Bob Marley Drink Pulled From NJ Schools: 5 Things To Know About Mellow Mood Beverage

The Bob Marley drink, dubbed “Marley's Mellow Mood” in honor of one of the reggae great's classic songs, is touted as a stress-relief tonic, but it appears to have had the opposite effect on a few students at Holmdel High School and Satz Middle School, according to the Associated Press.

Details about the specific symptoms suffered by the students who drank the Bob Marley drink, which bears an image of the musical legend and is intended to provide relaxing benefits, are not known at this time, but school officials have pulled them from the schools in the wake of their sickness, the AP reported.

The Bob Marley drink was available on campus at the two schools until the students fell ill, but the AP reports that in the wake of the incident, Holmdel Township Public Schools' food service provider has “removed a manager pending an investigation,” citing a report by the Asbury Park Press.

Chartwells School Dining Services has taken the same step, pulling the Bob Marley drink “Marley's Mellow Mood” from its locations as well, according to the Park Press report.

Here are 5 things you should know about the Bob Marley drink known as “Marley's Mellow Mood”:

1. The drink is labeled in a way that raises questions about why it was being sold to youths. The nutrition information stamped on each container of Marley's Mellow Moods states that it may cause drowsiness and that it is not intended to be consumed by children. It is not clear why the drink was being sold in schools despite these warnings.

2. The company that makes the Bob Marley drink, Marley Ventures, Inc., is taking a proactive response to the student sickening scandal. In a statement issued after the students' ordeal came to light, the company said that the drink is being removed from schools and that it is taking the situation seriously.

According to a report by a local CBS affiliate in New York, Chartwells issued a statement on the issue: “We sincerely regret that this product was sold and that students had an adverse reaction to it,” the statement said. “Chartwells takes great pride and care in partnering with our school communities to provide the best school dining experience possible and we take this situation very seriously.”

3. The Bob Marley drink, which comes in a range of flavors like black tea, berry and citrus, has a number of ingredients that are often included in products in order to provide relaxation and/or stress-relief effects.

These ingredients include Valerian root, lemon balm, hops, passion flower and chamomile, according to information on Marley Ventures, Inc.'s website. The drink is touted on the company's Website as being “100% natural” and it comes as either a “lightly carbonated” beverage and a still tea variety in aluminum cans and glass bottles.

4. The Bob Marley drink is endorsed by at least one member of the large Marley family, according to a testimonial on Marley Ventures, Inc.'s Website by Bob Marley's daughter, Cedella Marley.

“Marley's Mellow Mood helps move my family's mission forward with the principles of our father's belief in that calm breeds peace, respect and love, while 1Love.org helps pay those messages forward,” the testimonial says.

5. Despite the current scandal surrounding Marley's Mellow Mood and the sickening of schoolchildren in the New Jersey schools, the drink's manufacturer pursues a philanthropic mission through the sales of its beverages.

According to a statement on the Marley Ventures Inc. website, “A portion of proceeds from the sale of Marley's Mellow Mood goes to 1Love.org, the Marley family non-profit initiative that continues the legacy of their father by supporting charities that empower youth, protect the planet and promote peace.”