Antigua and Barbuda legalizes the sacramental use of cannabis for Rastafarians

Antigua and Barbuda has become one of the first in the Caribbean to allow Rastafarians to grow and consume cannabis for sacramental use.

Rastafarians have been lobbying for years to legalize cannabis in the country. In 2021, In a letter to the President of the Republic, the followers «called for greater flexibility to put an end to persecution and guarantee freedom of worship».

For decades, many Rastafarians have been imprisoned and racially and religiously profiled by law enforcement agencies for their use of cannabis. Authorities in Antigua and Barbuda, an island nation of just over 90,000 inhabitants, have sought to rectify the situation.

«We're freer now,» said Ras Tashi, a member of the Ras Freeman Foundation for the Unification of Rastafarians, quoted by the’Associated Press.

This amendment to the law five years after the decriminalization of cannabis by Antigua and Barbuda. It could also have a domino effect in the Caribbean, where other Rastafarian communities are trying to assert their rights.

The Associated Press reported last week that « Rastafarians apply pressure elsewhere to secure similar religious protections» and that some «believe that Antigua and Barbuda's law could give a boost to such efforts worldwide, at a time when public opinion and politics continue to shift in favor of the medical and recreational use of cannabis».

Under Antigua and Barbuda's new law, the island's government now allows «non-believers» to grow four cannabis plants each and possess up to 15 grams.

«We believe in giving everyone a place at the table, regardless of their religion,» said Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

«Just as we have recognized other religions, it is absolutely important for us to ensure that the Rastafarian faith is also recognized... to recognize their constitutional right to worship and to use cannabis as a sacrament.».

«We pride ourselves on being an inclusive government, and believe that we must give everyone a place at the negotiating table, whatever their religion, denomination or faith,» justified Gaston Browne.

«The Rastafari movement preaches brotherly love. And I'm talking about the purity of religion. We know that there are people who call themselves Rastafarians, but who don't necessarily practice Rastafarian values. But if we stick strictly to Rastafarian values, we find that he advocates brotherly love and good health; even his plant-based diet can be beneficial to all mankind,» said Browne.