| ext">If you asked most people to think of a | | | | Tree of Life [that] are for the healing of the nations) |
| marijuana religion, they instantly think of | | | | refers to the marijuana plant. |
| Rastafarians and nothing more. But while many | | | | Sufism |
| religions are as condemnatory of cannabis as they are | | | | Islam has generally condemned the use of marijuana; |
| of any other intoxicant, there is a recorded history of | | | | the religion regards the use of any intoxicants as |
| religions using marijuana seeds and leaves that | | | | haraam, or forbidden. Sufism (the mystical offshoot of |
| stretches back for thousands of years. Almost every | | | | Islam) takes a somewhat different view. This religion |
| major world religion, it seems, has made use of the | | | | believes in knowing God through ecstatic states of |
| drug, usually for spiritual purposes — look at the | | | | mind, and widespread history of marijuana use has |
| list below! | | | | been recorded in Sufi culture over the centuries. |
| Taoism | | | | Indeed, in one Persian folk tale, the founder of Sufism, |
| Ancient Chinese Taoists were at first sceptical about | | | | a monk called Haydar, was the first Persian to |
| the use of cannabis; their religion regarded it as the | | | | discover marijuana. Out walking in the midst of a |
| liberator of sin for some time. However, while they | | | | depressed mood, he came across the marijuana plant |
| continued to condemn the hallucinations brought on | | | | and ate several of its leaves. Finding his mood |
| through excessive use (which they regarded as | | | | immediately and dramatically improved, he returned to |
| leading to seeing devils), by the first century AD | | | | the monastery and recommended that his brother |
| the followers of this religion used marijuana seeds in | | | | monks should try it too! |
| their incense burners while meditating, believing that the | | | | Hinduism |
| milder effects of the drug gave them a heightened | | | | There is a long history of marijuana associated with |
| spiritual awareness. | | | | Hinduism, since about 1500 BC by some records. It is |
| Christianity | | | | most commonly consumed in a drink called bhang, |
| Jesus was a stoner may sound like the slogan | | | | mixed in with spices, milk and sugar and drunk during |
| on a counterculture t-shirt, but it may have a grain of | | | | Holi and Baisakhi, key festivals of the Hindu religion. The |
| truth to it. Some historians believe that oil derived from | | | | marijuana plant is associated with the god Shiva, and |
| marijuana seeds was a central ingredient in Jewish | | | | many Shiavites smoke it in clay pipes called chillums, |
| and Christian holy anointing oils. Some of the healing | | | | believing it to be a gift from Shiva to help humans |
| miracles of Jesus have even been attributed to the | | | | reach a higher spiritual level. |
| marijuana in the anointing oils — the drug can | | | | Buddhism |
| take effect through skin absorption, and marijuana can | | | | Like in most religions, marijuana use is controversial and |
| relieve the effects of glaucoma, skin ailments and | | | | divisive in Buddhism. The tenets of Buddhism advise |
| menstrual pains. | | | | against intoxicants, but in many sects of Chinese |
| In addition to this, Rastafarians and some modern | | | | Buddhism, marijuana has been used in initiation and |
| Gnostic Christians believe that the Tree of Life | | | | mystical rituals since the 5th century BC. |
| referred to in one Biblical passage ("the leaves of the | | | | |