By Patrick Bailey,
Marijuana is the most commonly used drug among American youth (aside from tobacco and alcohol). Cannabis is being legalized in many states in America and countries across the world — showing that it’s gaining greater acceptance — but the music industry has long had its share of the cake. News of celebrities partaking the herb is not new with some even suffering addiction and needing rehabilitation. However, since the 1960s, stoner musicians have been vocal about marijuana use in their music lyrics. Today, the influence of marijuana on artists is reflected in famous artists such as Snoop Dogg, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Willie Nelson.
Snoop Dogg
It’s well known that you can not mention the name Snoop Dogg without thinking about marijuana culture. Snoop Dogg is highly regarded as one of the legendary hip-hop rappers and he is the epitome of the West Coast Hip-Hop culture. From The Doggfather to Drop It Like It’s Hot, Snoop Dogg has been very influential in the gangsta rap game for more than two decades, winning 27 major music awards throughout his career. His influence in the industry has also seen a development in his stoner persona. His love for weed is no secret as he is known to have created employment opportunities for his crew to support his cannabis lifestyle. For instance, he is alleged to have one person on his payroll who rolls up to 80 blunts a day and gets paid up to $50,000 a year.
The Beatles
If you are a fan of entertainment news, you’ve probably heard of the story that The Beatles had their first joint with Bob Dylan in 1964 during their first encounter with him in New York. By the time the group released Help!, they were already frequent marijuana users and this was reflected in the type of lyrics produced thereafter. For instance, they started referencing weed more in their songs as seen in their album Revolver. Although most people would perceive John Lennon to be most associated with marijuana, it’s actually Paul McCartney who was often linked to the herb. The Beatle faced multiple run-ins with the law over marijuana possession at various junctions throughout his music career with his arrest in Tokyo being the most memorable. Cannabis definitely influenced their music, evident when John Lennon attributed the backward guitar effect in the song “Rain” directly to being under the influence of weed.
Bob Dylan
The connection between music and weed cannot be complete without the mention of Bob Dylan. By the time he was meeting The Beatles in 1964, Dylan was well versed in the art of marijuana use. He later proved his notoriety through the song Rainy Day Women, with its call to “get stoned!” His cannabis influence in the music industry is well reflected through his encounter with the Fab Four where he rolled a joint and passed it to them after discovering that they knew nothing about the herb. During his interview with Playboy Magazine in 1965, he was asked if experimenting with drugs should be allowed to be part of the youth experience and he responded, “I wouldn’t advise anybody to use drugs; certainly not hard drugs, but hash and pot; those things aren’t drugs, they just bend your mind a little. I think everybody’s mind should be bent once in a while.” This comment raised controversy, but it was a true depiction of marijuana’s influence on artists.
Willie Nelson
It’s appropriate that we finish with a true legend, Willie Nelson. He has risen above the legacy of his music, becoming a cannabis culture icon in recent years, but Nelson has not shied away from expressing his affinity for marijuana. This country singer-songwriter and actor saw it fit to title his autobiography, Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I’m Gone. It’s been more than 65 years since Willie had his first joint, but legend has it he gets high all the time. Although he was recently diagnosed with breathing issues forcing him to stop smoking marijuana, he has not suspended other forms of the herb such as concentrates and edibles. In fact, he owns a premium cannabis product line, Willie’s Reserve, operating under the philosophy, “my stash is your stash.”
Even though cannabis use has not been fully integrated into our culture, with some states yet to legalize it, its use is more rampant today than it was a couple of decades ago. Whether it be through Snoop Dogg, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, or Willie Nelson, music has been one of the influencing factors of marijuana normalization and legalization.
Author Bio: Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoy writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them. If you want to find more articles by Patrick, you can find them on his personal blog or in Sunshine Behavioral Health
