Italy’s Court of Cassation recently ruled that
Rastafarians can possess ‘abundant’ quantities of marijuana because according
to their faith smoking it is a religious sacrament. Now it is up to an
appellate court in Florence to review the case.
The ruling was made in response
to an appeal advanced by an Italian Rastafarian and reggae musician against a
tough sentence inflicted by a Perugia court in 2004, when he was
found in possession of 50 grams of weed, enough to roll 70 joints. The Perugia court sentenced him to one year
and four months in jail in addition to a 4,000-euro fine for alleged drug
trafficking.
However, Italy’s supreme court overturned the
Perugia sentence, stating that although the defendant had more than what is
considered the limit for personal use, as a Rastafarian he is allowed to smoke
up to 10 grams of marijuana a day. ‘He was convicted
because of the amount … for trafficking, but it was for his own
personal use’, said the man’s defence lawyer, Caterina Calia.
Rastas believe that marijuana
grew on the tomb of King Salomon and that by smoking it they can draw strength
from his wisdom. They also consider it to be a sacrament that cleanses the mind
and body, heals the soul, enhances consciousness and facilitates peacefulness,
as well as bringing pleasure.
