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Afroman’s novelty song which once sluggishly lamented the lethargy and uselessness of weed consumption, has been given a rework to promote the legalisation of marijuana. Because I Got High (Positive Remix) lists the healing qualities of weed – ranging from the treatment of glaucoma to staving urges to consume booze, cigarettes and Xanax – while also pointing out legalisation’s benefits to society such as eradicating the likelihood of criminal activity.
The remix of the 2001 track is a collaboration with online community Weedmaps and marijuana reform campaign NORML in the runup to votes which take place on 4 November in Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia to decide on the legalisation of marijuana, while Florida will decide on a medical marijuana amendment.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Afroman described how the original song, which lead to him landing a record deal and a Grammy nomination, might be a tool to influence the forthcoming reform. “Getting high – and rapping about it – got me to where I am today and I’ll be forever grateful for that,” he said. “With the current political battle with states trying to legalise weed, I thought it was a good time to educate – or set the record straight – about marijuana’s benefits, which is why I wanted to remake the song.”
Afroman’s original single was lifted from the album of the same name and became a huge hit. It was picked up by stoner flick Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and was a No 1 in nine countries including the UK. While the promotion of weed via song has a long lineage in the music world, this pro-marijuana remix comes hot on the heels of Pharrell Williams and Snoop Dogg’s recent track for corporate-branded marijuana, which appears in a video for Kurupt’s Moon Rock, sold at medical cannabis dispensaries in California.
At present, 23 US states have legalised medical marijuana.
