Welcome to Melek Media House. A Rastafari boradcasting service for the King of kings, Qedemawi Haile Selassie, and His Christ Yeshua Ha’Moshiyah ben Mariam, and all who seek H.I.M in these times.
There is probably not a more controversial element to our religion as Rastafari than our sacramental use of Cannabis. It remains one of the last few real taboos of Western civilization. In a world where non-biblical sexualities can no longer be questioned -even in the churches- the natural consumption of Jah’s herb still remains criminal and invokes severe hostility from the ‘followers of Christ’. Fearful Christians denounce KANEH BOSM as a narcotic, “gateway drug”, or even claiming it is the “Evil Weed” or “Devil’s Weed” and claiming that a person can lose their salvation by consuming it.
We turn ones attention to Genesis 1:29-31 –
‘And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.’
Christians cannot call Cannabis ‘evil weed’ when Jah clearly gave it to us for meat, to be taken with thanksgiving. InI express that it’s an afront to our blameless Creator to say what He has made and called ‘good’ is now Satan’s property. Isn’t that what the enemy does, take credit from JAH and pirate His Creation and subvert it? Actually, there is not ONE verse or portion in the entire scriptures that makes any mention that consuming Cannabis (in any form) is sinful. This plant was well known to the ancient people, and if it were truly “evil” as ones claim, the prophets would have commented on it. In looking for warnings on drugs, what you will find in the Bible is a stern warning for Jah’s children to stay clear of alcohol. Western Christians ignore it conveniently for the most part (excluding the Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witness and a few other small sects) because Alcohol is fundamental to Western culture. But InI are Ethiopian Hebrews. Cannabis (KANEH BOSM) is both part of our culture and religion.
Which brings us to the next portion of this micro-study: smoking Cannabis.
On the topic of smoking KANEH BOSM/Cannabis; Rastafari are often questioned on the Biblical validity of this practice. Some say “God gave you the herb for meat, not to smoke!” Rastafari are accused of twisting the Scriptures to fit their own agenda. Yet, we Rastafari stand with His Majesty and Glory in the Bible. It is Our Glory, it is Our Light. Rastafari cannot subvert our Glory! So let’s look deeper then.
“Smoking” is not what the practice was always called, which is probably why so many people are confused about wether it is ‘Biblical’ or ‘right’ to smoke Cannabis. From Wiki we introduce the ancient name for the practice:
‘Cannabis smoking in India has been known since at least 2000 BC and is first mentioned in the Atharvaveda, which dates back a few hundred years BC. Fumigation (dhupa) and fire offerings (homa) are prescribed in the Ayurveda for medical purposes and have been practiced for at least 3,000 years while smoking, dhumrapana (literally “drinking smoke“), has been practiced for at least 2,000 years.’
Okay that’s India, InI hear you say, Indian practice has nothing to do with the God of the Holy Bible. That’s only half-true, India was a part of Ancient Ethiopia and shares many things, but we’ll leave the Indus-Kush connections stay in the box for the sake of this blog. We cite the Indian example to give a clear indication that Cannabis was smoked thousands of years ago and the practice was called ‘drinking smoke’. Let’s go to the Holy Scriptures for a clearer look at the meaning of “meat”:
אָכְלָה‘ OKLAH (Strong‘s H402)
1) Food (i) food, eating or
(ii) object of devouring, consuming by wild beasts (figurative), in fire, of judgment (figurative)
The root of OKLAH is (Strong’s H398) AKAL אָכַל
1) To eat, devour, burn up, feed
(i) to devour, consume (of fire)… to be devoured, consumed (of fire)
So if eating meat (food) is Hebraically speaking “fuel of fire”, then Cannabis fuel for a temple fire is meat for that tabernacle, even if one consumes it through drinking its smoke. The plant is still being eaten or consumed, Biblically speaking.
We are aware that there is a molecular fire in the body that burns the calories of food in a chemical fire and uses the energy for producing life. But in the ancient sense of burning, one cannot ignore that “smoking” as it is known now was a commonly practiced form of herbal consumption, when people needed to ingest certain elements that could not be absorbed through stomach consumption. Cannabis is a perfect example, because it is not psychoactive until heated or cooked. Therefore, fire and Cannabis belong together in the sacramental sense.
1 Timothy 4 :1-5 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God [is] good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
If Rastafari are able to find not only Biblical justification but Biblical mandate for Rastafari Cannabis consumption, there is no created being alive who is able to deny us our Jah given right, unless they are doing the work of Satan in trying to dispense the doctrine of devils. KANEH BOSM is herb made by Jah. Not “Devil’s weed”.
Pray on it. If your conscience is not seared with the hot iron of Babylonian propaganda you will see that Cannabis is a creation of Jah, and He says it is GOOD.
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