McCartney Quitting Pot for His Daughter

Paul McCartney says he has called time on a pot-smoking career that started when Bob Dylan passed him a joint in 1964. In a Rolling Stone interview, the former Beatle says he's giving it up because of his daughter—not one of the three now in their '40s, but 8-year-old Beatrice. "I smoked my share. When you’re bringing up a youngster, your sense of responsibility does kick in, if you’re lucky, at some point," says the 69-year-old dad, who spent 10 days in a Japanese jail in 1980 after a half-pound of pot was found in his luggage.

McCartney also revealed that before John Lennon's death, the Beatles discussed reforming numerous times, but always decided against it out of fear of tarnishing their legacy. "It could have spoiled the whole idea of the Beatles, so wrong that they'd be like 'Oh, my God, they weren't any good,'" he says, reminiscing about a 1974 jam session with Lennon, Stevie Wonder, and Harry Nilsson. "We were stoned," he adds. "I don't think there was anyone in that room who wasn't stoned. For some ungodly reason, I decided to get on drums. It was just a party, you know." (More marijuana stories.)