Are you intending to travel to Kenya soon? Are you a Kenyan resident with no idea concerning cannabis? Whether you are a drug addict or just contemplating on drug usage, learn about the standing orders by the government of Kenya concerning the possession, production, supply and usage of cannabis in Kenya and a brief history concerning the timeline of cannabis law in Kenya.
Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is a stimulant crop that is consumed for either medical or recreational purposes. For this reason, cannabis is a drug that is administered by the way of smoking or through the cannabis edibles. In Kenya, cannabis is known as bhang.
Possession
It is a criminal offense for anyone to publicly or privately possess cannabis in Kenya. It is therefore punishable by a fine or imprisonment or both. Despite the pressure from within and outside Kenya to relax on this restriction, the government’s stand is very firm.
Production
For countries that have legalized cannabis production, the crop is produced for either commercial or domestic use. Commercial production is for manufactural and exportation purposes while domestic production is for personal or family use.
In Kenya, there is zero production of cannabis as per the legal provisions. Anyone dealing in cannabis production is therefore a criminal. As such, he or she is liable to the court of law to pay a fine or to serve a jail as the court may decide.
Supply
For anyone with an intention to supply cannabis within the Kenyan territory, he or she is advised not to dare do that. There is total ban on drug trafficking in Kenya. Penalties apply just like in possession and production of cannabis cases.
The History of Cannabis in Kenya
Since Kenya has not given into the external and internal pressures to legalize cannabis consumption, little information has been captured in this article concerning the timeline of cannabis law in Kenya. Despite the strict regulations on drugs control in Kenya, it is evident that large amounts of cannabis are under trafficking.
In police custodies, seized cannabis is kept in stores as culprits are serving the jail. According to the 2018 World drugs and crime, cannabis trafficking is now uncontrolled.
Timeline of cannabis law in Kenya is summarized as below:
- Prior to Independence, cannabis was banned under the 1933 Dangerous Drugs Act. The Act was later replaced by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (Control) Act in 1994.
- In the year 2018, a cannabis draft bill was presented in the parliament. The bill was presented by the Kibra member of parliament being seconded by the health and commerce stakeholders. According to the bill, cannabis trading can substantially boost the economy by reducing unemployment levels. The health sector stakeholders on the other hand claim that controlled cannabis use is beneficial to a person’s health.
With all these on the table, the government agencies are researching more on cannabis use. Preparations and implementations are underway incase the cannabis decriminalization bill is passed in the parliament.
As a nature of decision making process, comparisons are made on the pros and cons of any course of action. As for Kenya, it doesn’t have to blindly follow the decisions of other states but instead, a detailed search of ideas on the subject matter should be undertaken so that the decision bears fruits.