CANNABIS IN THE BIBLE

Source: http://ccguide.org/bible.php

US: Jesus Healed Using Cannabis: The Guardian, UK, 6 January 2003

Exodus chapter 30 verse 22 – 33:

Moreover the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying: “Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet KINEBOISIN two hundred and fifty shekels.

And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil an hin

And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary; it shall be an holy anointing oil

And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony.

Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you

Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people

KINEBOISIN, according to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, is the old name for cannabis – it was also spelt kannabosm. They claim it was mis-translated in the King James’ version of the bible, as “calamus”

See Marijuana as a Christian Sacrament

CANNABIS IN OTHER SCRIPTURES

The Hindu scripture from 1500 BC, the Rig Veda, says:
drug plants preceded even the gods by three ages
Hindus believe that cannabis was brought by Lord Shiva for human use and enjoyment. Apparently one day Shiva went off by himself in the fields. He sheltered from the sun under a tall cannabis plant, which he tasted. He adopted it as his favorite food, and became known as ‘Lord of Bhang’. Cannabis was also called Indricana, the food of the god Indra.

Assyrian texts from the 7th century BC name cannabis.

The Essenes of ancient Israel and the Theraputea of Egypt both used cannabis medicinally.

Zoroaster, Persian founder of a religion, used cannabis.

In one legend Buddha is said to have survived on one cannabis seed a day for years.

First century AD Taoists in Japan used cannabis in their incense burners.

Within Islam the Sufis widely used cannabis as part of their ritual of searching for spiritual insight.

The Ethiopian Coptic Church which traces its origins back 6000 years, now with headquarters in Jamaica, uses cannabis as its sacrament: Only through the sacramental use of marijuana, combined with prayer and spiritual reasoning among the brethren, can members of the Church come to know God within themselves and within others. Rastafarians, a religion which hails Haile Selassie (born Ras Tafari) trace their ganja (cannabis) smoking back to Genesis

MARIJUANA AS THE CHRISTIAN SACRAMENT– Part 7.

The fact that modern Christendom has no sense of union with God has led to numerous churches without the understanding for building a Christian culture and kingdom to replace the confusion of modern politics. This lack of understanding was not lacking in the ancient church and was a major source of enthusiasm for the prophets of old. In fact, the power of the early church was manifested due to this understanding of the spirit of God dwelling in man, the temple of God. To the ancient prophets it was not a God above, nor a God over yonder, but a God within. “Be still and know that I am God” for the visionaries and mystics of every time and place, this has been the first and greatest of the commandments.

In 1 Corinthians 11:28 Christ said, “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.” Probably the most relevant study to date about what might be considered typical marijuana experience concludes that marijuana gives spontaneous insights into self (Dr. Charles Tart, “On Being Stoned: A Psychological Study of Marijuana Intoxication”, Science and Behavior, 1971).

The sacramentality of marijuana is declared by Christ himself and can be understood only when a person partakes of the natural divine herb. The fact is communion of Jesus cannot be disputed or be destroyed. Marijuana is the new wine divine and cannot be compared to the old wine, which is alcohol. Jesus rejected the old wine and glorified the “new wine” at the wedding feast of Cana. Cana is a linguistic derivation of the present day cannabis and so it is. (Some Biblical scholars and there is a certain amount of support in early tradition of the view have looked upon the miracle of Cana as a sign of the Eucharist.)

Note the references to new wine in the Bible:

Isaiah 65:8 “Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it; so will I do for my servant’s sake”

Acts 2:13 “Others mocking said, “These men are full of new wine.”

Isaiah 65:8 declares that the new wine is found in the cluster and that a blessing is in it. When one mentions clusters, one thinks of clusters of grapes. Webster’s New Riverside Dictionary, Office Edition, defines marijuana: 1. Hemp 2. The dried flower clusters and leaves of the hemp plant, esp. when taken to induce euphoria.

The Encyclopedia Britannica says the following about hemp:
Seed producing flowers form elongate, spike like clusters growing on the pistillate, or female plants; pollen producing flowers form many branched clusters or staminate, on male plants. Here and in Webster’s, marijuana fits the description of the new wine and as history has shown a blessing is in it.

Baudelaire said the following about the effects of hashish:
“This marvelous experience often occurs as if it were the effect of superior and invisible power acting on the person from without…This delightful and singular state…gives no advance warning. It is as unexpected as a ghost, an intermittent haunting from which we must draw, if we are wise, the certainty of a better existence. This acuteness of thought, this enthusiasm of the senses and the spirit must have appeared to man through the ages as the first blessing.”

In the books of Acts the apostles were accused of being full of new wine. Acts 2:13 was the time of pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles. Numerous outpourings of the Spirit are mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles in which healing, prophecy, and the expelling of demons are particularly associated with the activity of the Spirit. Incense (marijuana) was used by the ancients for healing, prophecy, and the expelling of demons.

When Christ ascended into heaven in the cloud (Acts 1:9-11) he sent his disciples the Holy Spirit with the “gift of tongues” (Acts 2:3) and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as a fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and were given the power to prophesy or witness. (Marijuana has been credited with speech giving and inspiration of mental powers.)

The first two gifts of the Holy Spirit are traditionally said to be wisdom and understanding, which no doubt are the two things most needed by the human race. In Jamaica today marijuana is referred to as the “weed of wisdom” and is reputed to be the plant that grew on Solomon’s grave, a man known for his great wisdom. Marijuana expands consciousness and enhances the capacity for mystical and creative inspiration. In Acts 2:3 Fire speaks figuratively of the Holy Spirit. Fire was also a means which to transport a saint to heaven.

2 Kings 2:11 “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

Recent writers have speculated that this passage was in reference to flying saucers. That is because they look at this passage physically. This ascension of Elijah like the ascension of Christ in the cloud into heaven is the “withdrawal” from the external or physical world, to be the inmost reality of all. This can be referred to as ecstasy, rapture, or transport and is a result of the Holy Spirit. Ecstasy, rapture, or transport therefore agrees in designating a feeling or state of intense, often extreme mental and emotional exaltation. Rapture is defined as ecstatic joy or delight; joyful ecstasy. Some of the synonyms of rapture are bliss, beatitude, transport, and exultation. The true rapture is therefore one in which one is spiritually transported to the heavens. Don’t expect to float up into the sky.

Marijuana as history has shown is the catalyst used to achieve the spiritual journey into the heavens. That is why in India it was referred to as the Heavenly-Guide, the Poor Man’s Heaven, and the Sky-flier. That is why Professor Mircea Eliade, perhaps the foremost authority on the history of religion, suggested that Zoroaster may have caused hemp to bridge the metaphysical gap between heaven and earth.

One dictionary defines marijuana as the leaves and flowering tops when taken to induce euphoria. Euphoria is defined by the same dictionary as great happiness or bliss. (In India, marijuana has been referred to as the joy-giver and the soother of grief.) Bliss is defined as the ecstasy of salvation, spiritual joy. Some of the synonyms of bliss are beatitude, transport, rapture, ecstasy, paradise, heaven.

Throughout the ancient world there is mention of “magical flight”, “ascent to heaven”, and “mystical journey”. All these mythological and folklore traditions have their point of departure in an ideology and technique of ecstasy that imply “journey in spirit”.

The pilgrimage from earth to heaven is not a journey to some other place or some other time, but is a journey within. One must realize that “death” through which we must pass before God can be seen does not lie ahead of us in time. Rather it is now that we have a man of sin within us that must be killed and a new man free from sin that must be born. This is actualized in baptism and the sacramental life in the church. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). The effect of baptism is spiritual regeneration or rebirth, whereby one is “enChristened”, involving both union with Christ and remission of sins. In Titus 3:5 baptism is the “bath of regeneration” accompanying renewal by the Spirit. Some of the synonyms of regeneration are beatification, conversion, sanctification, salvation, inspiration, bread of life, Body and Blood of Christ.

Sara Benetowa of the Institute of Anthropological Sciences in Warsaw is quoted in the Book of Grass as saying:
“By comparing the old Slavic word ‘Kepati’ and the Russian ‘Kupati’ with the Scythian ‘cannabis’ Shrader developed and justified Meringer’s supposition that there is a link between the Scythian baths and Russian vapour baths.

“In the entire Orient even today to ‘go to the bath’ means not only to accomplish an act of purification and enjoy a pleasure, but also to fulfil the divine law. Vambery calls ‘bath’ any club in which the members play checkers, drink coffee, and smoke hashish or tobacco.”

St. Matthew’s account of the institution of the Eucharist attaches to the Eucharist cup these words: “Drink of it, all of, for this is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins (St. Matthew 26:27). Drinking the sacramental cup therefore serves like baptism (Acts 2:38) where Peter said unto them, “Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. We of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church declare a three-part doctrine of the Holy Herb, the Holy Word, and the Holy Man (Woman).

The present and future benefits to the individual communicant have their importance given them by Jesus, who said, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:54) As such we must see that the divine person who is active in creation, in renewal, and in human rebirth and resurrection, is also active in the Eucharist.

There was a profound change in America when marijuana smoking started on a large scale in the late 1960’s. A large number of people resisted the draft, resisted the war … started letting their hair and beards grow … became interested in natural foods… the ecology and the environment. What we really saw was the awakening of our generation to the beginning of Christian mentality through marijuana smoking. The earmarks of this mentality are: I don’t want to go to war; I really don’t want to be part of the political-military-economic fiasco you call society.

Like the Indians Hemp Drug Commission three quarters of a century earlier, the Canadian Le Dain Commission conducted an inquiry into the use of marijuana. On page 156 of the report is the following:
“In the case of cannabis, the positive points which are claimed for it include the following: It is a relaxant; it is disinhibiting; it increases self-confidence and the feeling of creativity (whether justified by creative results or not); it increases sensual awareness and appreciation; it facilitates self acceptance and in this way makes it easier to accept others; it serves a sacramental function in promoting a sense of spiritual community among users; it is a shared pleasure; because it is illicit and the object of strong disapproval from those who are, by and large, opposed to social change, it is a symbol of protest and a means of strengthening the sense of identity among those who are strongly critical of certain aspects of our society and value structure today.”

On page 144 of the Report, marijuana is associated with peace.
“In our conversation with (students and young people) they have frequently contrasted marijuana and alcohol effects to describe the former as a drug of peace, a drug that reduces tendencies to aggression while suggesting that the latter drug produces hostile, aggressive behaviour. Thus marijuana is seen as particularly appropriate to a generation that emphasizes peace and is, in many ways, anti-competitive.”

According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, in the section on “Roman Catholicism”:
“To understand the meaning and use of the Eucharist we must see it as an act of universal worship, of cooperation, of association else it loses the greater part of its significance. Neither in Roman Catholic nor in Protestant Eucharistic practice does the sacrament retain much of the symbolism of Christian unity, which clearly it has. Originally, the symbolism was that of a community meal, an accepted social symbol of community throughout the whole of human culture.”

Marijuana has been used as sacrifice, a sacrament, a ritual fumigant (incense), a good-will offering, and as a means of communing with the divine spirit. It has been used to seal treaties, friendships, solemn binding agreements and to legitimize covenants. It has been used as a traditional defence against evil and in purification. It has been used in divinations (1. the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge; 2. unusual insight; intuitive perception.) It has been used in remembrance of the dead and praised for its medicinal properties.

Most Christians agree that participation in the Eucharist is supposed to enhance and deepen communion of believers not only with Christ but also with one another. We must therefore ask the question, “What substance did the ancients use as a community meal to facilitate communion with the Lord?” The answer to that question is marijuana. Hemp as originally used in religious ritual, temple activities, and tribal rites, involved groups of worshippers rather than the solitary individual. The pleasurable psychoactive effects were then, as now, communal experiences.

Practically every major religion and culture of the ancient world utilized marijuana as part of his or her religious observance. Marijuana was the ambrosia of the ancient world. It was the food, drink, and perfume of the gods. It was used by the Africans, the Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Asians, the Europeans, and possibly the Indians of the Americas. Would it be too much to suggest that the ancient Israelites also utilized marijuana?

This article came from, but was NOT written by: The University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Cannabis Reform Coalition
S.A.O. Box #2
415 Student Union Building
UMASS, Amherst MA 01003