This has happened despite it still being illegal in most countries and being the number one substance keeping drug lawyers busy around the world. Despite a range of uses including some health-related situaitons such as weight loss as according to Westword. But we should be mindful of another use: religious ceremonies.
Rastafarianism, along with some Native American tribes , do not see cannabis as a "fun, party drug", but as a way to aid in meditation, gain wisdom , and use as a sacrament. Rastafarians began incorporating marijuana or "ganja" into their religious ceremonies in the late s by indentured East Indians, who were brought to the Island to work after slavery ended. It just so happened that Jamaica had one of the best climates to grow the plant.
Perhaps the best known Rastafarian aka "Rastaman" in the west is Bob Marley. In fact, Bob Marley did not use cannabis recreationally and did not see its value as a recreational drug. He viewed marijuana as a holy rite. He saw himself as a holy person as do all Rastafarians , and believed strongly that marijuana opened up a spiritual door that allowed him to access his creativity.
Why might these Rastamen use marijuana only for religious rituals, while many recreational pot users have the risk of addiction and abuse? For instance, in India, where marijuana is used both recreationally and for religious ceremonies, the abuse profile is 3.
The percentage for the U. So, the question remains, why do those who use marijuana religiously as in, for religious purposes, not the colloquial meaning of "all the time" have lower chances for abuse? This is where drug addiction and psychopharmacology meet. Drug use is very dependent on context, cues, friends, land behavior. An often cited example of this comes from a study of returning servicemen from Vietnam.
In Vietnam some soldiers abused heroin. Despite the infancy of the religion, there are a lot of popular culture figures that have propelled it into the spotlight, which has led to its worldwide recognizable status. Names such as Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer who used music to tell the stories of their religion and beliefs have become huge figures, and during the s shot Rastafarianism into popularity.
When compared to other religions such as Christianity, Rasta beliefs are not worlds apart; however it is estimated that there are currently only approximately one million Rastafarians in the world now.
There is no denying that the Rastafarian religion has been widely entrenched in controversy over the years, with many other faiths and outside individuals dubbing the movement as merely a way to get high and be lazy under the mask of religion. Believed to be heavily influenced by the Back To Africa movement and British colonialism, the Rasta religion is often referred to as a movement for the rights of African people.
Over the years this has evolved to be more about spiritualism , nature, and being closer to God Jah. There are many rumors around how marijuana became part of the Rastafarian way of life in the first place, but the truth is nobody can confirm this for sure. Some suggest that marijuana was used in a bid to enable freedom from the establishment as a reaction to the treatment of black members of society. Other rumors suggest that the use of marijuana is incredibly religious, with many Rastafarians looking to marijuana as being the Tree of Life that is referenced in the Bible.
Marcus Garvey, born in Jamaica in , was a political activist and supporter of black self-empowerment. Rastafarians consider the Emperor their messiah, naming the movement after his birth name, Ras Tafari Makonnen. The day is now considered holy, known as Grounation Day. Learn more here. There are approximately one million followers of the Rastafari movement worldwide. Thanks to music and the Internet , the message of Rastafari has touched people everywhere.
Generally, Rastas are pretty health conscious. They consider their body to be a temple, based on the Old Testament teachings. Rastas do not drink alcohol or eat food that is not nourishing to their body, which includes meat.
Howell was arrested and imprisoned in and his doctrine was deemed devilish. He continued to write while incarcerated, and after his release in kept gaining followers. In , the preacher established Pinnacle, a community of about 1, Rastas who followed a special vegetarian diet, shirking seasonings but for the sacred herb, marijuana. They grew ganja among their yams and greens. Howell preached that marijuana was encouraged in the bible, for example in Genesis And the Earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Nonetheless, locks became synonymous with Rastafarianism and with fighting the power. Raids continued through the next two decades—but the religion persisted in spreading.
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