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Ganja talk

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Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 1/20/2019 12:15:09 PM
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In summary:

Haile Selassie kept ganja as ILLEGAL. And Lij Yasu's khat and hashish use was frowned upon in Ethiopia making them question his ability to lead. How can Rastas support ganja if they know the King didn't?



Ganja smoke is harmful to the I. In many different ways. It also affects the chemical balance of the brain and being a psychedelic is reality altering. If it can speed up ones death and change ones reality how can Rastas who live ital support ganja use?


These are questions many of the I Dem and many Rasta in general afraid to deal with. Especially speaking to those who are REGULAR users and regular SMOKERS (although vapers and steamers are not completely out of the woods)



Note: I'm not debating whether ganja causes cancer with Nesta anymore as I have provided enough evidence and it detracts conveniently from the main points of the thread

LIVE UP
AND GIVE UP




Messenger: SunofMan Sent: 1/20/2019 1:55:00 PM
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I think if we give pause to the fact that His Majesty was a world leader, scrutinized under many different lenses all at once, a public stance on marijuana is a way of preserving public opinion. Did His Majesty actively seek out users for punishment? I dont think theres too much evidence of that.

There is documentation of marijuana use as a meditative aid in the Ethiopian Orthodox churches and monasteries, by putting herb in the frankincense pot and sitting over the smoke. This was attested to by an Ethiopian who used to reason here back in 06'. I tried to search his post and will continue to, but I keep coming up short.

Anyways, there are different names for marijuana in different Ethiopian languages. I have a study done with Ethiopian bee keepers who documented what plants their bees were most attracted to, and marijuana is listed twice by two separate names, one of those names was the churchical name used by the aforementioned Ethiopian that used to reason here. I feel comfortable saying marijuana grows naturally in multiple African countries, Ethiopia being one of them.


I know this comes off as pretty loose association, and ive never seen it used ina church or monastery, however I have spoke to other Ethiopians that were aware of its presence in the church, and attested to witnessing its use within a church service. Remember that the EOTC churches are all over the place, what goes on in a church service in the middle of Addis, can be a little different than what happens in more rural areas.

I think the illegality is more centered around trafficking, and His Majesty not wanting Ethiopia to become known as a hub of narcotic exportation. Just my opinion.

As for altered realities....just cause I'm irie doesnt make it any less my reality. I feel like the whole concept of reality is based upon perspective. Obviously theres many different perspectives amongst Rasta.






Messenger: Nesta1 Sent: 1/20/2019 2:17:26 PM
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Well, you’ve got Bobby McDonough who never smoked (cigarettes or ganja) or drank alcohol a day in his life -- clean livin’ all the way -- dies at age 36 of lung cancer last year; then you got Willie Nelson, partaking of ganja for over 60 years now and still at it (i think he he may be vaping it now). Bottom line: Potential carcinogenicity is a weak argument for abstinence from ganja. And fear of cancer, even less so.

And as we agree (i think), smoking ganja does not inevitably lead to cancer or other illnesses; in fact, realistically, it’s a much lower risk behavior than, say, cigarette smoking these days given the higher potency of the ganja being produced.

The EPA toxicologists used to bandy about a statistic that something like one in four people are going to develop a malignant cancer in their lifetime irrespective of lifestyle choices. I’ve even heard some say one in two. The important thing is that fear of cancer would not even appear on my radar screen of factors influencing my choice of whether or not to smoke ganja (for the record, i don’t partake anymore, but i did abundantly as a young man.)

Sorry for being such a stickler for technical accuracy. It’s a residual of a career spent in science & engineering and, of course, of being lied to egregiously by the Babylon System when we were kids about drugs and their harmful effects:
INCORRECT statement: “Ganja will ALSO cause COPD, BRONCHITIS, EMPHYSEMA”
CORRECT statement: "Smoking Ganja can ALSO increase the risk of developing COPD, BRONCHITIS, or EMPHYSEMA"

It’s a subtle but extremely important difference in that one statement makes it fait accompli (which it is not) while the other correctly states the increased risk.


Many people have smoked ganja their whole lives and never developed any of these illnesses. You simply cannot overlook the myriad of variables involved in health outcomes, for example, degree of exposure (i.e., two hits a day verses a doobie versus ten giant spliffs), frequency of exposure, type of ganja and manner in which it is smoked, immunological characteristics of the consumer, interactions of other factors (e.g., other potential carcinogens and environmental factors). I don’t agree with oversimplifications of complex human health related and toxicological issues because they tend to be used to propagandize and coerce by instilling fear.

But, at last, to the MAIN POINT at hand:

“This thread isn't a debate on carcinogens it's a debate on whether RASTA should part take in the regular smoking of cannabis”

So should a RastafarI partake in the regular smoking of cannabis?

My simple answer: Sure, absolutely if he or she so chooses. Let’s not forget that JAH gives us Life and JAH gives us health. JAH also gives us ganja. i was a regular ganja smoker years ago at a time when the potency wasn’t all that great and we smoked lots of it to sustain a nice consciousness. I was never addicted to it (e.g., if we ran out, oh well, no big deal). I was as healthy as an ox, rarely so much as a cough or cold -- Thanx be to JAH RastafarI. The ritual element of sharing ganja with friends or with teacher in Jamaica was quite a beautiful experience of which i have many fond memories. i stopped when i became of pilot because i felt that smoking ganja and being responsible for the safety of the people in the airplane were incongruous. It was a personal choice.

Most people don’t get to pick their dream job. They go to work at a job in the Babylon System because they need to do it to survive, and frequently the stress levels associated with that work are far more damaging to their bodies and overall health than smoking ganja. As i said earlier, Life is a series of choices and trade-offs. A RastafarI should not hesitate to smoke ganja if he/she finds it to be enjoyable or beneficial in blocking Babylon BS out of the mind for for a while in order to focus on spirituality and His Majesty or if it is useful for any of a variety of medicinal purposes.

The herb clearly has long been used throughout human history by a variety of cultures. It’s obviously not some deadly or highly dangerous toxic chemical substance (e.g., i would advise Rasta to be much more careful with using alcohol and/or recommend avoiding completely the consumption of alcohol).

I&i do have to close by reiterating that if smoking ganja keeps a person’s daily stress level down, then there’s a good chance that it will help them to live longer in an industrialized society (and it’s probably better for that than popping Diazepam every day).

So yeah, sure, RastafarI should smoke ganja if they so desire. Or not, if they don’t want to or have a reason not to. It’s no problem.





Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 1/20/2019 2:24:20 PM
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The facts are Haile Selassie didnt smoke herbs and outlawed cannabis. The same ones who want to tell I about following the example of HIM by being a Christian have never seen HIM with a spliff and yet..... LOL


If THERE is evidence of cannabis being used with frankincense this is not SMOKING and I question the relevance. But again can we see any evidence for this as you said it it sounds like a loosey...

It's not up for debate whether or not it changes ones perception of reality that is the definition of a psychedelic. And repeated heavy use can lead to permanent states of changes in perception of reality as well as increased states of paranoia personality change or dissociation. Again, if it harms ones health and quickens ones passage to death, changes ones perception of reality and isn't ordained by His Majesty it sounds like Rasta are making very weak arguments to support their habits they know they shouldn't part take in


Ancient cultures have used opiates for a long long long time too just because something has happened for a long time isn't the debate here the question is whether it is right and fitting with the livity of RASTAFARI. Ancient cultures have ate meat for a long time also.

Your then basing your argument off it being enjoyable. Why not smoke cocaine or inject heroin? Or eat meat and carry bald head? Smoke cigarettes? Do what the hell we like? We are RASTAFARI not any Tom dick and Harry. This is surprising .... But at the same time isn't. Addicts often refuse to see logic or insight


How the Indians have warped unuh brain


STAY ITAL
STAY NATURAL
SAY LIFE OVER DEATH



Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 1/20/2019 2:38:26 PM
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Two Rastafari identical twins:

1 smokes ganja regular
The other doesn't smoke at all

Keeping all other variables as constant. 1 will be healthier, more likely to live longer, less likely to develop cancers, less likely to develop lung disease such as emphysema, less likely to develop personality changes or cognitive changes; and be more aligned to the daily practices of Haile Selassie.


No brainer


Messenger: Nesta1 Sent: 1/21/2019 3:18:18 AM
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"it sounds like Rasta are making very weak arguments to support their habits"

Actually, the beauty of being a Rasta is that I&i live as a free man should live, and needs to live. That means I&i don't make any argument at all to anyone to justify my choices as a free man.

I&i a man of peace. That means i do no harm to anyone. I&i go out of my way to avoid harming people physically or mentally, and yet I&i have been mocked many times, sometime in this very forum, as a "pacifist" which i'm told is a position unbecoming a Rastaman. Now, I&i declare that i am a free man, free to do as i chose when it comes to partaking of the herb, or ingesting whatever else i like, and i am being told that we Rastas need to make some kind of "argument" to defend it. I&i don't need to make any argument to justify to anyone my Life.

The Babylon System is destroying our health, beating us down mentally & physically, and in many ways trying to shorten our lives every single day. The honest epidemiologists and toxicologists (of which there are quite a few) will admit that there is so much uncertainty contained in their assessments and estimations that they can't provide any reasonable assurance of any health outcome. A lot of it's smoke and mirrors -- frequently used to manipulate our behavior.

i've heard a number of medical professions state that stress will destroy your health and kill you faster than any other single factor we deal with in modern industrialized society, and that if a glass of wine or a joint will calm you, help you to get the sleep you need, and/or allow you to stop worrying so much about all the BS heaped upon you, then you should go for it because it will probably lengthen your life. As for the health destructive power of stress, i can attest to that based upon personal experience (it ain't pretty).

I&i not a formula, nor an equation, nor a science experiment. I&i a Living Being and I&i long sick of being told what i should or shouldn't do by others. -- having my own choices about my own Life being judged by someone else (who isn't I&i) as "healthy" or "unhealthy". So, yes, i'll smoke the herb if the mood strikes me and i'll smoke the herb every day if the mode strikes me, and I&i won't live in fear of disease just because someone tells me i should and I&i won't argue with no man why i make the choices that i am free to make unapologetically.

Finally, as a Rasta, I&i will make the strong recommendation to any other person -- who hath an ear to hear it-- to similarly emancipate himself or herself from the control of the Babylon System and the shackles of how others think he or she should be behaving. To stop worrying, Live by the Teachings of His Majesty and share JAH Love everywhere and with everyone, and everything's going to be alright. JAH Love protects us. Sound too simple? Maybe so, but the funny thing is that it works. Maybe that's why Babylon doesn't want us to believe it and want's us to rely more on scary toxicology reports.

JAH TRUTH, RASTAFARI!


Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 1/21/2019 4:18:45 AM
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It can be argued you are doing harm to self by actively and knowingly part taking in non essential behaviour hazardous to ones natural health

But yes the choice is there for everyone

This reasoning is about whether It lies within the fundamentals of Ital Rastafari livity and the example of His Majesty to part take in the regular smoke consumption of ganja...As compared to complete none consumption or food consumption or infrequent steam chalice consumption as a sacrament such as during a binghi

Many of the toxicology reports are not carried out by scary and mysterious Babylon...But by Africans or conscious brothers and sisters who as evident with I and I, are active in the field of science

Give thanks for the I reason and personal choices


Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 1/21/2019 4:35:01 AM
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.


Messenger: GARVEYS AFRICA Sent: 1/21/2019 4:35:45 AM
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Please don't mistake I strong reasoning points as passing judgement or something. Of course it's personal choice. Unlike my biblical reasoning where my stance would never change based on what anybody could ever tell me. This is an area where I would LOVE someone to come forth and challenge my logic and reason to a point where I would change MY viewpoint and pickup herbs again (lol).

And I give thanks again to Nesta for being forthcoming with his arguments. I know 90% of this forum burn ganja regular. Garveys Africa has said they are Fraid to enter this reasoning here.... come defend it brethren and sistren! Like Nesta has ;)


Messenger: Nesta1 Sent: 1/21/2019 5:07:55 AM
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Cool, brother. I&i enjoy our reasoning. You've got a sound position and you stand by it or yield/refine it a bit as you see fit, & as the reasoning progresses. Intellectually honest. That's always refreshing.


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