For many Rastas, smoking cannabis (known as ganja, marijuana, herb, kali, "trees", "bud", or lamb's bread) is a spiritual act, often accompanied by Bible study; they consider it a sacrament that cleans the body and mind, heals the soul, exalts the consciousness, facilitates peacefulness, brings pleasure, and brings them closer to Jah. The burning of the herb is often said to be essential "for it will sting in the hearts of those that promote and perform evil and wrongs." Many believe that cannabis originated in Africa, and that it is a part of their African culture that they are reclaiming. It is sometimes also referred to as "the healing of the nation", a phraseology adapted from Revelation 22:2.
They are not surprised that it is illegal, seeing it as a powerful substance that opens people's minds to the truth — something the Babylon system, they reason, clearly does not want. They contrast their herb to liquor, which they feel makes people stupid, and is not a part of African culture. While there is a clear belief in the beneficial qualities of cannabis, it is not compulsory to use it, and there are Rastas who do not. Dreadlocked mystics, often ascetic, known as the sadhus, have smoked cannabis in India for centuries. According to many Rastas, the illegality of cannabis in many nations is evidence that the Persecution of Rastafari is a reality. The migration of many thousands of Indian Hindus to the Caribbean in the 20th century may have brought this culture to Jamaica.