Rastafarians in Kenya fail in bid to get cannabis legalised for religious purposes

Kenya's High Court has dismissed a bid by a Rastafarian group seeking to legalise the use of cannabis for religious purposes.

A lawyer for the Rastafari Society of Kenya says the group will appeal against the court rulingIn their petition, the Rastafari Society of Kenya had argued that cannabis was a sacred sacrament in their faith and sought permission for followers to grow, possess and use it privately during worship without fear of arrest.

But the state opposed their plea, arguing that creating a religious exemption would undermine the enforcement of Kenya's anti-drug laws and could create loopholes for illegal cannabis trafficking.