cannabisnews.com: Rastas Hail Soft Line on Cannabis





Rastas Hail Soft Line on Cannabis
Posted by FoM on September 29, 1999 at 08:42:17 PT
by Colin Adamson
Source: This Is London
London's Rastafarian leaders today welcomed new legal guidelines suggesting that those of their faith who use cannabis should be treated leniently in court. 
The race awareness guidelines for the judiciary say that Rastafarians regard smoking cannabis as a "sacrament" and that judges should take religious practice into account in dealing with cases. Shango Baku, who edited the magazine Rastafari Speaks, said: "We have been persecuted for decades for our beliefs. Anything that helps remove sinister barriers is to be welcomed. It has been a long battle against prejudice." Umair Abiden of the Black Lawyers Society also welcomed the guidelines, saying: "We have witnessed some ludicrous behaviour by judges in the past when speaking about ethnic minorities. That has to change. We need, however, to see how this latest approach will work out in practice." The Equal Treatment Bench Book, launched yesterday by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, tells judges to beware of using the word "British" and instructs them to "raise their level of knowledge" about minority religions. In a summary of Rastafarian beliefs, it says: "Smoking cannabis or ganja is considered an important part of Rastafarian religious practice and is treated as a sacrament. It is seen as natural and as God's gift. Rastafarians seek to legitimise its use by reference to biblical texts (Hebrews chapter 6, verse 7)." The guide, published by the Judicial Studies Board which organises training for judges, adds: "Justice in a modern and diverse society must be 'colour conscious' and not 'colour blind'. This means that those who administer justice must be aware of, and responsive to the differences among people who come to court." The cannabis guidelines, however, provoked complaints of unfairness. MP Julian Brazier, chairman of the Conservative Family Campaign, said: "There will be a backlash if there seems to be an exemption for one group from the laws that apply to others. This is social engineering through the courts and I hope the judges ignore it." Sociology Professor David Marsland of Brunel University, said: "This is nonsense. If the judges found an Aztec in their courts, it seems they would regard it as all right to conduct human sacrifices." © Associated Newspapers Ltd., 29 September 1999
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Comment #1 posted by sand on March 30, 2000 at 07:57:55 PT:
ganga
I REALLY DONT BELIVE IN SMOKING WEED OR GANGA BUT RASTAFARIANISM IS JUST A COVER UP ANY WAY I LOVE YOUR SITES PEACE-OUT, SANDMANN
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