Of all kinds of music, reggae is most interwoven with the marijuana culture. The reason for this is that the Rastafarian belief considers weed as the weed of wisdom, and it is prescribed as meditation aid and medicine. Here is a list of some songs about ganja. This lists is not complete of course. It might be useful to know this:

Chalice, Chillum, Kutchie = bong
Sensi(millia), Herb, Collie, Ganja = weed.

Popsongs about the use of marijuana can be found especially in the sixties and nineties. Here are some songs from the 'hippie time':

In the seventies less has been sung about marijuana (except reggae, see above). Other drugs (especially cocaine and heroin) pushed weed aside. The punks spit on everything that's hippie and pot smoking. But nevertheless, in this decade a few pot songs have been written:

Also in the eighties, pot was not an important element in pop music. Here, in the tolerant Netherlands, Nederwiet has been made famous by Doe Maar. Joost Belinfante explains in this song off the album Skunk patiently how to grow your own weed at home, and the best way to enjoy it. For the emancipation of the so called soft drugs in the Netherlands, Doe Maar played a taboo breaking role.

A few years later, there are new heroes. The Beastie Boys raised hell in the Countdown studios (Fight For Your Right To Party) with cans of beer and fat joints in their hands. During their concert in the Jaap Edenhal in 1987 they were floating over the stage, stoned als een garnaal like we say here, "stoned like a shrimp". They said they had a wonderful afternoon in the Bulldog.

Another few years later, in the nineties, another rap act is weaving joints: Cypress Hill. Their masterpiece Black Sunday is one big ode to the green grasses of Life. Also other rappers, like Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg, are not averse to print a weed leaf in their CD booklets. More cannabis hip hop:

Other pro soft drugs pop artists are the Black Crowes (during their High As The Moon tour in 1992 they even sold official Black Crowes rolling papers) and Jamiroquai. Both groups plea for legalization of soft drugs. Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes says to disagree with the fact that there are people in prison for the possession of one single gram of marijuana. Jason Kay, singer of Jamiroquai gets angry about the politics: "They begrudge the people the enjoyment of soft drugs."

Also in the recent British pop wave, pot smoking is a recurring theme. Oasis included long rolling papers in their merchandising. Shaun Ryder did call his Black Grape album It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah, but on on stage, he's one big commercial for (or against) a fat joint. Tricky whispers to the listener: "I drink till I'm drunk and I smoke till I'm senseless." And let's not forget Technohead. They scored the summer hit of 1995 with I Wanna Be A Hippy (And I Wanna Get Stoned). A line they stole directly from I Like Marijuana from David Peel and the Lower East Side. Right, from the sixties.

Source: Muziekblad Oor nr. 22 1995

Original dutch article by Willem van Zeeland