The sixties were filled with free love, sprouting marijuana seeds and rock n roll, a combination resulting in a fashion that is still influential over 40 years later. With the introduction of drugs into society, a culture of dreamy, chilled-out musicians developed, and their laid-back lyrics and rhythmic beats are still ringing in our ears today.

The Beatles are sometimes regarded as the epitome of the chilled-out, frequently high, care-free society of the sixties, and their legacy will likely outlive them all. But the man behind introducing them to marijuana, which later became the drug of choice of this famous rock band, was none other than Bob Dylan himself. Dylan was an avid fan of cannabis, which he openly admitted. In an interview with Playboy in 1963, he is quoted as saying “Now these things aren’t drugs; they just bend your mind a little. I think everybody’s mind should be bent once in a while.” And Dylan certainly practised what he preached, even taking credit for introducing the most famous pop stars of all time to his mind bending ritual.

The Beatles were apparently living in happy innocence until they met Bob Dylan on the 28^th of August 1964. It was their very first trip to New York, and the foursome were staying at the Delmonico hotel on Park Avenue. Bob Dylan, whose reputation suggests that he cultivated his own marijuana seeds, brought over some of his best dope when visiting the singers. Sitting in their hotel suite on Park Avenue, Dylan offered his joint to Ringo Star. Ringo officially became the first Beatle to smoke a joint, and the remaining three followed suit shortly after.

The Beatles were so amazed by the wonder that Dylan offered to them, that it quickly became the inspiration for many of their future songs. One of their most famous songs to be inspired by the mischievous marijuana seed was With a Little Help From My Friends. By 1965, it was no secret that the Beatles had befriended pot, and in an interview that year, John Lennon discussed their habits saying “The Beatles had gone beyond comprehension. We were smoking marijuana for breakfast.” Perhaps Lennon’s words were literal, and the four would feast on cannabutter flapjacks or other such scrumptious cannabis recipes each morning.

Other well known songs similarly inspired are A Day in the Life, and Got to Get You into my Life. The latter was described by Paul McCartney as “an ode to pot “, and the title alone aptly illustrates the importance The Beatles placed upon their smoking habits.

One of the most amusing marijuana seed tales The Beatles ever told was about their hilarious act of rebellion against the ultimate British institution – the monarchy itself. The Queen decided to invest the four singers as Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, an award aspired to by many upstanding citizens. According to John Lennon, the group, perhaps feeling a little bewildered by the award ceremony, snuck into a room in Buckingham Palace and lit up a reefer, an act certainly worthy of revoking their royal reward. Whether or not the fabulous four really did smoke pot in the palace will never be known for sure, but Lennon certainly said they did.

Robert Kane is the web editor of Sensible Seeds. Based in the UK, the company offers you the chance to buy marijuana seeds online at very competitive prices. They also offer a wealth of other products to browse as well as online articles and forum discussions.