"Obama's war on weed"

Ray Stern (Miami New Times):

In a strange about-face, the president tries to hack medical marijuana off at the knees.---The new federal crackdown on medical marijuana announced on October 7 by the four California U.S. Attorneys sent chills throughout the industry. It was a stunning reversal by the Obama administration. Only two years ago, Deputy U.S. Attorney General David Ogden wrote his infamous "Ogden Memo," announcing the feds wouldn't bother businesses in compliance with their own state laws. It proved a dose of Miracle-Gro to California, where pot-selling stores multiplied since voters approved the state's 1996 medical marijuana law. By late last year, California reportedly had more dispensaries than Starbucks outlets. MORE...

Howie P.S.: Jed Gottlieb (Boston Herald) writes about Ziggy Marley's "uphill battle: the legalization of marijuana" and suggests "he should take a crack at writing that Occupy theme song."

"Ziggy Marley | Free Download | Don't You Kill Love" (audio/video)

ziggymarleycom, with audio/video (06:23):

From Ziggy: We have a new free download for you taken from our 2004 USA tour, a VERY rare live version of "DYKL". The only year I did that song live haven't played it since so yes, it's pretty rare even for me. This song is on the Dragonfly album the live version is from Santa Cruz, USA, 2004. Enjoy and share. Love.

Ziggy on the Marley family, the state of reggae and marijuana

David Dacks (exclaim.ca):

"Wild and Free" was used in the campaign to legalize marijuana in California. Are you disappointed that initiative failed?
The song is written to stand up for your rights, the plant exists for the benefit of the planet in all its aspects. Not just the aspect that we all stereotypically smoke and get high. But medicinal and especially industrial use where people who aren't of a certain mindset don't know about. So this song is about the time when the plant will be wild and free. MORE...

"Interview with Ziggy Marley"

Vanessa Markov (Lithium Magazine):

My father sings, “The stone that the builder refused shall be the head cornerstone.” This is how I see this plant. This society is refusing it, demonizing it, but it will become the head cornerstone of our future. That’s why I said the children need to learn about this part of it first. This is what we need to teach them. MORE...

"Ziggy Marley | Jammin' in the Rain | Bob Marley Cover" (with video)

UPDATE: Blogger has now restored this "lost" posting from May 12, 2011.

Ziggy Marley, with video (07:22):

Hail family, this version of Bob Marley's "Jammin'" ( in case someone doesn't know :) was recorded in Sao Paulo, Brazil during our tour with Shakira.

I remember this song and this show specifically because the rain was gently falling on my head and it gave me a really good vibe.

I called "Jammin'" instinctively as we were about to start "Black Cat", it wasn't planned, it wasn't on the set list, it was just a feeling. I always try and follow the truth inside of me.

I wanted to share that vibe with you. It's called "Jammin' in the rain".

Enjoy and we will talk soon.

I will never forget thirty years ago.

luv powah.

Howie P.S.: Bob Marley left this earth 30 years ago.

Jimmy Fallon hosts: "Ziggy Marley: Get Up, Stand Up" (video)

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, video (03:39).

Howie P.S.: Ziggy and Jimmy talk, video (02:33):

Jimmy asks Ziggy about his father, his name and his new animated book, "Marijuanaman."

It's Bob Marley Week on Fallon and I am told Chris Cornell is on tonight (Tuesday), Keith Richards and Jakob Dylan will appear on Wednesday, and Lauryn Hill is up on Thursday.

"Ziggy Marley's Marijuanaman A Proverbial Hit at Comic-Con" (with video)

ifc.com, with video (02:10:

The IFC News team bumped into rock star Ziggy Marley on the convention floor at Comic-Con 2010, and got the scoop on his new super-hero book "Marijuanaman." The book's publisher, Image Comics, describes its protagonist as a being "from a planet that is in desperate need of THC. Marijuanaman seeks to save Earth's marijuana fields from destruction by the drug company PharmeXon, and thus saving his home planet from destruction." Dude, Cheech & Chong must me kicking themselves for never thinking of this.

Marley told us about the book while flanked by his collaborators on the series, writer Joe Casey ("Godland") and Jim Mahfood ("Grrl Scouts"). Their respective track records is enough to pique our interest though if I were them I'd have gone with a different, Coen Brothers-inspired title for the series: "Burn After Reading."

On a related topic, if you type the words "Ziggy Marley" and "marijuana" into Google you know how many hits you get? 127,000. Wow. That's a lot of pot. Here's the interview:

Ziggy Marley: "A Fire Burns For Freedom" (video)

ziggymarley.com, video (03:24).

Ziggy Marley on Prop. 19 on Dylan Ratigan (video)

MSNBC-Dylan Ratigan, video (04:01).