When Paul McCartney cheekily joked he’d "never again" smoke cannabis after 1984 court charge

2 August 2024, 17:00

Paul McCartney has long been calling for cannabis to be legalised. Picture: ITN

By Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

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Seemingly everyone in the sixties had a dabble here and there.

There was a noticeable shift towards more exploratory sounds in pop music, which in turn influenced the advent of psychedelic music that decade.

One band leading the charge for that change were undoubtedly The Beatles, who moved away from the blues-indebted pop that made their name into more adventurous territory.

Not to say that illicit substances were entirely behind the musical progression, but they certainly had a part to play.

The Fab Four were frequently quizzed about their taking part in the recreational use of cannabis, LSD, and the like, even after the band called it a day.

But Paul McCartney was certainly brazen about his usage, which at times got him into hot water.

One specific occasion was after he and his wife Linda McCartney were holidaying in Barbados in 1984, only to be charged with possession of just under half an ounce of marijuana whilst in the Caribbean country.

Upon accepting the charge, a mob of reporters harangued Macca, who joked he'd "never again" smoke cannabis before delivering a cheeky wink live on television after arriving back at Heathrow airport.

Paul and Linda appeared in court in the UK after their Barbados court charge. (Photo by Bryn Colton/Getty Images). Picture: Getty

Macca's fondness for marijuana has been well-documented in popular music history, having been introduced to the drug by Bob Dylan back in 1964.

The Beatles became so fond of cannabis in fact, that McCartney wrote 'Got To Get You Into My Life' after experiencing it for the first time.

Paul and Linda had been vacationing in Barbados for two weeks, when the police got an anonymous tip about their possession of cannabis and raided the apartment they were staying in.

"We received a tip-off that they were in possession of marijuana," said Alan Long, an inspector for Barbados' local police.

"Four uniformed officers went round to the McCartney holiday villa with a search warrant. Mr. McCartney freely admitted his guilt and accompanied the officers to the police station."

Paul supposedly wrote 'Got To Get You Into My Life' after being introduced to cannabis by Bob Dylan. (AP Photo). Picture: Alamy

Appearing before Judge Haynes Blackman, the McCartneys pleaded guilty and were sentenced to either a $100 fine each or fourteen days in jail. They paid the fines immediately.

Represented in court by Barbadian lawyer David Simmonds, the pair said nothing, whilst Simmonds appealed to the judge that they both had an international reputation to uphold.

"He is a very talented and creative person," Simmonds said about Paul. "People who have this talent sometimes need inspiration."

Arriving at Heathrow to a flood of news reporters, Macca said: "I’ve got absolutely no grudges."

"It was a small amount of cannabis and I intended to use it but the police came to my place and I gave them 10 grams of cannabis. Linda had another small carton of cannabis in her handbag."

Furiously chewing gum during the impromptu interview, Paul was asked if he was addicted to drugs. To which he responded "no" before adding "never again".

Clearly having a laugh, he then looked directly at the reporter who asked the question and gave him a very insincere wink.

Asked by another reporter behind him if he meant it this time, he dryly retorted "probably not" which made several people surrounding him chuckle.

Paul McCartney Calls for Cannabis to be Decriminalised (1984)

Paul then took the opportunity to reiterate his stance on the legalisation of cannabis, a position he'd been vocal about in the past and continued to take for years after.

"Can we get one thing straight?" Paul began, "that whatever you think and whatever you think I've done, this - I'm telling you - this substance cannabis is a whole lot less harmful than rum punch, whiskey, nicotine, and glue, all of which are perfectly legal."

"I would like to see it decriminalised. Because I don't think that in the privacy of my own room, I was doing anyone any harm whatsoever."

The Barbados incident wasn't the first time Paul was caught and charged - only four years earlier in 1980, he was arrested for cannabis possession, and faced an initial sentence of seven years of hard labour, before being deported back to Britain after spending ten days in a Japanese jail.

These days, attitudes towards cannabis consumption aren't as hard line, with numerous countries around the world decriminalising marijuana, especially due to its notable health benefits.

It's extremely doubtful that the experience deterred Paul from smoking marijuana - even as recently as 2023, he was spotted sharing a few joints with fans in Jamaica. Old habits die hard.