Bounty Killer has made the decision to quit smoking marijuana. “It wasn’t just a humble decision that I made. Honestly, it’s a situation where it’s either continue smoking herb, or have a smoking career,” Bounty Killer told THE WEEKEND STAR.

According to the Warlord, who has been fighting a battle to be reissued a visa to enter the United States of America in order to work, “the embassy make it seem like it is my precious weed charges why I cannot retain my visa.

“That is the last reason I heard from them, so it is just my predicament that leads me to this choice. They asked me to do random drug tests and other stuff, so that is the major reason why I quit weed.”

Bounty Killer was convicted on ganja possession charges in 2013 and fined $5,000. The trial judge ruled that the conviction not be recorded. The artiste, who strongly denied the allegations, fought the charges for three years. He found himself in court after a policeman in New Kingston said he spotted the entertainer with a spliff.

Bounty Killer’s US visa was cancelled in 2010. At the time, an email advisory was sent to airlines to not allow the artiste, as well as three other deejays, to board as their visas were being revoked.

The United States Embassy in Kingston has not said why the Warlord’s visa was revoked. The artiste said that not having a visa has put a damper on his career.

“When an artiste cannot go to and fro to spread the word, earn a money, and greet his fans, it naturally a guh slow up his career. A star cannot shine in his house, and Jamaica is like my house, and I need to go outside in the world,” he said in February.

Bounty Killer said he can see no reason he is still being denied the opportunity to travel to the United States.

“A long time, eno, man. it’s almost a decade. I have never been convicted of a crime, so I think it’s a personal fight against me. I see people with severe case who get convicted and get a visa.”

The deejay, whose given name is Rodney Pryce, has been actively seeking to portray the image of a changed man. For instance, he donated 60 beds to the Kingston Public and Victoria Jubilee hospitals. He has also performed at back-to-back International Women’s Day concerts and has condemned acts of violence against women, urging men to “keep yuh hands a yuh side”.

SMOKES CIGARETTES

Meanwhile, Bounty Killer said that he still smokes cigarettes, but he hopes to kick that habit soon.

“I am still battling with cigarette as an alternative since it’s not one of the easiest things to quit on your own, especially when you are still in the environment where other persons are doing it same way,” he said.

The artiste recently participated in a forum hosted by the National Council on Drug Abuse as part of the ‘Talk di Truth’ initiative, where he announced his decision to quit smoking and advocated for youths to do the same. He shared with the teenagers some of the factors that led him to smoking and how that decision affected his life.

“I started smoking from a tender age, but luckily, I end up being a superstar. But smoking has blighted a lot of my days, and I missed out a lot, especially in school. I used to ‘skull’ school to smoke weed with my friends. I used to watch my father smoke the chalice and hide and take a one puff when he is not there,” he said.

He told the group that smoking has contributed to him losing his US visa, so he decided to give up smoking ganga. he believes this will be beneficial to his career and family.