The Beatles and Marijuana

It is testament to talent their music maintains popularity with new generations. In fact, when streaming was just getting going, 57 percent of Beatle steaming listeners were between the ages of 18 and 34. These fans in less than a month pushed the music to the most streamed of any artist on Spotify.  In the last 10 years they have had a Las Vegas show (LOVE), continue to hold steady on streaming and now have a new song release Now and Then thanks to AI.  Add to it the Beatles and marijuana have a rich history.

The Beatles introduce change and new ideas in a variety of ways, from their music to haircuts (the mop-top), to helping drive analogue recording technology. They had the popularity of Elvis, but made it into a fan power base – the first of its kind driven by the artists.

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There are millions of fans who love the Beatles and marijuana, and August 28, 1964 the future of rock ‘n’ roll changed forever, when Bob Dylan introduced The Beatles to cannabis.  The two would and will be forever linked.

“I remember it pretty well y’know,” Paul McCartney has shared “We were staying in that hotel [the Delmonico in New York City] and we were on tour, so we were all together in the hotel suite. We were having a drink and then Bob [Dylan] arrived and disappeared into a backroom. Then Ringo went back to see him and after a couple of minutes Ringo came back into the suite looking a little dazed and confused and we said, ‘what’s up?’ and he said, ‘oh Bob’s smoking pot back there’, and we said, ‘oh, well what’s it like?’ and Ringo said, ‘the ceiling feels like it’s coming down a bit’.”

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Of course, the music, the clothes, and the Yellow Submarine gives a strong nod to psychedelics. The hits are a constant favorite to those who consume who want to lose themselves in a positive, moment. With music and cannabis simultaneously triggering the  dopamine system, the brain is chemically reinforcing two extremely gratifying behaviors.

Despite the differences which would later break them up, marijuana was a unifier during their best music making period. As John Lennon once admitted, they were “smoking marijuana for breakfast” during that period.

While making Help, Ringo Starr said: “A hell of a lot of pot was being smoked while we were making the film. It was great. That helped make it a lot of fun.”

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A symbol of the marriage between the Beatles and marijuana is all the generations who listen to the music and whether you are a Boomer or Gen Z, it is on your chill play list.