Kenya’s High Court has rejected a petition by the country’s Rastafarian community seeking to legalize the use of marijuana for religious and spiritual purposes. The petitioners argued that cannabis is a sacred herb essential to their faith and that the existing ban violates their constitutional right to freedom of worship. However, the court ruled that the country’s drug laws are constitutional, asserting that the prohibition is necessary to safeguard public health and that religious freedoms are not absolute when balanced against public safety.
- The High Court of Kenya dismissed a legal petition filed by the Rastafaria Society of Kenya seeking to decriminalize cannabis for religious rituals.
- Petitioners argued that the ban on marijuana infringed upon their constitutional right to freedom of religion and worship.
- The court ruled that the right to manifest one’s religion is not absolute and must be balanced against broader public health and safety interests.
- Marijuana remains classified as an illegal narcotic in Kenya, carrying strict penalties for possession, cultivation, and consumption.
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