Rastafarians challenge AG in court

Outspoken activist Paul Simba Rock has filed a claim in the Supreme Court against Attorney General Dale Marshall, challenging a clause in the Sacramental Cannabis Bill, which was passed in both Houses of Parliament at the end of November last year.

Rock is insisting that the section of the Bill which sets out that sacramental use is provided for a person who is “an adherent of the Rastafarian religion and for Rastafarian congregations to use cannabis as a sacrament in worship at a place of worship or at a public place” violates the rights of Rastafarians since many of them did not conform to a religion or use their homes as “a place of worship”.

The motion was filed on Monday.

“The limitations placed on Rastafari within their spiritual use of cannabis is, in itself, a violation of the same rights the Attorney General said he would be in breach of should he continue to not recognize them. Attempts to address this matter through written communications to the Office of the Attorney General and the Prime Minister’s Office have seemingly fallen on deaf ears,” said Rock.

Recalling that Marshall had indicated that the bill would “facilitate the use by members of the Rastafarian faith of cannabis for the purpose of their religion”, Rock insisted that the Bill in its current state did not recognize the homes of Rastafarians as “private places of worship” for the family.

“The Bill requires Rastafari ‘places of worship’ to apply for a permit to legally cultivate and use cannabis for sacramental purposes. It also limits the cultivation and use of the cannabis plant for sacramental purposes to this ‘place of worship’,” said Rock.

“Rastafari who use cannabis for sacramental purposes outside of the registered ‘place of worship’ are liable to be fined or imprisoned. Public use of cannabis for sacramental purposes is only permitted if the ‘place of worship’ makes application and is granted special permission to do so,” he pointed out.

Rock, a long-standing member of the Rastafari community, said it was also for this reason he filed the constitutional motion on Monday, “challenging the Attorney General in his accession as presented in the Sacrament Cannabis Bill, that his home, and the homes of Rastafari sisters and brothers are not ‘places of worship’”.

He said he was supported in his effort to seek constitutional justice for himself and community “by the Ivine Order of the Nyabinghi Theocracy Reign, numerous Rastafari brothers and sisters who do not ascribe onto themselves one mansion or the other, the African Heritage Foundation and Barbadians, who don’t ascribe to the philosophy of Rastafari, but are of the opinion that the violation of anyone’s rights is unacceptable, including Rastafari”.

Pointing out that Rastafarians in Barbados joined with others around the world today (Thursday), the 128th anniversary of the birth of His Imperial Majesty (H.I.M) Emperor Haile Selassie I., in celebrating this day “in reverence and with joyous festivities”. Rock said “An integral component of all modalities of Rastafari celebrations is the use of cannabis within a sacred meditation or state of mind.”  marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb