Members of the Rastafari faith in Kenya are intensifying efforts to decriminalize cannabis following a judicial setback. In mid-July, a Kenyan court dismissed a petition filed by the Rastafari Society of Kenya that sought either an exemption from marijuana-related prosecution or the establishment of a legal framework permitting the plant’s use as a sacrament. The court determined that the society had not adequately demonstrated that existing laws unconstitutionally infringed upon practitioners’ religious freedoms and other rights.
Within Rastafari theology and practice, adherents hold that cannabis consumption constitutes a sacrament facilitating meditative states that deepen their spiritual connection to the divine. The religion, which originated in Jamaica during the 1930s following the coronation of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, centers on Afrocentric beliefs and teachings about Black liberation from systems described as oppressive capitalism and imperialism. Followers trace their faith’s influences to biblical interpretation, Ethiopian culture, and figures including Marcus Garvey and Bob Marley. Practitioners in Kenya report that their religion was formally recognized as legally protected in 2019 after a school discrimination case.
Leaders of the House of Nyabinghi, a major denominational branch, gathered for a weekly communal worship session known as a “groundation” following the court decision. Several adherents expressed frustration with their legal status and social standing, characterizing themselves as a marginalized minority whose cultural practices remain stigmatized. The group indicated they would pursue appeals through higher courts to overturn the dismissal.
Efforts to secure religious accommodations for cannabis use extend beyond Kenya. In 2023, Antigua and Barbuda granted Rastafarians the ability to cultivate and consume marijuana, demonstrating varied legal responses to such requests globally. Kenyan Rastafari representatives framed their campaign as part of broader advocacy for cultural preservation and equal treatment under the law.
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