Kenya's Court Blocks Religious Cannabis Exemption, Passes Question to Parliament

Kenya's High Court rejected a Rastafarian petition seeking exemption from drug laws for sacramental cannabis use, ruling the practice does not override constitutional protections for religious freedom. Justice Bahati Mwamuye acknowledged cannabis regulation as "a national question" but deferred broader policy reform to Parliament, signaling courts will not carve exemptions for religious minorities. The ruling leaves unchanged Kenya's legislative vacuum on personal use amid regional pressure from neighbors legalizing cultivation for export markets.