Nigerian reggae icon Victor Essiet, believes that Marijuana shouldn’t be demonised.
Speaking with Pulse.ng, the reggae star who has had several releases in Africa and the massive LP, “Crisis,” which went platinum for sales beyond half a million, believes that marijuana should not be tagged ‘bad’, comparing it to other non-regulated substances.
“Is Marijuana a bad thing? Don’t you know that the beer you drink is dangerous to your health? The cigarette people are smoking, and the brandy you are drinking is also dangerous”. Essiet said.
“America now is beginning to legalize marijuana. Like beans, some people their system don’t like beans, some people’s system too don’t like rice, so if this thing is regulated, and there is a certain control over it, you can’t say that weed is bad.
“But at the same time you cannot give it to minors. So you can’t demonize reggae musicians that reggae musicians smoke weed. What about all the good things that reggae people do.
“I don’t smoke, Bob Marley was a heavy smoker and he wrote the greatest song in human history. He became the biggest superstar from the Third World Country. Jimmy Clive smoked, but he wrote the greatest songs. These people are defenders, they are crusaders, of human rights and humanity, so what has that got to do with anything?
“I don’t like those tags they try to demonize reggae musicians, we are the ones trying to bring sanity into the society.” He concluded.
Victor Essiet is currently putting together the ‘Africa Meets Reggae And World Music International Festival’ on November 29, at the National Stadium, Lagos. He will be joined by other veteran acts such as Majek Fashek, Ortis Williki and Righteous Man, and he believes reggae music is the best of music, with the absence of a hippie culture.
“There’s no hippie lifestyle. Reggae music is the most peaceful, the cleanest and the most positive, so why would you say the hippie lifestyle?” Victor declared.
“Wanna talk about hippie lifestyle? It’s the kids who play and dance with drinks and naked people. That’s the kind of music that we don’t want in this nation because America is trying to fight that now, and they are all having a hard time”