Go to parly for ganja rights, Rasta told
THE commission investigating the commercialisation of religion and abuse of people ’ s belief systems will refer the Rastafari community to the National Assembly to lobby for the decriminalisation of dagga.
Ras Xolani Majikela on Monday said they had many issues the institute had failed to address. These include legalising dagga, problems with acquiring land and being harassed by the police.
Ras Madoda Biyana said the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) should promote the Rastafarian culture.
CRL chairwoman Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva told the group of Rastafarians: “The law does not change at the CRL. It changes in parliament … to be debated in the portfolio committees as it affects different portfolio committees, ” she said.
Biyana said if Christians drink wine and Muslims smoke cigarettes, that cause cancer, they should be allowed to use the “holy herb ”.
“The issue is that we feel offended. If Rastafarians say they use it for their faith, why not give them? We are not saying legalise ganja for everyone. We are saying we use it to pray to our God and you cannot stop us,” he said.
Majikela said members were taught about dagga use from the age of 18.
Other attempts to get dagga legalised include the Dagga Party SA and “Dagga Couple ” Myrtle Clarke and Jules Stobbs, who applied for the matter to be heard in the Constitutional Court. They argued it was within their human rights to use anything not harmful to their health.