So,as you know certainly, The Rastafari movement, or Rasta, is a religious movement that accepts Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, as God incarnate, whom they call Jah or Jah Rastafari. He is also seen as part of the Holy Trinity as the messiah promised in the Bible to return. One characteristic of Rastafari include the spiritual use of cannabis...Do you know why?
For Rastas, smoking cannabis (as ganja, herb, Marijuana) is a spiritual act, often accompanied by Bible study. They consider it a sacrament that cleans the body and mind, exalts the consciousness, facilitates peacefulness, brings pleasure, and brings them closer to Jah. By the 8th century, cannabis had been introduced by Arab traders to Central and Southern Africa, and many Rastas say it is a part of their African culture that they are reclaiming.
According to many Rastas, the illegality of cannabis in many nations is evidence that persecution of Rastafari is a reality. They are not surprised that it is illegal, seeing it as a powerful substance that opens people's minds to the truth (for example the Babylon system). They believe that the smoking of cannabis enjoys Biblical sanction and is an aid to meditation and religious observance.
