(Drug Policy Alliance) Medical marijuana is one of the most widely supported issues in drug policy reform. Numerous published studies suggest that marijuana has medical value in treating patients with serious illnesses such as AIDS, glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and chronic pain. As where there are laws regarding the use of marijuana and medicine restricting its use for medicinal purposes only laws and constitutions should be developed similarly so that Rastafarians can only use the drug within the religious Churches and shrines which are of the Rastafarian movement and religion during pray and meditation. The development of a law which prohibits them from practicing their religion with the use of marijuana outside or away from their Churches which in every right would not infringe the religious rights of the Rastafarian community. (Levine) Rastas say its use is prescribed by biblical verses such as Psalm 104:14, where it is written "He causeth the grass for the cattle, and herb for the service of man"; Exodus 10:12: "Eat every herb of the land"; Proverbs 15:17: "Better is a dinner of herb where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith"; and Genesis 1:11-12 or 3:18: "thou shalt eat the herb of the field." The controlled ritual smoking of "wisdomweed" is advocated as incense pleasing to the Lord"; it is a core activity in their daily life, both a "sacrament" and an aid to meditation. It is common knowledge that Rastafarians use marijuana as a holy sacrament but in light of these scriptures and context of the whole Bible, one must come to the understanding that the use of marijuana is not a sacrament, as to where there are no scriptures in the bible in which God commands man to smoke marijuana. Works Cited
Drug Policy Alliance. Drug policy Alliance. 2005. <http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/medical/>.
Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr., and John A. Benson, Jr. Marijuana and Medicine. Washington, D.C.: NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS , 1999.
Levine, Mark. Beliefnet. 2000. <http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/2000/08/Holy-Smoke.aspx?p=1>.
Ministries, Let Us Reason. Let Us Reason Ministries. 2009. <http://www.letusreason.org/cults16.htm>.
--------------------------------------------
[ 1 ]. http://www.letusreason.org/cults16.htm (2009)
[ 2 ]. Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base (Washington D.C. :NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS, 1999) : 140
[ 3 ]. Drug Policy Alliance, Medical marijuana http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/medical/ (2005)
[ 4 ]. Levine, Mark. Beliefnet http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/2000/08/Holy-Smoke.aspx?p=1/ (2000)
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