Rastafari is a Pan-African spiritual, socio-political, and ecological movement that uses the Herb (Cannabis spp.) as an entheogenic agent for decolonizing consciousness to promote well-being. The movement counters the centuries of injustice and oppression perpetrated through the trans-Atlantic slave trade with a power derived from links to African livity, a core spiritual lifestyle that...
In Rastafari smoking herbs (cannabis) and tobacco is central to spiritual practices, including grounding (the process of initiation into Rastafari) and reasoning (ritual discussions). This paper presents ethnographic research with Rastafari smokers in England. It shows that smoking is considered a ‘professional’ activity that communicates dedication to the movement, aids in learning different...