The Government of Kenya could legalize the smoking of bhang following a petition tabled before the Health Senate Committee by a man identified as Gwada Ogot.
Ogot, who is a Busia-based researcher, told the Senate that the banning of bhang in Kenya and most African states was simply based on ignorance.
The researcher insisted that the block should be abolished for commercial purposes.
“Scientifically, it has been proved that bhang treats 677 medical conditions. Countries like Germany, Israel, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands recently legalised cannabis for medicinal use. Kenya must follow suit.
“The plant is God’s gift to mankind just as the many minerals he has put in store for Kenyans. The banning was purely for commercial interests with pharmaceutical firms seeking to control the medical industry during the first and second world wars,” Ogot mentioned.
The committee led by Migori Senator Wilfred Machage stated that it would consider the petition since the medicinal value of the plant could not be overruled.
"We cannot rule out the medicinal value of bhang; even snake poison has medicinal value,” Machage said.
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This comes days after Presidential aspirant and Nyamira Senator Kennedy Mong’are defended a bill to legalize the drug.
Mong'are admitted to smoking weed highlighting that: “It doesn’t mean if the plant is legalised it will destroy lives, it depends on with the level of indulgence. As a juvenile I used it. I was also in India where the plant is legalized but it is vital if people are discipline, you can choose not to use it “.