Julian Marley, son of legendary reggae artist Bob Marley, is set to release a song calling for the legalisation of marijuana, 40 years after his father's former bandmate released a song with the same message.

The song, entitled Lemme Go, is set to be released later this month, and calls for the legalisation of marijuana - a policy the Jamaican government recently moved towards, after they decriminalised the possession of small amounts of marijuana on 6 February this year.

Bob Marley and cannabis are almost synonymous — in some places, "Bob Marley" is the street name for pot. So, it was almost an inevitability these two would one day be formally united. That day came in November 2014 when Marley's family and private equity firm Privateer Holdings announced the creation of Marley Natural, the world's first international cannabis brand.

Kingston, Jamaica: In April 2015, a member of Jamaica’s Rastafarian community, Miguel “Steppa” Williams, asked US President Barack Obama at a town hall meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, whether he would support the legalization of Marijuana. While it had seemed like an awkward question, President Obama appeared to have long anticipated the question, and had probably long choreographed an answer in order to ensure that it does not get his support or outright rejection.

• Editor’s note: The question comes at the 51-minute mark in the video below.

After all, it was Jamaica, the land of reggae and Rastafarian culture. And his advisers would have told him to expect the question anyhow.

With Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister Phillip Paulwell recently stating that Jamaica plans to become a world leader in exploiting the economic value of ganja, ganja stakeholders are of the view that the government is finally seeing the light they have been basking in for a long time.

In fact, during a recent visit to their community by Justice Minister Mark Golding, Security Minister Peter Bunting and Tourism Minister Wykeham McNeil, residents of Orange Hill, near Negril, Westmoreland, told The Western Focus that, ganja is the 'life blood' of their community

Governments and communities worldwide are softening their views on cannabis use. Trials of medicinal cannabis have been approved in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales. And the Australian parliament is currently debating legislation to introduce a government regulator of medicinal cannabis.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Robert Marley Foundation has donated $15.4 million in equipment to the Bustamante Hospital for Children, the Victoria Jubilee Hospital, the St Ann’s Bay Hospital, and the Women’s Health Network.

According to a press release from the foundation, the Bustamante Hospital received two Touchscreen Patient Monitors, two Mobile Stands with Baskets, four Aneroid Mobile and Desktop Blood Pressure Units, one Nebulizer, five Handheld Pulse Oximeters, and a set of PP1 Chairs.

It’s true– this is not some one-off survey conducted by amateurs. This research was completed by Dr. Melanie Creagan Dreher PhD, RN FAAN whom served as the dean for four prestigious nursing schools, received a Bachelors of Science from Long Island University as well as a Masters and Doctorate in Anthropology from Columbia University and Teachers College.

A Lakeland company behind Colorado’s tracking system for marijuana plants has accused a competitor of deceptive business practices.

Lawyers for Franwell say BioTrackTHC, based in Ft. Lauderdale, lies in publicity material and lies about Franwell in the media and communications to state regulators.

The purpose, according to documents filed by Franwell in federal court May 11, is to interfere with the Lakeland company’s $1.5 million Colorado contract and to sway officials to choose BioTrack for a competitive contract in Jamaica.

SAN JUAN – Jamaica’s marijuana decriminalization law has helped decrease tensions between citizens and authorities as people possessing 2 ounces or less of pot no longer face arrest, National Security Minister Peter Bunting said Monday.

For decades, arrests for possession of small quantities of the drug Jamaicans know as ganja has caused friction between police and communities, the minister said in a statement.

“Communities saw young men who they did not regard as criminals being arrested, fined, and, sometimes, sentenced for possession of ganja. It gave them criminal records ... eventually limiting their life chances,” he said.

The Government intends to pull out all the stops to make Jamaica a world leader on the medical uses of marijuana.

Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell said marijuana is one of the most researched herbs, and evidence is pointing to a significant number of medical benefits from the plant.

"There is now convincing data and evidence to support beneficial effects in relation to glaucoma, epilepsy, eating disorders and several more conditions, especially those affecting the nervous system," Paulwell said yesterday at a ceremony to hand over a marijuana research licence to the University of Technology (UTech) at the institution's Papine campus.