While Rastafarians were once persecuted by the government of Jamaica and routinely harassed by police looking for then-illegal cannabis , the government has since taken steps to accommodate Rastafarians , including the decriminalization of the possession of small amounts of cannabis for religious purposes in 2015 , and formal apologies coupled with financial reparations for past actions against the Rastafarian community , such as the Coral Gardens incident . Rastafarians still face some societal discrimination , particularly when seeking employment , but community representatives have stated that incidences of discrimination have sharply decreased since 2015
Coral Gardens incident
Coral Gardens incident
Religion in Jamaica