BBC News: Kenya’s High Court has dismissed a bid by a Rastafarian group seeking to legalise the use of cannabis for religious purposes.
The Rastafarian community had argued that the ban on smoking cannabis infringed on their rights to freedom of religion and belief guaranteed under the constitution.
In a landmark judgement, Justice Bahati Mwamuye said the community had failed to prove drug laws violated their constitutional rights, but acknowledged the need for a broader national debate on cannabis.
There has been a continued push to legalise cannabis in Kenya, with advocates arguing that its regulated cultivation and trade could create jobs, boost tax revenue and support industrial and medicinal uses.
Under Kenya’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, possession of cannabis remains a criminal offence.
A person convicted of possessing cannabis solely for personal use is liable to up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to $800 (£600).
Cultivating cannabis carries a penalty of a fine of $1,900 or three times the market value of the plants, whichever is greater, and/or up to 20 years in jail.
More severe penalties apply to trafficking and other drug-related offences.