by Kolapo Olapoju

 

US-based Nigerian reggae veteran, Victor Essiet of The Mandators says there is nothing wrong with Marijuana.

Essiet is one of the veteran Nigerian musicians who made reggae a popular music genre in Nigeria, before going on exile after the anulled election of 1993.

Essiet, whose late ex-wife, Peggy Umanna was the female lead vocalist of The Mandators, stated that smoking of Indian hemp is not necessarily a ‘bad thing’, going by its gradual legalisation in several states in the US.

While speaking to Pulse, the reggae icon said compared to other non-regulated substances, marijuana is good to go.

He said, “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.”

“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.”

Essiet also lamented the ‘demonization’ of reggae musicians that smoke weed, saying that some of the greatest musicians the world has ever known, were heavy smokers of marijuana.

“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.”