Meaning
Cannabis. To Rastafari it is 'the herb', a sacrament used in reasoning and meditation to open the mind to Jah and to bring insight and peace, rather than a mere recreational drug, and its use is bound up with the whole spirituality of the faith. In wider Jamaican speech it is simply the common word for marijuana, grown, sold, and smoked across the island. From African-derived roots by way of India, 'ganja' names the plant at the centre of Rastafari worship and of a long, contested place in Jamaican life and law.
Examples
-
Di herb a fi meditation, not fi play.
The herb is for meditation, not for play.
'Herb' is the reverent Rastafari term.
-
Dem plant ganja inna di hills.
They grow cannabis in the hills.
-
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.