Bob Marley , live in concert , in Dalymount Park on July 6 , 1980 .
( photo courtesy Wiki commons .)
Bob Marley is arguably the most internationally recognizable connoisseur and advocate in the cannabis and reggae worlds . Born Robert Nesta Marley in Nine Mile , a small hamlet of shanties in rural Jamaica , Marley went on to revolutionize the spiritual context of marijuana .
“ Herb is the healing of the nation , alcohol is the destruction .”
~ Bob Marley
As a Pan-Africanist and Rastafarian , Marley considered cannabis the healer of all nations as well as a holy sacrament . His baptismal name became Berhane Selassie , meaning “ Light of the Trinity .” You can hear him sing the plant ’ s praises in songs such as “ Rebel Music ( 3 O ’ Clock Roadblock ),” “ Easy Skanking ,” “ Kaya ,” “ One Draw ,” and “ Get Up / Stand Up .”
Marley completed 13 studio albums , six live albums , and dozens of remixes , box sets , compilations , and singles , and he sold over 20 million records . His great accolades include the Jamaican Order of Merit ( 1974 ), reception of an official funeral from the Government of Jamaica , induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ( 1994 ), a star on the Hollywood walk of fame , and the award of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement ( 2001 ).
After succumbing to cancer , Bob Marley was buried in his childhood village of Nine Mile with his beloved red Les Paul guitar , a soccer ball , a ring given to him by the Prince Asfa Wossen of Ethiopia , a bible opened to Psalm 23 ( The Lord is my shepherd ; I shall not want …), and a stalk of cannabis placed in his coffin by his wife , Rita . They covered his casket with the flags of Ethiopia and Jamaica . Before his burial , 100,000 people visited his open casket , carried onto the viewing stage by guards of Jamaica ’ s defense force . It is said that at the end of the day , the Rastafarians remained the longest , leaving a pile of Red Stripe bottles and chillums in their wake . ~ Robert Nesta Marley ( Bob Marley ) February 6 , 1945 – May 11 , 1981
Karla Deel is the Flora Farms Marketing Director , a writer , poet , and researcher , with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Media Arts from the University of Missouri-Kansas City . She ’ s published a book titled “ Storied & Scandalous Kansas City , a History of Corruption Mischief and a Whole Lot of Booze .” Deel also serves on the Jackson County Historical Society board , works in communications for the Friends of the Kansas City Public Library , and volunteers for several local nonprofits . Visit Karla at
www . KarlaDeel . com .