The musician touts the many benefits of hemp.

Question: Should the U.S. legalize marijuana?

Ziggy Marley: Yeah, you should but, I think, whether they legalize it or not it's not stopping anyone. You know I'm saying?  I mean, it's a plant... But, I think, what's most important than even pot is hemp. Why?  Because pot--yeah, people smoke marijuana, whatever--but hemp can save the planet. I'm not talking about smoking it now. I'm talking about hemp can save the world, you know. In the Bible it says God give us these herbs that we must use, these plants. This is a gift that we are neglecting to use.

So in my mind, the marijuana struggle or the pot struggle is good but the hemp struggle... That is what is going to save the planet. You know because this plant can do everything we needed to do: fuel, clothes, you know...It regenerates us. That mean, when you plant... when you plant hemp...when you put in the corn or the peas or the potato, it flourishes even more. So, I think, there needs to be something going on about hemp too, not just the smoking of this plant. For me, the smoking is a... It's a very spiritual, sacramental, private thing. But if they have the whole earth, were using the hemp plant to do all of these things that it can do. And I don't see why that is our problem for governments to legalize the hemp plant itself, you know, when I say so. Think about that. You know, don't get... don't let the marijuana side of it hide the bigger side of it.  You know, I sit here so, you know, you have to keep that in mind, you know.       

Recorded on: May 7, 2009