As one of the most popular drugs used throughout the company, cannabis is ingested in a variety of ways and used for a wide range of purposes. Unlike other illicit substances, cannabis is easy to find, obtain, and today so many people choose to grow it in their homes. As a result of this, it is popular across all different ages and in all different areas of the world. The majority of people choose to smoke cannabis and they do it for personal reasons. Some people smoke to relax, some use it as a medical treatment for pain, others use it to cure anxiety or depression, and some use it just for fun. However, there are groups of people around the world who have been using it for thousands of years and that is known as the religious and spiritual use of cannabis.
The religious and spiritual use of cannabis refers to anytime the plant is used in a religious or spiritual context. Thousands of years ago, people used cannabis in the Old World because it was believed to be an aid to trance people.
The Vedic Period dates back to 1500 B.C. and may even extend as far back as 2000 B.C.; it was commonly referred to this throughout India. This is the first documented usage of the religious and spiritual use of cannabis, but it continued into the 5th and 2nd century BCE when it was used for ceremonial practices by the Scythians.
In today’s modern culture, the religious and spiritual use of cannabis is not as relevant as it once was in the Old World, yet there are some groups who still employ this as a common practice. One of the largest groups who follow this type of cannabis usage is known as the Rastafari movement. The Rastafarians formed in the 1930s in Jamaica and they worship the Emperor of Ethiopia. They believe that smoking cannabis increases the natural consciousness, which aids their need for sacramental and sanctifying rites. This is believed by the Rastafarians to help them stay close to the truthful and faithful way of life that they seek.
Even though religious and spiritual use of cannabis is not as popular as it once was, that has in no way diminished the overall popularity of the drug itself. The cannabis plant continues to grow in usage with the production of marijuana, hashish, and hash oil and is the most commonly grown illicit plant in personal residences throughout the United States.
