Some 13 years ago, Afroman made waves with his stoner-friendly hip-hop track, “Because I Got High.” The song’s hilarious lyrics and catchy melody made it an instant classic, especially among the 420-friendly.
While the original song’s narrative discussed someone making poor personal decisions due to the influence of THC, the updated version spreads a more positive, pro-legalization message. One example: “I had problems with glaucoma/But then I got high/Smelled the cannibis aroma/And I got high/Glaucoma getting better and I know why.”
He even mentions the benefit from the new legislation in Colorado, saying: “They built a school or two/Because I got high… Now the state can fund drug treatment/And I know why.”
Speaking in an interview with Rolling Stone, Afroman said, “‘Because I Got High’ put me on the map – it’s what got me a record deal, a Grammy nomination and made me a household name… Getting high – and rapping about it – got me to where I am today and I’ll be forever grateful for that. With the current political battle with states trying to legalize weed, I thought it was a good time to educate – or set the record straight – about marijuana’s benefits, which is why I wanted to remake the song.”
The new version was released via Weedmaps and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), and was timed to coincide with a Smoke the Vote campaign, which is encouraging voters in Alaska, Oregon, and the District of Colombia to legalize marijuana, and voters in Florida to vote for medical marijuana access.
Lo and behold, here’s the updated version of “Because I Got High:”