Representatives of the Rastafarian community in Kenya led by Mwendwa Wambua and their lawyer Shadrack Wambui have gone to court and filed a petition praying for the legalization of marijuana.

The Rastafarian community filed the petition at the Milimani Law Courts on Monday, May 17, 2021.

The religious outfit cried discrimination, prejudice, intimidation, unjustified searches to their premises, desecration of their places of worship among other maltreatment practices meted on them by the mainstream society.

They claimed that their religion used marijuana for consumption, culinary, medicinal, cultural, ceremonial and spiritual purposes.

The Rastafarians also said that the use of ‘herb’ or rather marijuana is grounded in biblical redemption and deliverance.

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“Use of 'herb' grounded in biblical redemption and deliverance,” said Wambua.

Mwendwa Wambua and fellow Rastafarians PHOTO/COURTESY.

“Cannabis sativa which is the marijuana should be allowed for cultural, spiritual and medicinal use for people who have been using it for many years and understand its importance in the creation today,” Wambua added.

The Rastafarians said that the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances act violates their rights as a religion and a community and are asking the court to declare the act unconstitutional.

“It is the Petitioner’s contention that the impugned section clearly show differential treatment on the basis of Religion and privacy perpetuates the culture, stigma and discrimination against the 1st petitioners’ followers through the continued use of archaic laws that violate the rights of the 1st petitioners’ members,” the court documents read.

Cannabis sativa PHOTO/COURTESY

Marijuana has been legalized in dozens of states across the US for either recreational and medicinal purposes while only 5 countries in Africa have legalized including Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia and Malawi.