Happy Birthday Ziggy Marley

Today, one of the most famous of Marley children is celebrating his birthday. Born David Nesta Marley on October 17, 1968 to Rita and Bob Marley, “Ziggy” Marley began his musical career with Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers between the mid-1980s and 2001 (no doubt a homage to his father’s band partnership as Bob Marley and the Wailers). Ziggy has since then launched a successful solo career, but also continues to give back to the world as well. He’s the founder of the Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment (URGE), a sponsor of Little Kids Rock, and overall a great guy.

Musically, Ziggy has kept pretty active since his solo career began in in 2003. Most recently, he released a full length album called Ziggy Marley in 2016, and just released his live album, We Are the People Tour, on September 8.

Most importantly, today Ziggy celebrates his birthday but the cannabis community celebrates his advocacy and presence in the community. CULTURE interviewed Ziggy back in 2010 and spoke with him about his father’s legacy, his career, a superhero comic book he was releasing and, of course, cannabis. “The plant is a miracle, something nature put here for us, and we are neglecting it. There are so many solutions right in front of our face, including economic ones. This will help, but it’s like a Christmas present that we haven’t opened. Maybe it’s too small so people think it can’t be anything interesting. They leave it under the tree even though it’s the most wonderful gift of all. I feel strong about it and not based upon smoking, which is small for why I feel this way about the plant. It’s about helping the world. Why aren’t people using it? What’s going on?”

He even commented on the medical cannabis movement, which was still more prominent than recreational at the time. “I think that focus is too narrow. We should explain the other things the plant can do. Free this plant, the whole plant, not just one part of it, in all aspects of life. It should not be criminalized. It can be used to benefit the United States of America. Putting your attention on the smoking or medical use gives its opponents so much to use against you. It should be about the whole truth; that it can be used as bio fuel, for material building and clothing, for nutrition, for environment, the soil, and it doesn’t take a lot of technology or energy. Not just one aspect of it, the whole plant needs to be free.”

Thanks Ziggy, for being a model cannabis consumer and supporter.