Rastafarians Lose Their 6-Year Cannabis Fight

Kenya's Rastafarian community just lost a six-year fight to be able to legally use cannabis as part of their worship. The High Court rejected a petition seeking a religious exemption from the country's strict marijuana laws, ruling the group hadn't shown that cannabis use is an essential element of their faith and that allowing for such a religious exemption could open the door for illegal cannabis trafficking, reports the BBC. While all witnesses "agreed that cannabis is used as a sacrament, they could not agree on whether its use is essential or merely preferred," Justice Bahati Mwamuye wrote in his ruling, per AFP.

Kenya's narcotics statute makes possession for personal use punishable by up to five years in prison or an $800 fine, with far heavier penalties for cultivation and trafficking. The group plans to appeal. As one petitioner put it, "Rastaman just wants to burn this holy plant so that the incense can rise to the Almighty."