HERB: smoke, or don't?

[bill]

Mister moneyman when you make moneyplan
tell me where you get your first money from
how you plant your field
how you make your deal
then come tell your pickney them fi don't smoke weed.


....killer tune

[Jah Glu]

I don't think you can separate reggae and herb, even if you personally don't smoke.

After all, can you name me one single anti-herb reggae song?

Whereas you'll be here all day if you start listing pro-herb songs!

You can easily separate it. When it started (1970 ish) it wasnt with songs about weed. Weed had absolutely nothing to do with ska, rocksteady or early reggae. It has something to do with rastafari. I dont think you can separate rastafari and weed. But you can separate reggae and weed.

[_Easy_]

yeah man, this is a pretty opinionated thread, and personally i can see where everyone is coming from. Me? ive been puffing for about 7 years, its kinda what lead me deeper into the reggae scene, but even if i stopped puffing i would still listen to reggae, i think it really varies from person to person, there are rastas who dont puff, people who listen to reggae that dont puff and likewise. i mean for me, theres not a whole lot that beats taking a few rips and then throwin on a rightious album, laughing out loud and skanking about!

hahaha Irie mi brederan

[Reggae Rhythm Update]

I have never smoked herb or anything else and I don't plan to.

[Guest]

herb is for the kingman just same like the woman is for the kingman

[leggo rocker]

leggo rocker wrote :I don't think you can separate reggae and herb, even if you personally don't smoke.

After all, can you name me one single anti-herb reggae song?

Whereas you'll be here all day if you start listing pro-herb songs!

You can easily separate it. When it started (1970 ish) it wasnt with songs about weed. Weed had absolutely nothing to do with ska, rocksteady or early reggae. It has something to do with rastafari. I dont think you can separate rastafari and weed. But you can separate reggae and weed.

But where's your list of anti-herb reggae songs Mr Glu?

My point was that reggae and herb do go together, naturally, and the lyrics of so many songs would seem to support that viewpoint.

But I don't think you need to smoke herb to enjoy, or even produce reggae.

[Ites]

why should there be some anti-herb songs, visible, for it to be 'anti' among individuals in the music fraternity/industry, leggo? as most of us know, herb is - or was - pretty established on the scene even back in the jazz days in kingston of the 1950s, but considering what it has become, it would be harder to take a stand against it publicly, in song, whatever, and then stay in business. i don't think that would'be been taken lightly for some reason, but that's just my guess. like saying, 'homosexuals should be allowed to marry'. saying that in ja today, you could get a bullet or two for it. maybe not in the case of herb but people would find you a bit strange, i'm sure

a lot of people don't smoke anymore. its not the 1970s and bob marley's smoking image in our faces constantly anymore, a lot of them has left that 'scene', for whatever reason. probably because its not too healthy

having said that, yes, no one can deny that there is a relationship between herb and reggae, how strong it is today is another question

just my twocents

[Ites]

but what it boils down to, to me, is that there are probably just as many in reggae, fans, musicians, who don't smoke and don't enjoy it, they get 'musically high', that's how uplifting this form of music can be in its best moments without any influence from substances

[Jah Glu]

I agree with Ites

[leggo rocker]

Yep, Ites has made some valid points. Anti-Herb chants in reggae would be pretty counterproductive!

And herb smoking wasn't new, even to music, in the early 70s. In fact it was long associated with Jazz and Blues musicians!

I don't need herb to be creative, and I don't need herb to enjoy reggae music. But as I don't EVER smoke tobacco, don't eat meat and generally eat fresh food only, don't take ANY pills or substances (even prescription drugs), don't gamble, don't drink much alcohol, then I consider the occasional smoke of pure green herb isn't going to kill me.

One chap I know who is hard into reggae is a high ranking drug squad officer (yes!), he loves reggae and has done since 1978 but has never smoked any herb - ever.

I wouldn't recommend anyone to take up on smoking herb, if you can do without it, you're better off. But if you have to take drugs, this is one of the least harmful, compared to cocaine, heroin, alcohol, tobacco etc.

And I personally do associate herb with reggae as for me, the two always were together in the 70s and 80s.