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Cultivation Culture Medical Cannabis

He Loves It Yeah Yeah Yeah: Paul McCartney on Growing Hemp

Paul McCartney Beatles
Written by Sarah Friedman

Regardless of whether it really makes sense, we regular people often look to celebrities to see what they’re doing, to reinforce our own decisions, and to ascertain whether something is ‘cool’ or not. For this reason, the publicized stories of celebrities and their actions are always big news, even if not real news. To go in line with this, here’s a bit on Paul McCartney, and what he says about growing hemp.

We might not all be able to be like Paul McCartney and grow our own hemp, but luckily, plenty of people do, and plenty of products are available. The hemp-derived cannabinoids market is quickly expanding, with options like delta-8 THC, THCV, HHC, and THC-O-A lining store shelves. We’ve got great deals to kick off the holiday-buying season, so take a look through our expansive products listing and deals, and start shopping today! Remember to subscribe to The THC Weekly Newsletter. We’ve got great deals for delta-8 THC along with delta-9 THCTHCVTHCPdelta 10HHC & THC-O, so go ahead, and check out our always-updated selections.


Who is Paul McCartney?

Maybe this section isn’t necessary, but times change, musical fads come and go, and sometimes younger generations are not as up-to-snuff on what happened many decades ago. And that’s fair. Though the Beatles tend to have a reputation as the band that everyone knows everywhere, I’ve already encountered plenty of totally-with-it younger kids who are wholly unfamiliar with the band, or only know it as a name in passing. To be fair, I won’t recognize much that Mozart wrote, so it suffices to say that we can’t expect anything to stay current forever, or at least not for everyone.

As such, here are the basics. Paul McCartney was the bassist and vocalist for what might be considered the most popular rock band ever, the Beatles. This statement is not necessarily true, but the band still ranks as one of the biggest money-making bands ever, with a reputation known all over the world. In fact, even though the band existed over a half century ago, it still claims the top spot in terms of albums sold (286 million), and money brought in ($500-600 million).

Formed in Liverpool, England in the 1960’s, the Beatles did well to captivate the youth of the world, led by primary songwriters Paul McCartney and the late John Lennon. The most notable and long-lasting lineup of the Beatles included McCartney (vocals, bass) , John Lennon (vocals, guitar), George Harrison (vocals, guitar) and Ringo Starr (vocals, drums).

the Beatles

Together the band earned more number one albums and singles on the UK charts than any other act, as well as being touted by Rolling Stone in 2004 as being the most influential and important rock band of all time. The Beatles have won countless awards, made movies, and were even appointed as members of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen of England in 1965.

Paul McCartney (born in 1942) didn’t stop making music when the Beatles ended in 1970, but continued on with then-wife Linda McCartney in the band Wings until 1981. In all, McCartney has cowritten 32 songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 (as of 2009), has been inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame twice (with the Beatles and as a single performer), won 18 Grammy awards, and was knighted in 1997. He is worth approximately ₤800 million (over $1 billion).

Paul McCartney on growing hemp

Finding celebrities that not only support the use of cannabis, but who are actively involved with it somehow (owning a business, growing large quantities, investing in the industry), is about as easy as throwing a rock into a group of celebrities. It’s become commonplace for celebrities to use their star power to promote topics that are important to them, and to help grow their own weed-related enterprises. From Snoop Dog to Mike Tyson to Martha Stewart to Calvin Johnson, the number of celebrity-run operations increases every day.

So, it’s not that shocking that a musician who was in a band known for its members usage of drugs, like cannabis and psychedelics, would be taking advantage of loosening laws on cannabis, to grow his own. And that’s exactly what Sir Paul McCartney is doing, growing hemp on his farm in Peasmarsh, UK, near Rye.

According to McCartney on a recent River Cafe Table 4 podcast, the farm is about growing all sorts of crops. Said the singer-songwriter, “We grow crops, I like doing things like spelt, wheat, rye, we grow peas.” He then added in that they have also began growing hemp. What did he have to say about it?

“We’re actually just getting into growing hemp, the funny thing with government regulations is you’ve got to keep it where people can’t see it, because you get all the kids coming in and robbing it!”

hemp farm

Yup, Paul McCartney is growing hemp up on his farm, and he needs to hide it from kids who would seek to steal his crops. Of course, hemp grown in the UK must meet the regulation of having .2% THC or less in dry weight, so it suffices to say that though its still illegal for teens to get at the plants and use them, that they wouldn’t be getting anyone high.

Paul McCartney seems to have a green thumb overall, and says he gets a lot of satisfaction from running his own farm and growing his own food. His entire operation is organic as of 20 years ago, a decision McCartney made despite the misunderstandings of those around. Says McCartney about going organic, “The local farmers said, ‘Oh, you’re stupid, what are you doing there?’ Of course nowadays they get it and they think it’s a good idea.”

Paul McCartney and cannabis

Paul McCartney, and the Beatles in general, were widely known for their drug use, which often popped up in their songs. Think Lucy in the Sky of Diamonds, an LSD reference. Or the words in the song A Day in the Life, ‘I’d love to turn you on’ which got the song temporarily banned in 1967 by the BBC because of the thought that the line – and rising musical montage after it – implied drug use. And then what about ‘I get high with a little help from my friends’ from With a Little Help From My Friends. Couldn’t get more obvious than that.

According to McCartney, he was introduced to marijuana by none other than fellow rocker Bob Dylan in 1964, and soon after became a regular user. McCartney has even had problems with the law over his marijuana use, getting arrested in 1972 in Sweden, 1975 in Los Angeles, 1980 in Tokyo, and in the Barbados in 1984. Actually, though Paul McCartney is growing hemp now, back in 1973 he was arrested by Scottish police for growing weed on his farm back then. He received an ‘illegal cultivation’ conviction, and paid a fine of $240.

Though McCartney grows hemp these days, he says he doesn’t smoke marijuana anymore, citing his family responsibilities, and setting a good example for children. He said, “I don’t do it anymore. Why? The truth is I don’t really want to set [a bad] example to my kids and grandkids. It’s now a parent thing.”

McCartney didn’t stop at cannabis, but grows hops as well on his organic farm. He brews his own ale named Old Stinkhorn. The name comes from the stinkhorn fungi which grows all over his farm.

Paul McCartney hemp

On the podcast he stated: “We do make our own ale. Through the years, I’d hear like a neighbour would be selling some land that was next door to ours so I went to one and said, ‘I hear you’re selling a hop garden…’ Long story short, I got it, and then I thought, ‘I’ve got to start doing hops,’ that’s because the region we’re in out in Sussex was a very big hop growing area.” McCartney gives away his homemade ale to friends.

Conclusion

When you get as rich as Paul McCartney, things like growing hemp, making one’s own ale, and well, doing whatever you want, seems par for the course. And though it might not really matter to the rest of us in our own lives, we sure love to know all about what our favorite musicians are up to, especially when it has to do with the world of marijuana.

Not only is McCartney outwardly promoting the growing and usage of hemp with his personal operation, but he’s also promoting organic farming, and generally cleaner living.

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DisclaimerHi, I’m a researcher and writer. I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or businessperson. All information in my articles is sourced and referenced, and all opinions stated are mine. I am not giving anyone advise, and though I am more than happy to discuss topics, should someone have a further question or concern, they should seek guidance from a relevant professional.

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About the author

Sarah Friedman

I look stuff up and and write stuff down, in order to make sense of the world around. And I travel a lot too.