Published • loading... • Updated
Kenyan Court Dismisses Rastafari Case Seeking to Legalize Marijuana
Justice Bahati Mwamuye said the petitioners failed to prove a constitutional basis for a religious cannabis exemption, and lawyers plan an appeal.
- On Wednesday, the Kenyan High Court dismissed a petition by the Rastafarian Society of Kenya seeking to legalize cannabis for religious worship. Justice Bahati Mwamuye ruled the community failed to prove that drug laws violate their constitutional right to religious freedom.
- Rastafarians argued cannabis is a sacred sacrament essential to their faith, seeking a limited exemption for private use, while the state opposed the plea, asserting that an exemption would undermine enforcement of Kenya's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
- Justice Mwamuye found evidence regarding cannabis's centrality to the Rastafari faith "inconsistent and insufficient." Cultivating cannabis in Kenya currently carries a penalty of up to 20 years in jail or a fine of $1,900.
- Following the ruling, Rastafarians gathered at Nairobi's Freedom Corner to protest, while Mwamuye suggested the "status quo appears untenable" and called for "frank conversations on cannabis and which direction we should take."
- The Rastafarian Society of Kenya plans to appeal the decision in the Court of Appeal, as the movement grows with dreadlock traditions resonating with Kenya's anti-colonial history, particularly the Mau Mau fighters who resisted British rule.
Insights by Ground AI
43 Articles
43 Articles
Kenya: Court rejects Rastafari bid for religious marijuana
Kenya's small Rastafarian community was seeking legal permission to smoke marijuana under the constitutional right to freedom of religion. The judge found they did not show it to be a necessary part of their worship.
·Bonn, Germany
Read Full Article
A court in Kenya refused to authorize the use of marijuana for religious reasons to the Rastafari community.
Rastafarians Lose Their 6-Year Cannabis Fight
Kenya's Rastafarian community just lost a six-year fight to be able to legally use cannabis as part of their worship. The High Court rejected a petition seeking a religious exemption from the country's strict marijuana laws, ruling the group hadn't shown that cannabis use is an essential element of their...
·Miami, United States
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources43
Leaning Left9Leaning Right8Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution41% Center
Bias Distribution
- 41% of the sources are Center
41% Center
L 31%
C 41%
R 28%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
