We take a trip down memory lane tracing Paul McCartney’s multiple cannabis-related run-ins with the law, from minor fines to his nine-day detention in Japan in 1980.
The relationship between music and weed surprises exactly no one. In particular, the connection between the plant and The Beatles, one of the most successful bands in history, has been fertile ground for discussion. From their first joint with Bob Dylan to the cryptic references in their lyrics, these musicians’ relationship with cannabis has long been a subject of fascination.
But what might surprise more than a few people are the run-ins Paul McCartney (often considered the chillest, most laid-back Beatle) has had with the law over marijuana.
Yes, run-ins, plural. Let’s review them.
Paul McCartney, Weed, and His Encounters With the Law
Minor Run-Ins
The former Beatle’s first run-ins with the law didn’t amount to much. In 1972, Paul and his wife Linda were arrested in Sweden for carrying 6 ounces of cannabis. They were fined $1,200.
That same year, police raided his farm in Scotland, where McCartney was growing five marijuana plants. Once again, his only punishment was a fine, this time just £100.
Three years later, in Los Angeles, the couple was arrested again for possession, but only Linda was charged, and the case was quickly dropped.
The Big One: Arrest in Japan (1980)
Paul McCartney’s most serious run-in with the law came on January 16, 1980, in Japan, a country notorious for its restrictive policies on weed and other drugs, even to this day. The musician arrived in Tokyo with his family to perform a series of concerts with Wings, the band he was fronting at the time. But the shows never materialized: upon arrival at the airport, authorities found more than 200 grams of cannabis flower in his luggage.
The result? Nine days in jail in Japan. And he got off lightly: at that time, such an offense could be punished with up to seven years of hard labor.
McCartney himself admitted that his actions weren’t very smart. His explanation? “I was out in New York and I had all this really good grass. Excellent stuff. We were about to fly to Japan and I knew I wouldn’t be able to get anything to smoke over there. This stuff was too good to flush down the toilet. So I thought I’d take it with me,” he explained in a 2004 interview with UNCUT.
Reflecting on it years later, the Beatles co-founder shared: “To this day I have no idea what made me do it. I don’t know if it was just arrogance or what… It was the maddest thing in my life.”
“I didn’t try to hide it,” he added. “I had just come from America and still had the American attitude that marijuana isn’t that bad. I didn’t realize just how strict the Japanese attitude is.”
As a result, the 11 Wings shows scheduled for that tour were canceled, forcing them to pay hefty compensation. The resulting tension reportedly contributed to the band’s eventual breakup.
Arrest in Barbados (1984)
On January 16, 1984 (incredibly, the same date as the previous incident), Paul and his wife Linda were arrested by Barbados police for possession of marijuana. This time, the amount seized was less than 15 grams, and the fine was only BBD 200 (Barbadian dollars).
This time, the former Beatle was swarmed by journalists upon arriving in England. In front of the cameras, Paul remained calm and composed, even playfully teasing the reporters, who barely tried to hide their outrage over his behavior.
“I don’t hold any grudges. It didn’t really spoil my holiday,” he said. “I don’t believe it’s a terribly harmful thing to do… I’d prefer to not say anything about it.”
However, faced with the reporters’ intrusive, moralizing questions, McCartney didn’t hesitate to double down. “Let’s get one thing straight,” he declared. “Cannabis is a whole lot less harmful than rum punch, whiskey, nicotine, and glue, all of which are perfectly legal.”
“I’d like to see [weed] decriminalized. Because I don’t think in the privacy of my own room I was doing anyone any harm whatsoever,” the musician concluded. And he wasn’t wrong.
Photo by Raphael Pour-Hashemi, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons // Edited
