Bobby Brown -- 'I Wasn't the One that Got Whitney Houston on Drugs'

Bobby Brown says he isn't to blame for Whitney Houston's deadly drug habit ... claiming, "That was part of her life BEFORE we got together."

Brown just appeared on the "Today" show ... and told Matt Lauer, "I didn't get high [on narcotics] before I met Whitney ... I smoked weed and drank beer ... but no, I wasn't the one that got Whitney on drugs ... I'm not the reason she's gone."

Clearly, Brown doesn't consider marijuana to be a narcotic ... even though the U.S. Govt does.

Still, Brown says he hasn't touched "narcotics" in 7 years ... and says he was "hurt" to learn Whitney had been using again in her final days ... saying, "I know she was struggling with it still."