Ganja
Also spelled: ganga, herb, sensi, collie
Meaning
Cannabis. To Rastafari it is 'the herb', a sacrament used in reasoning and meditation to open the mind to Jah, rather than a recreational drug. In wider Jamaican speech it is simply the common word for marijuana.
Examples
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“Di herb a fi meditation, not fi play.”
The herb is for meditation, not for play.
'Herb' is the reverent Rastafari term.
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“Dem plant ganja inna di hills.”
They grow cannabis in the hills.
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“Him roll a spliff a good sensi.”
He rolled a joint of good cannabis.
'Sensi' (sinsemilla) refers to strong seedless herb.
Origin
From Hindi/Sanskrit 'gañjā', brought to Jamaica by indentured labourers from India in the 19th century, and taken up in both the language and the culture.
How it's used
In Rastafari context the word carries a sacramental sense; treat it accordingly. Legal status in Jamaica has softened for small amounts and for Rastafari religious use.