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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Evelyne Musambi

Kenyan dismisses Rastafari bid to make marijuana legal

Rastafarians gather outside Milimani Law Courts, after the high court dismisses a Rastafarian case seeking to legalize marijuana, in Nairobi, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku) - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

A court in Kenya has dismissed a petition seeking to legalize the use of cannabis by Rastafarians.

Justice Bahati Mwamuye said Kenya’s laws prohibiting the cultivation and use of marijuana do not violate Rastafarians’ right to freedom of religion. Granting the community an exemption would require a sound constitutional and legal foundation, he added.

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