The Holy Herb


The word 'herb' appears frequently in the King James Version of the Bible, and has been interpreted by some as a justification for the use of the so-called 'holy herb' (marijuana) for meditative and curative purposes. The quotation most often cited is Psalm 104:14, He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth, and the "herb yielding seed" is mentioned as early as the first chapter of the book of Genesis.

However, the Hebrew word translated 'herb' merely refers generally to 'vegetation' - indeed, this is all that the word 'herb' implied when it was used by translators at the time of King James (1611). The word has changed its meaning over the centuries, as have many other words also found in the KJV. Smoking marijuana is not a biblical concept.

Some Rastafarians use 'holy herb' medicinally, or to aid meditation. There has often been much controversy concerning its possible legalization. Herb is also known by many other names: marijuana, ganja, collie (also spelt 'kali', 'cooly', etc), lambsbread (a type of high-quality marijuana), sinsemilla (abbreviated to 'sensie' - seedless marijuana), and so on.

Sometimes, the Holy Herb may also be connected with the Tree of Life, as spoken of in Revelation 22:2, particularly in reference to "the leaves of the tree" being "for the healing of the nations."


See, for example, the songs 'True Ganjaman' by Rocker T, and 'Igziabeher' by Peter Tosh.

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