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[The Faceless Master]

ROME (Reuters) - Rastafarians caught in possession of marijuana in Italy may now have legal recourse, thanks to a high court ruling made public on Thursday.

Italy's Court of Cassation ruled that since the Rastafari religion considers marijuana a sacrament, its members should be given special consideration when it comes to possession -- and how much makes a drug trafficker.

The case before the judges dealt with a reggae musician who was sentenced to 16 months in prison by a lower court in Perugia after being found in possession of enough marijuana to roll 70 cigarettes.

The Court of Cassation annulled his sentence, saying the amount appeared appropriate for personal use considering the heavy amounts that Rastafarians smoke, and ordered an appellate court in Florence to review the case.

"He was convicted because of the amount ... for trafficking, but it was for his own personal use," said the defendant's lawyer, Caterina Calia.

Rastafari, a religion that emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s, considers Ethiopia its spiritual home and that country's former emperor, Haile Selassie, a divine figure.

Up to 10 percent of Jamaicans identify themselves as Rastas, but they are virtually unheard of in Roman Catholic Italy.

source

epic win?

 

[I_D]

This could be huge.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Who wants to bet that that'll change soon?

:lol :lol :lol

yeah people are buying plane tickets right now...

i really love the part that goes "the amount appeared appropriate for personal use considering the heavy amounts that Rastafarians smoke"

 

[Fio]

So, if I say that I'm using marijuana because I'm a free man I'll go to jail. But if I say that I'm using it because some random religion allows me to do it I'm doing nothing wrong.

wow

 

[Panajev2001a]

So, if I say that I'm using marijuana because I'm a free man I'll go to jail. But if I say that I'm using it because some random religion allows me to do it I'm doing nothing wrong.

wow

That's separation of church and state at work in Italy .

 

[AndresON777]

Can a white guy be a Rasta? If so I'm moving!

 

[Skellig Gra]

Can a white guy be a Rasta? If so I'm moving!

Nope, sorry dude.

Edit: To all the people who joke about being a Rasta, they abstain from a lot of shit (or are supposed to) like booze, pork, etc.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Can a white guy be a Rasta? If so I'm moving!

of course. anyone can be a rasta. there's chinese rastas.

Nope, sorry dude.

Edit: To all the people who joke about being a Rasta, they abstain from a lot of shit (or are supposed to) like booze, pork, etc.

meat period, but fish is ok.

 

[Skellig Gra]

meat period, but fish is ok.

What about shellfish? I guess that is technically not fish but I thought they abstained from that too.

 

[Mr.Squirrel]

shell fish is no problem to eat. im jamaican and my pops is a rasta and the part about the high amounts of weed they smoke isnt a joke. rasta's stay blazing

 

[Dina]

Enough for 70 sigarettes is accepted now? Wow. Time to grow those dreads.

 

[masud]

meat period, but fish is ok.

Salt too. Being a rasta is not fun.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Enough for 70 sigarettes is accepted now? Wow. Time to grow those dreads.

enough to roll 70 *average* ones, or about 9-12 for a rasta