For decades, followers of the Rastafari religion and political movement have been persecuted and incarcerated because they use marijuana in ritualistic ways.
Yet, the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda just became the first to give Rastafari legal sacramental permission to cultivate and smoke the plant they regard as sacred.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda stated that his administration took this action to end the persecution and restore respect for the Rastafari faith.
Rastafari is pushing for similar religious safeguards in other places. According to experts and stakeholders, the Antigua and Barbuda law might support these initiatives internationally at a time when public opinion and policy are continuing to shift in favour of marijuana use for medical and recreational purposes.
Below is a brief summary of the faith’s principles and background:
ORIGINS
The Rastafari religion has its origins in 1930s Jamaica, where Black people developed it as a reaction to white colonial oppression. Old Testament teachings and a yearning to go back to Africa are combined to form the beliefs. In the 1970s, two of the religion’s most well-known practitioners, Jamaican music legends Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, carried its message throughout the world.
The core of a Rastafari’s faith is their relationship with “Jah,” or God.
CONSTITUTIONAL MARIJUANA
The usage of marijuana, according to Rastafari adherents, is sanctioned in biblical passages, and they also think that the “holy herb” puts them in a contemplative state and draws them nearer to God. It is consumed by the faithful as a sacrament in “spliffs,” or chalice pipes, as well as being added to stews made of organic plants and burned as a burnt offering.
But, because of their ceremonial cannabis usage, devotees, many of whom are Black, have experienced both racial and religious discrimination.
GANJA
Marijuana, also referred to as “ganja” in the Caribbean, has a long history in Jamaica and arrived before the Rastafari movement. The cannabis plant was introduced to the island in the 19th century by indentured workers from India, and it quickly became well-known as a therapeutic herb.
SELENA HAILE
Haile Selassie, the late Ethiopian emperor, is revered by the majority of its different sects. This has its origins in Marcus Garvey’s 1920 prophecy that an African “day of deliverance” would arrive when a “Black monarch shall be enthroned” in Jamaica. The offspring of enslaved people in Jamaica believed that Haile Selassie I, an Ethiopian prince by the name of Ras Tafari, becoming emperor in 1930 was evidence that Garvey’s prophecy was coming true.
Affectionate crowds greeted Haile Selassie when he arrived in Jamaica in 1966, and some Rastafarians claimed magical events and miracles occurred while he was there.
