A conversation with Niambe McIntosh, daughter of Peter Tosh

She's also an activist, an educator, the director of Tosh's estate and caretaker for her brother, Jawara McIntosh

This week’s paid subscriber Cannabitch is a Zoom conversation with Niambe McIntosh, who is the daughter of reggae legend and activist Peter Tosh.

I wanted to talk to McIntosh for a number of reasons. First of all, her father is, in my mind, the ultimate reggae king. I’ll never forget hearing Get Up, Stand Up for the first time as a kid (yes, Tosh wrote that—not Marley!). I credit listening to his music with inspiring precocious little me to eventually become politically engaged and aware. Not only was he a fervent proponent of the legalization of cannabis, for personal, societal, and religious reasons, but he was a human rights activist who truly walked the walk by traveling the world to participate in various political actions. In fact, it’s been suggested and largely confirmed that he was actually intentionally sidelined, professionally, because of his outspoken beliefs. He was uncompromising and that’s why I and many others were drawn to him—very many others were repelled by that, as well.

Musically, Tosh was always my favorite of the reggae greats. I was always inspired by his political lyrics and physically moved by the heavy basslines in his songs. Tosh was murdered in 1987 under dubious circumstances—the dominant and accepted narrative is that he was robbed by an acquaintance and brutally killed, but some in Tosh’s inner circle suspect it was more politically motivated. Nonetheless, his legacy endures. Considering the state of the world right now, I couldn’t think of a better time to check in with one of the world’s great human rights and cannabis activism legends.

Secondly, McIntosh is the executor of his estate (she’ll get into how that happened) and the director of The Peter Tosh Foundation, which is an umbrella organization that supports a number of different initiatives, including cannabis legalization and other carceral issues.

Thirdly, she is also the caretaker for her brother, Jawara, who is also Tosh’s son. He was arrested for non-violent cannabis charges and eventually beaten into a coma while jailed. He suffered severe injuries that now require him to receive round-the-clock care from nurses and his other main caretakers, which are McIntosh and her mother, Melody Cunningham. A significant portion of McIntosh’s activism is centered around #JusticeforJawara.

I’ll let her talk about all of it more, below. Please note there’s a moment where she references Fidel Castro, which led to some confusion, but afterward, we both confirmed she meant to reference Philando Castile and got the names mixed up in her head. Brain farts—we’ve all got em!

One to Try

I didn’t publish anything around 7/10, which is the cannabis world’s secondary “holiday” to 4/20. Read upside down, 7/10 looks like “oil,” which I guess is as good of a reason as any to start a holiday. In all seriousness, though, it’s a nod to concentrates culture or, more specifically, butane hash oil (BHO). Oakland-based weed writer Jimi Devine is my go-to for strain reviews and the nitty-gritty on all things product-related, so I’d like to link to his piece that dives into the “Decade of Dabs” that we just lived through. Truly, there have been incredible advances in the world of concentrates in the last 10 years—not only in the realm of quality but in the sheer number of options for concentrates that now exist that previously did not.

I’m personally not dabbing so much these days—I’m sticking to vaping and smoking flower, mainly. The truth is, dabbing is fun but it makes me feel exceptionally stupid. And, thanks to everything else going on and now the fact that an entire Navy ship is burning to the waterline mere miles away from my house, sending toxic fumes across San Diego, I need fewer reasons than ever to feel stupid. So, dabs are sidelined. But I AM enjoying Select’s live resin vape cartridges—Select Elite Live.

Made from high-quality THC oil and live resin HTE (high-terpene extract) derived from fresh-frozen flower, the live resin carts are intended to capture more of the essence of the living plant and higher terpene content. I can vouch for this—the flavor is there, the high is more comprehensive, and, like other high-quality carts, if you inhale low and slow enough with a regular vape battery, the resulting high is akin to what you’d get from dabbing. At the end of the day, THC oil is also a concentrate, so this makes sense. I also appreciate the strain-specific carts, allowing for a more customizable high. 10/10, I’m a fan. I received these particular samples for free, but I actually bought a Gelato cart when Select released the product to the California market back in May. Once I move through these samples, I can assure you, I’ll be purchasing again.

Currently, the carts are available in AZ, CA, & OR, and will soon launch in MD, MI, CO, OK, FL, CT & NV. Price varies by state, but expect 0.5g to be between $30 - $56 and 1g fall between $50-$70. It’s worth it.

Special offer for Cannabitch subscribers:

As much as I love Goldleaf, it turns out they love me back. I’ve started an affiliate relationship with the company, specific to Cannabitch, so anytime you click and buy with them via me, I’ll get a kickback and you’ll get a discount—just head to https://shopgoldleaf.com/cannabitch. I own some of their patient journals, which I use to track personal consumption, especially across different samples I receive in the course of working. I also have their SoCal print hanging in my home. If you’re in the mood for cannabis art—definitely check out their prints.

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