’s why he says it’s only natural that he launched his cannabis line and lifestyle brand Lion Order. “Growing up as a youth in Jamaica in the ’70s, I learned a lot about how herb can help people. This is the perfect opportunity now that the stigma has been lifted.”
In his opinion, the growing push to legalize marijuana has caused a level of widespread acceptance that his dad had hoped for.
“This is what my father talked about,” he says. “It has lifted such a great burden just in life and how they think about us. It was looked upon so bad back in the day. They downgraded us because we smoked, but now you realize lawyers are smoking herb, judges are smoking herb, all these people with clean faces and haircuts smoke herb.”
And according to Marley, “herb” has even made its way to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Asked who was the coolest person he ever smoked with, Marley plays coy. “I would say forget about the person I smoked with, but how about where I smoked,” he offers, before answering his own question. “Smoking on the lawn in front of the White House was like my ice cream with the cherry on top. That was the one.”
Marley stops short of giving more details, but offers up another great memory: the first time he got caught smoking by his dad. “I started young. Once I was smoking and my dad saw me and says to me ‘Hey boy, where you get that from? Who give you that? Take that out your mouth!'” he recalls with a laugh, adding that that day, “My dad embarrassed me.”
Next year, he and his many siblings are gearing up to celebrate their father’s legacy with the release of the highly anticipated film Bob Marley: One Love, executive produced by his brother Ziggy Marley and hitting theaters in January. “When I watched it I got goosebumps,” he says of actor Kingsley Ben-Adir’s portrayal of the icon. “Speaking as Bob’s family, he’s spot on.”
He adds, “I’m just happy. Everything Marley is about love. What we’re doing with the movie, with Lion Order, with life. We just continue the message of Rastafari, which is love, peace, serenity and togetherness.” (People).
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Editorial note: Village Voice News respected the Laws of Guyana on use of marijuana and does not endorse any violation.
