On January 16, 1980, former Beatle Paul McCartney was arrested at Narita Airport in Tokyo after customs officials found 7.7 ounces of marijuana in his luggage. He had come to Japan for an 11-concert tour with Wings, the rock band he formed with his wife, Linda, in 1971 following the breakup of the Beatles. In 1975, McCartney was denied a visa to tour Japan with Wings because of two previous marijuana convictions in Europe. It was thus particularly controversial when he arrived in Japan in 1980 carrying such a large quantity of marijuana. After his arrest, McCartney was placed in the Tokyo Narcotics Detention Center to wait while Japanese authorities considered the charges against him. Japan usually deports foreigners who bring marijuana into the country for their own use, but some called for McCartney to be put on trial for drug smuggling, which carries a prison term of up to seven years. In the end, McCartney spent just nine days in a jail cell before being freed and deported. He was informed he would not be welcomed back to Japan anytime in the near future. Incidentally, the Tokyo drug-bust episode marked the end of Wings, which McCartney disbanded soon after. The group's nine-year run had produced 17 million-selling singles, including ''Mull of Kintyre,'' ''Live and Let Die,'' and ''Band on the Run.'' In 1990, McCartney returned to Tokyo for the first time as part of a solo world tour. He has long been an advocate of the legalization of marijuana.

january 19, 1980, music, beatles, rock and roll, drugs, paul mccartney, linda mccartney, drug arrest, marijuana, tokyo, tour, the wings, documentary, education, entertainment,