Words by Erin Hansen-McKnight/Photo by Matthew ‘Preki’ Lawrence
The best part of this 420 release of Keznamdi’s “10 Pounds” video is watching the reggae artist tucked away in a field of marijuana plants with his red, green and gold socks kicking in the air. It perfectly captures the feel of the video as a weed anthem, yes, but also as a utopian vision of Jamaica where legalization is possible.
Keznamdi has spoken out on his advocacy of the legalization of marijuana in Jamaica for spiritual and economic reasons (as have Sean Paul, Bounty Killer and Damian Marley.) Now that the Jamaican government has taken the step to decriminalize possession under two ounces, his vision may be one step closer. Yesterday, the University of the West Indies planted their own cannabis plant so that they may better research the characterization of different strains and the “mechanism of action”– which clarifies how the plant’s chemicals interact with the human body. Perhaps Keznamdi’s video crew can help UWI on their “action” research.