Sacred Weed: Rastafari Yard

Different cultures and groups have used the sacred weed for religious purposes for millennia. For Rastafaris, the ritualistic smoking of weed allows the user to reach a sort of “cosmic consciousness,” a state where they become closer to Jah and can see the truth of the world more clearly. They follow what the Book of Revelations proclaims “The weed is the healing of the nations” (22:2). But for decades, many were incarcerated for their use of cannabis, in the fallacious drug war, a side of the race war. As public opinion and policies continue to shift around the world towards legalizing the herb for medical and recreational purposes, the Rastafaris are clamouring for broader relaxation to curtail persecution and epistemic violence and guarantee their freedom of worship.