Afroman returns with a pro-marijuana legalization version of 'Because I Got High'
As a show of support for marijuana legalization, Afroman is back with an updated version of his stoner classic "Because I Got High."
The original came out in 2001, and was about the dumb things done while under the influence ("I was gonna go to court before I got high/I was gonna pay my child support but then I got high/They took my whole paycheck and I know why/Cause I got high"), but the 2014 Positive Remix extols the benefits of marijuana for people with glaucoma and anxiety, and even mentions what a state could do with revenue from sales ("They built a school or two because I got high/Now the state can fund drug treatment and I know why").
Afroman teamed up with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and Weedmaps to release the song. The singer-rapper told Rolling Stone he wanted to revamp the pot anthem to give back to the drug that gave him so much. "Getting high — and rapping about it — got me to where I am today and I'll be forever grateful for that," Afroman said. "With the current political battle with states trying to legalize 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." Grab something to munch on, and watch the video below. --Catherine Garcia
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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