While he was inspired by global trends that grant more open use of ganja, Wayne Armond had two of his heroes in mind when recording Kush, his latest song. He remembers the heat Bob Marley and Peter Tosh took when they called for the weed to be legalised.

It has not reached that level in Jamaica, but considerable progress has been made since the decriminalisation process started in the Senate nine years ago.

Armond recorded Kush for My MM Productions, a company based in South Florida where he lives. In an interview with Observer Online, he gave his thoughts on how the reggae legends would react to the lifting of weed restrictions in their country.

“I think Bob and Peter would say it’s a good start,” Armond stated.

The singer/guitarist also had his eyes on the push to legalise ganja in Florida, which failed last month despite support from Democrats and Republicans in the Sunshine State. The campaign did not get the 60 per cent voter support needed to secure a constitutional amendment.

“I was actually anticipating the legal use of recreational marijuana in South Florida but sadly it did not pass,” said Armond, best known for his over 40 years as a member of the band, Chalice.

Both Rastafarians, Marley and Tosh died in 1981 and 1987, respectively. Several of their songs, such as Kaya and Buckingham Palace, called for open use of ganja which is considered a holy sacrament by members of that faith.

Armond was in his early 20s when Jamaica’s ‘free ganja’ movement emerged during the early 1970s. Several reggae artistes including Toots Hibbert and Bunny Wailer — Marley and Tosh’s colleague in The Wailers — were jailed for smoking ganja.

Under legislation passed by the Jamaican parliament, persons held with a small amount of ganja are exempt from prosecution.