Kenya High Court Dismisses Rastafarian Bid to Legalize Cannabis

Kenya's High Court dismissed a legal petition by a Rastafarian group seeking to legalize cannabis use for religious purposes. According to reporting by New Zimbabwe, Justice Bahati Mwamuye ruled that the existing drug ban does not unconstitutionally infringe upon religious freedoms. The petitioners argued that the prohibition violates their constitutional right to worship and practice their faith freely. However, state attorneys successfully argued that public health and safety concerns outweigh individual religious exemptions. The ruling reinforces the state's absolute authority to regulate narcotics over constitutional claims of religious liberty.