Rohan Marley Reveals He Smoked 'Herb' on the White House Lawn: 'My Ice Cream with the Cherry on Top' (Exclusive)

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The Jamaican entrepreneur and Bob Marley's son has a new cannabis line and a whole lot of wild stories

<p>Nikhil Chitre</p> Rohan Marley

Nikhil Chitre

Rohan Marley

For Rohan Marley, the highs far outweigh the lows.

The Jamaican entrepreneur and son of late reggae legend and activist Bob Marley is well-known for his love of marijuana, tied to his cultural beliefs and lifestyle.

"I was born this way," Marley, 51, tells PEOPLE. "We as Rastafarian people see the herbs as a sacrament, with all the medicinal components as well as the psychosis component."

That's why he says it's only natural that he launched his cannabis line and lifestyle brand Lion Order. "Growing up as a youth in Jamaica in the '70s, I learned a lot about how herb can help people. This is the perfect opportunity now that the stigma has been lifted."

<p>Nikhil Chitre</p> Rohan Marley

Nikhil Chitre

Rohan Marley

In his opinion, the growing push to legalize marijuana has caused a level of widespread acceptance that his dad had hoped for.

"This is what my father talked about," he says. "It has lifted such a great burden just in life and how they think about us. It was looked upon so bad back in the day. They downgraded us because we smoked, but now you realize lawyers are smoking herb, judges are smoking herb, all these people with clean faces and haircuts smoke herb."

<p>Nikhil Chitre</p> Lion Order Cannabis

Nikhil Chitre

Lion Order Cannabis

And according to Marley, "herb" has even made its way to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Asked who was the coolest person he ever smoked with, Marley plays coy. "I would say forget about the person I smoked with, but how about where I smoked," he offers, before answering his own question. "Smoking on the lawn in front of the White House was like my ice cream with the cherry on top. That was the one."

<p>Nikhil Chitre</p> Rohan Marley

Nikhil Chitre

Rohan Marley

Marley stops short of giving more details, but offers up another great memory: the first time he got caught smoking by his dad. "I started young. Once I was smoking and my dad saw me and says to me 'Hey boy, where you get that from? Who give you that? Take that out your mouth!'" he recalls with a laugh, adding that that day, "My dad embarrassed me."

<p>Chris Walter/WireImage</p> Bob Marley at Tower Records Hollywood in 1979

Chris Walter/WireImage

Bob Marley at Tower Records Hollywood in 1979

Next year, he and his many siblings are gearing up to celebrate their father's legacy with the release of the highly anticipated film Bob Marley: One Love, executive produced by his brother Ziggy Marley and hitting theaters in January. "When I watched it I got goosebumps," he says of actor Kingsley Ben-Adir's portrayal of the icon. "Speaking as Bob's family, he's spot on."

Related: 'Bob Marley: One Love' Trailer — See Kingsley Ben-Adir as the Late Singer in New Biopic

He adds, "I'm just happy. Everything Marley is about love. What we're doing with the movie, with Lion Order, with life. We just continue the message of Rastafari, which is love, peace, serenity and togetherness."

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