Almost 40 years after the death of the legendary Bob Marley, there is a new generation of Marley’s taking the wheel, spreading positive vibes, and guiding us to Cloud 9. Spotlighting the gentle, dreamy side of his grandfather’s personality, Nico Marley, son of Rohan Marley has entered into the cannabis industry with his line of CBD products, Lion X Wellness, which he calls a “modern evolution” of his grandfather’s philosophies.
For many, Bob Marley was the first person we knew who truly advocated for cannabis reform. He said that “Herb is the healing of the nation,” because he understood that in order to survive in this world, one must always look at things from a higher perspective. The young Marley says that at an early age his family taught him how to use cannabis as a tool for alignment—connecting his mind, body, and spirit in a way that he could always trust that “every little thing would be alright.”
“I discovered hemp through my family. Growing up, they would always use the plant for healing purposes and to connect to their mind, body, and soul. The first time I ever tried cannabis was the summer of 6th grade. My family members and I were at the Marley Festival in Miami. This festival is one of the largest Reggae music events celebrating the birth, life, music, and legacy of my grandfather,” he shared with High Times.
“I wanted to take part in the celebration. [I remember] the vibe was just right, and just like my family, I wanted to be able to connect to my body, mind, and soul [through the use of cannabis]. I felt safe around my cousins to do this. It was a fantastic experience to be surrounded by my family and people who love my grandfather. He touched so many people: people he knew personally, and some he didn’t know at all, and it’s incredibly inspiring and heartwarming to be surrounded by that much love.”
A Family Legacy
It made sense for Marley to eventually enter into the cannabis industry. After he was cut from playing for the Washington Redskins in 2017, he wanted to find his new purpose in life. For a while, he worked with his father on Marley Coffee, which eventually inspired him to create his own legacy.
“I started to think about my passions, and what came to mind is my love for performance, the collective impact we have on one another, and my family history. I started using CBD as a way to boost my overall wellness, as well as a [tool] to help me recover from my games. Football takes a lot out of you, even practice, and I wanted to consume and use natural products for recovery. So I created Lion X to incorporate my passions for [sports], performance, and overall wellness,” said Marley.
Though his company is young, so many parts of his life have expanded because he chose cannabis. For one, his relationship with the plant has allowed him to look at business in a new way, and he wants to encourage Black folk everywhere to take advantage of this space and everything that is historically owed to them.
“I’ve gained so much knowledge on the plant since I started in the cannabis industry,” he shared. “You learn what it takes to run a business, restrictions that are set in place, and the legality of the plant. I feel like I’m way more knowledgeable, and I hope as Lion X continues to grow, I can continue to educate myself as well as the people around me.”
Like his grandfather, Marley is focused on revolution: revolutionizing the way we understand and experience wellness. From a young age, he was taught that Mama Ganja is here to nourish our bodies and connect us to new realities, new people, and new ways of love.
“My entire upbringing, I was taught that Cannabis is medicine. It’s not just a drug you use for recreational reasons to get high, but something you use to connect to your mind, body, and spirit. My grandfather has taught me a lot about that through his music. Knowing that, and knowing that he advocated for cannabis and wellness before it was a huge trend has helped me navigate this industry,” he said.
