South Africa’s top court ruled Tuesday that private, personal cannabis use was legal in a landmark case that had pitted law enforcement agencies against marijuana advocates and the judiciary.
Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, delivering the Johannesburg-based Constitutional Court’s unanimous verdict, declared the law banning marijuana use in private by adults “is unconstitutional and therefore invalid”.
“It will not be a criminal offence for an adult person to use or be in possession of cannabis in private for his or her personal consumption,” he said, reading the ruling to cheers from the public gallery.
The court also ordered parliament to draft new laws within 24 months to reflect the order.
A section of Kenyans have also called for the government to legalize ‘weed’. NASA strategist David Ndii, asked the government to legalize use of the drug since it is not addictive. Ndii also revealed that he smoked alot of bhang in his youth days and had no withdrawal symptoms.
I was addicted to cigarettes, struggled a lot to quit. I smoked a lot of pot in my youth, never had cravings or withdrawal symptoms. You’d have to smoke a hell of a lot of pot to get addicted, if at all. https://t.co/pO2TMVo0av
— David Ndii (@DavidNdii) August 2, 2018
Last week, NASA leader Raila Odinga’s son also asked the government to legalize weed.
Serious discussion have to be held on the legalization and control of cannabis sativa, and entrepreneurs like MR Mbugua in their business and religious conquests #LegalizeIt https://t.co/oJX5F04bpr
— Raila Junior Odinga (@Railajunior) September 12, 2018