Peter Tosh, one of the three foremost Jamaican talents with Robert Nesta Marley and Bunny Wailer grouped as the Wailers, globalized reggae music and in the process also promoted Rastafari received posthumous honor and glory recently from Brooklyn’s State Senator Kevin S. Parker.
In tribute to his relentless advocacy in urging legalization of marijuana, Winston Hubert McIntosh AKA Tosh, the Bush Doctor, Stepping Razor, Mystic Man and many other monikers was bestowed a prestigious and prominent proclamation.
Awarded for his role in decriminalizing possession of the weed, his stalwart devotion to equal rights and justice and the renewal of the national observance of April 20 — a day dedicated to acknowledgement of the recreational, sacramental and medicinal benefits of the herb.
Peter Tosh’s example as both artist and an activist, continues to inspire creators and idealists around the world. He was and is a true leader whose music and message inspires people on every continent throughout the world.”
Accepted by Brian Latture, executive manager of the Peter Tosh Estate, the presentation was made in Brooklyn and regarded as a “privilege of the legislative body … for his exemplary service and humanitarianism, upon the illustrious occasion of the April 20 Peter Tosh celebration.
Tosh who was posthumously honored in his homeland in 2012 with the Order of Merit, Jamaica’s third highest honor — died on Sept. 11, 1987 at age 42 when intruders invaded his home in Kingston, Jamaica. They shot and killed the songwriter, musician and reggae rebel.
He had already established a legacy of singing protest songs, one of which named “Legalize It” won international acclaim and even became the anthem for advocating approval for the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
A National Cannabis Festival at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. lauded the iconic musician on April 20 and in Vancouver, Canada where a crowd of 100,000 celebrated the day, at exactly 4:20 pm. Tosh’s “Legalize It” blared from sound systems.
