The High Court in Kenya has made a decision about a petition that wanted to make bhang, which is also called cannabis in the country. This decision is news for the Rastafarian Society of Kenya who think that bhang is a very important part of their religious worship and spiritual growth.
The people who started this petition back in 2021 wanted the court to say it is okay to use bhang for reasons. They believed that the law against cannabis is not fair to them because it does not allow them to practice their religion freely.
The court said no to this request, which means that the laws against cannabis in Kenya are still in place. These laws say that it is against the law to grow, have, sell or use cannabis as stated in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
The Rastafarian Society of Kenya said that bhang is a part of their faith and spiritual practices. They wanted the court to protect bhang as something that's important for their religion.
Even though they made these arguments the High Court did not think they had a reason to change the law. So the laws about cannabis are still the same.
This means that bhang is still against the law in Kenya. If someone is found growing, having, selling or using bhang without following the law they can still be taken to court.
This decision will probably make people talk again about what the laws about cannabis should be in Kenya. Some people think that cannabis should be allowed for industrial use but others think the current laws should stay the same.
For now the High Courts decision says that any changes to the laws about cannabis would need to be made by the government or through changes to the constitution. The Rastafarian Society of Kenya and cannabis are still waiting to see what will happen next with the laws about cannabis, in Kenya.
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