Paul McCartney: Man on the Run

The new Amazon Prime documentary, "Paul McCartney: Man on the Run" charts McCartney's marijuana arrests and their affect on his music, and life. 

Through archival film footage and interviews, the film follows McCartney's musical journey, starting with the breakup The Beatles. Criticized for putting out apolitical albums of what he later called (unapologetically) "silly love songs" with his band Wings—featuring his wife Linda on keyboards—the band and Paul's songwriting gained an edge when he faced jail time for growing five marijuana plants on their family farm in March 1973. 

According to a TV interviewer in the film, it was said in court that, "McCartney had a considerable interest in horticulture, and many of his fans sent him seeds to grow. The cannabis seeds, it was said, came to him in such a way."  He admitted he had knowingly growing the plants, but claimed he didn't know what they were. 

The film does not mention the statement McCartney made in court regarding cannabis's legal status. “I feel that there should be legislation on the use of cannabis," he said. "Drink is a much worse drug to my mind than cannabis.” 

Later that year, Wings hit their stride with the release of their album "Band on the Run." The album was recorded in Nigera, where McCartney said he smoked the strongest weed he ever had in an interview with Marc Maron where he noted that "for the creative process it was required." 

Linda and Paul McCartney in a scene from "Man on the Run."

It was speculated at the time that McCartney might be denied entry to the US over his "technical" conviction, and possibly he was denied a visa just afterwards. It was documented in the film that he was denied entry into Japan over his marijuana convictions in 1975, the same year Linda took the rap for him when their car smelled "skunky" after Paul was pulled over for speeding in Los Angeles. 

The big bust that landed Paul in a Japanese jail for seven days in January 1980 after bringing in nearly half a pound of pot into the Tokyo airport is covered, with McCartney saying he felt free of all expectations of himself after facing a seven-year prison sentence. "I think we could decrimalize marijuana, and I'd like to see a really unbiased medical report on it," he said after being deported from Japan. That December, John Lennon, who had been targeted for deportation by the US due to his earlier marijuana convictions, was shot and killed. 

In 1984, the McCartneys were arrested in Barbados for possession of marijuana and were fined $100 each. They flew to London's Heathrow Airport, where Linda was arrested again on charges of possession. Rather than repudiate her marijuana use as so many did at the time, Linda commented, "I think hard drugs are disgusting. But I must say, I think marijuana is pretty lightweight."

In 2011, it was reported that McCartney was growing hemp on his farm. He and Linda's daughter Stella McCartney has used hemp fabric in her fashion designs. Stella said in 2017 she would take her father's unpublished book "Japanese Jailbird" to a desert island to remind her of the importance of "family and freedom." 

"Man on the Run" ends with the tune written by Paul & Linda, "Let Me Roll It" from the "Band on the Run" album.