*Lil Wayne's 'Medicinal' Marijuana*

"Inside of the phantom, and it's lookin like a sauna, and I still stay high, and I still got my dipoloma." Those are some lyrics from Dwayne Michael Carter Jr, otherwise knows as Lil Wayne. If his name is spoken today, there probably aren't many people who don't know of him. He is probably one of the most talented rappers around, and some people wonder where he gets all of his 'creativity' from.

It is no secret that Lil Wayne likes the many pleasures of life. However, those indulgences in life have certainly caught up with him. Growing up in New Orleans, Lil Wayne was a bright kid and even enrolled in the gifted program in school. He came up with this first rap at the age of 8, and showed that he was truly destined to be a rapper. However, his life was not all roses and sunshine. He lived in a struggling area, one of the most poorest neighborhoods, and even lost his virginity at the young age of 11. Although he put out his first album when he was 12, he accidentally shot himself in the chest in his home at the age of 13. A year later, he dropped out of school. So here was a bright and talented young man who seemed to have a bright future ahead, but experienced struggles at an early age.

Things started to look up for Lil Wayne when he signed with the Hot Boys rappers in 1997 when he was 15. He recorded on the album, and began creating tons of tracks. He also got his girlfriend pregnant and had a daughter (He ended up having 3 other kids by 2 other women.) It probably does not come as a shock that lots of rappers use marijuana and other drugs. Lil Wayne was and has been no exception. In 2007, his marijuana use caught up with him. He was arrested after one of his performances in NYC for smoking marijuana near his tour bus. While the police searched the tour bus, they also found a pistol near the rapper. He was then charged with possessing a weapon and marijuana. A few months later, police had accused him of possessing a controlled substance, but that charge was dropped.

In January of 2008, Boarder Patrol stopped the rappers tour bus and found quite a problem. Not only was over 100 grams of marijuana found, but also 41 grams of ecstasy, over $20,000 in cash, and 29 grams of cocaine. Obviously he was not only doing drugs, but he was selling them. Why he would feel the need to sell drugs when he was already making millions is beyond me. Lil Wayne was then charged with 4 felonies. After he was taken into custody, he was released on a $10,185 bond. In May of 2008, Lil Wayne went to court and pleaded NOT guilty to the 4 felonies (possession of dangerous drugs, possession of narcotic drug for sale, misconduct involving weapons, and possession of drug paraphernalia.)

In February 2009, Lil Wayne was interviewed by Katie Couric on CBS. During that interview, Lil Wayne admitted that he liked to smoke "medicinal" marijuana for his migranes, and drink codeine cough syrup, though he is not addicted. In October 2009, he plead guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. As if he didn't already learn his lesson, Lil Wayne was taken in to custody again at the boarder patrol checkpoint when marijuana was found on two of his tour buses in December 2009. On March 8, 2010, Lil Wayne received a sentence of 1 year in prison, which he is currently serving. He has a possibility of only serving 8 months in prison, if he behaves.

So we can clearly see that Lil Wayne has some patterns. He likes to smoke marijuana and has been caught several times. Whether or not he gets out of prison in 8 months for good behavior, or he spends the whole year in prison, there is no doubt in my mind that Lil Wayne will still be smoking marijuana. There is no doubt that he will still be drinking codeine cough syrup. I don't know if he will still be selling drugs, but I definitely think he will still be using them. Lil Wayne is a millionaire. He has collaborated with so many artists and has performed at so many different places, that none of this legal trouble will hurt his career. It is his persona.

People know what kind of person he is. They know he enjoys doing drugs and rapping. He is obviously talented and quick when it comes to rapping and making new tracks. Do I think he is only creative because he smokes marijuana? Absolutely not. I believe that a person has to possess that type of creativity anyway. If he didn't smoke marijuana at all, I still think he would be able to spit out great raps. It might take him longer, but I know he possesses that talent. He doesn't even write down his lyrics. He just records them, and he remembers them. Somone who was really affected by Marijuana, probably would not remember the lyrics after they record them. It's not like he was smoking marijuana when he was 8 and wrote his first rap. It wasn't until he was 11 that he smoked marijuana! Anyway, don't think that Lil Wayne will be phased by this. Sure he will miss his family and children, but we all know he is busy writing other lyrics, and he will no doubt put out a hit record when he gets out.

Here are the 2 youtube videos that feature Lil Wayne's interview with Katie Couric on CBS Evening News. I suggest watching the entire interview, because it is kind of interesting, and funny seeing him explain his life to Katie.

First half: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyI26E5agM4&NR=1
Second half: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM2VAbYgJPQ&feature=related

Thanks for reading,
Samantha