Stephen Marley — eight-time Grammy Award winner, son of reggae legend Bob Marley and longtime South Florida resident — has something he wants to say about the healing properties of herb.
“It’s a miracle plant,” said Marley, a longtime champion of marijuana usage and its legalization. “A lot of people are looking for miracles from the sky, but some miracles come from the earth.” TOP VIDEOS The video player is currently playing an ad.
Marijuana — or ganja as it is known among Jamaicans — is revered in reggae circles and considered sacred by Rastafarians. They’ve been promoting the medicinal benefits of the cannabis plant as far back as Bob Marley’s defiant championing and Peter Tosh’s promptly banned 1975 single, “Legalize It.”
Jamaica finally began decriminalizing up to two ounces of marijuana in 2015, joining a number of U.S. states that have adopted one form or another of legalization. Though the Caribbean nation still limits the number of cannabis plants Jamaicans can grow and carry without criminal penalties, Marley said he welcomes the moves. He also welcomes Florida’s medical marijuana law.
“Herb is a big part of our culture, and herb is a sacrament to me as well,” Marley said. “It’s a big part of us.”
So much so that with his 45th birthday rolling around on Thursday (April 20), which also happens to be 4/20 and National Weed Day, it was suggested he celebrate in a special, and different way.
Thus Kaya (another term for herb and the title of one of Bob Marley’s album) Fest was born. The concert, aimed at promoting the benefits of the cannabis plant, will take place at 1 p.m. Saturday April 22 at Bayfront Park Amphitheatre, 301 Biscayne Blvd., downtown Miami. “
We wanted to celebrate my birthday as well as support the cause,” Marley said. “The concert is really a platform to get people together who align with the plant, with the use of the plant.”
An all-star affair, the festival will feature Marley performing with brothers Ziggy, Damian, Julian and Ky-Mani for the first time in Miami in more than 20 years.
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