Rapper Iron praises marijuana as 'a god's gift'
Footage from YouTube shows rapper Iron praising marijuana while doing community service as part of a penalty for beating up his girlfriend and smoking pot.
By Oh Young-jin
Rapper Iron is in trouble again for praising marijuana.
The rapper, a contestant in the competition "Show Me the Money," was sentenced to eight months' jail, suspended for two years, and 80 hours of community service for beating up his girlfriend and smoking pot.
In a recent video on a YouTube channel, which captured him giving a helping hand at a facility for the handicapped, the rapper, 27, showed regret about hurting his girlfriend and lying in self-defense.
But he showed no remorse about his use of marijuana.
"Crystal meth (methamphetamine) should be banned,” he said. “But marijuana, which grows in nature, should not. It is herbal medicine and a god's gift.
"It is banned because of issues such as tax and people's misunderstanding."But I want to promote marijuana, and improving its public image is the role hip hop has to play."