By: Cassidy Wetz
Cannabis has long been a symbol of countercultures and creativity. In America, this is most easily recognized in the beatnik culture of the 70s, who were in opposition to the Vietnam War. In some cultures, the usage of cannabis is even seen as a religious rite, or something sacred. Rastafarian culture is a prime example of this, which is exemplified and explained in the documentary Rastamentary. As long as I have been alive in America, there have been many negative connotations associated with cannabis use and the culture surrounding it. The people who use the plant are seen as deviant and perceived as lazy or hedonistic. Cannabis use, however, entails much more than this for many. These false perceptions only inhibit education on the plant and its use.
In Rastafarian culture, cannabis is seen as something sacred and is highly regarded. Rastafarianism emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s in response to political oppression at the beginnings of World War II (Staff, 2015). The New Religious Movement was based on the fight against political oppression which many in Jamaica had grown tired of. Therefore, this movement had much traction as it started up. Rastafari calls cannabis “Ganja” and its usage is key in the religion. Ganja is considered to be “wisdom weed” and used as a part of a religious rite in order to become closer to Jah. Rastafarianism is an Abrahamic Religion that has derived many of its beliefs from Christianity. Jah refers to the idea of God or the inner self and creation as a whole. As spoken by Billy Mystic, in the documentary Rastamentary, “We have to feel out ourselves and answer within ourselves in everything… It's a personal way of life. You have to seek answers for yourself, from your God, from your creator that will set your heart and mind at ease” (Finn, 2012). Self-introspection is something highly valued by Rasta culture, which cannabis is known to aid in. It is speculated that the mention of the “herb of life” in the Bible is referring to cannabis (Holland, 2010). Psalms 104:14 says “He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle and herb for the service of man, that he bring forth food out of the Earth.” This piece of scripture is believed to be referring to cannabis by Rasta. The use of the word “Jah” is also seen in scripture in Psalm 68:4.
Rastafarians will hold large “reasoning gatherings” in which a chalice, which is a large smoking pipe, is passed around much like wine in Christian communion. The use of this weed is not meant for recreation or pleasure, it is meant as part of a religious sacrament which strengthens the beliefs of that religion. These gatherings are also referred to as “Nyahbinghi.” Before smoking the plant, a prayer is said to Jah. It is believed to allow them to reach a higher state of consciousness of spiritual enlightenment or a revelation of God. Additionally, it is believed to provide a type of spiritual/psychological healing. This is known as “I-I” consciousness in which restoration of self-worth occurs. Finally, it serves the function of providing rest and relaxation (Grant, 2005).
Is it possible that a person's setting and intention influence their experience of cannabis use? Collective Effervescence built up in these reasoning gatherings may serve to allow the use of cannabis collectively to attain a perceived higher level of consciousness. Collective Effervescence is a term coined by sociologist Emile Durkheim, which refers to the build-up of collective energy when a moral community comes together to perform a religious act (Carls, 2020). What is key here is the fact that a community comes together, because the collective effervescence could not exist with an individual alone. Durkheim believed that religion required a very social aspect to it. Then, this collective energy must be projected onto an external object/ceremony. In Rastafarianism, this object is cannabis smoked through a sacred chalice.
Durkheim believed that religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, beliefs, and practices which unite in one single moral community called a Church. To Durkheim, in religion, there exists the sacred and the profane. The sacred are those things in which the moral community has set apart from the rest of the secular world, and hold an important value to the beliefs of the religion. The profane would refer to everything else that exists in the world outside of the religion (Durkheim & Swain, 2013).
These ideas resonate with the Rastafarian beliefs as they believe God exists within themselves and within nature. Nature is something sacred. A religion requires three things: sacred objects, a moral community, and a set of beliefs and practices. (Carls, 2020) To the Rastafari, cannabis serves as a sacred object which is used within a moral community and also serves to strengthen that moral community. The Rastafari have a distinct set of beliefs and practices which are shared across the said moral community. They have a very close relationship with nature and believe that “God is a God of nature.” As cannabis is a product of nature, consumption allows the Rasta to feel an even closer connection with nature. Cannabis consumption serves as a vehicle for enlightenment, the ultimate Rasta salvation, and restoration of the self. As spoken by a Rastafari in the documentary Rastamentary, “I was smoking marijuana one day sitting by the beach, and I really get the vibe that everything in the universe is connected and that's when I really started to understand Rastafari.”
Many Rastafari struggle with the fact that this symbolic plant used in their religion is illegal in most countries including Jamaica, the birthplace of the Rasta movement. There may also be prejudice from law enforcement towards the Rastafari people since it is largely a black population. In Mississippi, Tommy Beadle was pulled over and searched by police who found cannabis in the car. The cannabis had been purchased legally for medicinal use as well as a religious use, however, Beadle was charged as if he intended to traffick the drugs illegally. His lawyers claimed that he was racially profiled and unfairly charged. Beadle’s mother pleaded with the court to spare her son from being locked up, for he was no drug trafficker, and the use of medicinal marijuana was a part of their religion. Despite this, Beadle’s original 10-year sentencing was only reduced to a minimum of 8 years (Washington Post, 2018). It has been held up in courts that no one religion will be the exception to the rules on cannabis.
Many Rasta have faced jail time due to the partaking of this plant. Would this be true if it were not cannabis that was in question? Why are governments so reluctant to allow its use, even in a religious context? What harm could this cause? Finally, how can religious rights to cannabis be considered in the changing context of American cannabis legalization and decriminalization?