France, July 16 -- Members of the Rastafari Society of Kenya have been pushing Kenyan courts for nearly six years to let them use cannabis (bhang) as part of their religious meditation.

In a petition launched in 2021 they argued that Kenya's ban on cannabis use infringed on their rights to freedom of religion and belief, guaranteed under the country's constitution.

They did not advocate for the drug to be legalised, but requested a derogation for religious purposes in private homes and designated places of worship, arguing that cannabis is not a recreational drug but a sacred sacrament used to aid meditation and spiritual reflection.

"It's a little like Communion in the Catholic faith," said lawyer Duncan Okatch during the hearing. "If...