“I Smoke Bhang. That’s My Medicine!” – Nairobi Man Tells Court
A guy charged with carrying bhang startled a Makadara court by publicly admitting that he regularly consumes the illegal substance—insisting that it is just for “medicinal purposes.”
On Thursday, November 27, the man, a casual labourer working on construction projects, appeared before Makadara Senior Principal Magistrate Beatrice Kimemia.
He claims that cannabis helps him get through his physically demanding work.
“I cannot function without bhang, and I must use it to get morale,” he told the court. “My family depends on me to provide, so I must do that work.”
Although he admitted to using the substance, the magistrate instructed him to express his plea explicitly.
“Unaitikia shitaka ama unakataa? (How do you plead to the charges?)” She asked.
“Naitikia. Mi navuta bhangi si ati ni uongo. Hiyo ni dawa yangu. (I admit. It’s true I smoke bhang. That’s my medicine,” he responded confidently, drawing telling glances from across the courtroom.
Cannabis growth, possession, sale, and use are all outlawed by Kenya’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act of 1994, and they carry severe penalties.
According to the law, anyone who smokes, inhales, sniffs, or consumes narcotic substances faces a Sh250,000 fine or a 10-year prison sentence or both.
The same punishment applies to narcotics growing, and the legislation permits confiscation of the land by the state.
Possession of cannabis brings even more severe consequences. If a suspect shows the court that the substance was only for personal use, the law mandates a 10-year prison sentence.
The sentence increases to 20 years in prison for any purpose other than personal use.
Offenders charged with trafficking face a Sh1 million fine or three times the drug’s market value, whichever is greater.
However, the Act provides one narrow exception: the penalties do not apply if a person proves the drug was for legitimate medical use and was obtained through a prescription from a registered medical practitioner.
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Cannabis prescriptions are not legally recognised in Kenya, meaning the accused faces an uphill task should he attempt to rely on that defence.
The man told the court that his daily job—digging trenches and arranging stones—requires significant physical effort and that he resorts to bhang as a form of self-medication.
“To me, it’s like a herbal medicine,” he said.
Magistrate Kimemia directed that he be remanded in custody until December 10, 2025, when the court will review the facts of the case and set the next course of action.
“I Smoke Bhang. That’s My Medicine!” – Nairobi Man Tells Court
