Cross Cultural Smoking

One thing that strikes me as interesting is the marijuana use in Rastafarian religion-- especially how the idea of “the herb” is linked to specific scriptures in the bible. Most of the links between pot and the bible seem rather far fetched, and overly general. For example, in Genesis, marijuana is not the only “herb that yields seed,” and man can eat “many herbs of the field.” An herb serving as “the service of man” could mean many other things besides the pleasant affects of marijuana. Herbs can be used as medical remedies, food, etc. Though the link between marijuana and specific bible scriptures holds little validity, the important role the drug plays in the Rastafarian movement should not be overlooked.

In America, Marijuana is considered a drug, which is usually looked down upon for its immediate “high.” In contrast, the Rasta’s use the “high” as a means to charter religious energy. The different ways of using marijuana cross culturally have created stereotypes about the drug and its users. For example, America has the stigmatized image of a “stoner”—someone who smokes all the time, eats, remains lazy, does poorly in school, and talks in a certain dubbed-down lingo. In Jamaica, smoking is religious, and a rather common occurrence. The image of the Rastafarian differs sharply with that of a typical American “stoner.” The effects of marijuana are the same cross culturally, but the way people act in accordance to those effects determine how pot is portrayed. Perhaps it wouldn’t be illegal to smoke if America was smart enough to treat pot as a positive medium for expression. The American “stoner” image is so ingrained into our culture that it seems impossible to illustrate the positive effects of Marijuana.