BOB Marley never hid his love for ganja. There are numerous photos of him smoking the weed. He yearned for it in some of his songs, including Kaya.

On Friday, a line of ganja-based products bearing the reggae king’s name was launched in the United States.

They are manufactured and marketed by the Marley Natural company, which operates out of New York.

The products include four brands of Marley ganja (Black, Red, Green and Gold) which are approved by the singer’s family. Each has a different level of potency.

According to a statement from Marley Natural, other products are:

– A naturally derived line of body care products that blend the moisturising power of hemp seed oil with Jamaican botanicals; and

– A collection of smoking, storage and preparation accessories made from sustainably grown American Black Walnut wood and heat-resistant, hand-blown glass.

Tahira Rehmatullah, general manager of Marley Natural, told the Jamaica Observer that response to the line has been “phenomenal”.

“When we think of brands we see Marley Natural as a one of its kind that brings about change. It’s an opportunity for us to educate people on the nuances of cannabis,” she said.

Zack Hutson is director of press for Privateer Holding, a company working with Marley Natural. He said the products were initially launched in California where ganja cultivation and use have been legal for years.

They will also be available in Oregon, California and Washington, other states where ganja is legal.

Marley Natural products could be released in Jamaica by next year, depending on the pace of legislation in the country’s Parliament.

Hutson said the Marley family had hands-on involvement throughout the process.

“They’ve been thinking about doing a cannabis brand for years. His daughter Cedella was very involved in choosing ingredients for the products,” said Hutson.

The Marley strains (as the different brands of weed are known) are naturally (sun) grown by local farmers. Rehmatullah and Hutson were part of teams that visited “hundreds of farms” worldwide, including in Jamaica, to meet with cultivators.

“We spent lots of time in Jamaica in places like Nine Miles (Marley’s birthplace in St Ann) looking at Jamaican ganja. There’s definitely a buzz there,” said Rehmatullah.

Since October 2014, the Jamaican Government has taken gradual steps to decriminalise ganja. Last April, legislation was passed in the Senate allowing persons to use small amounts of ganja without being prosecuted.

In November, the annual Cannabis Cup was held in Negril. Recognised as the largest ganja event of its kind globally, it attracted hundreds of patrons, including Government ministers and prospective investors in the Jamaican ganja industry.

Bob Marley, who died from cancer in May 1981 at age 36, would have been 71 years old yesterday.