Yeah man, let's legalize the holy herb, and just don't criticise it

Police officers destroying bhang on Gwassi Hill, Sub Sub-county in Homa Bay County. (James Omoro, Standard)

A petition is before the courts pushing for the legalisation of bangi (cannabis sativa). The Rasta men and women claim they smoke it for spiritual upliftment and so it is discriminatory to allow Christians to imbibe their red wine for sacrament. After all, smokes and wines go together.

I have not formed an opinion on this matter—not that it matters anyway—but I know many folks who smoke weed and they should be left to puff their lungs away, if that’s what they want. In any case, criminalising the weed only helps the operators go underground. We’d need to see those hallucinating out in the open.

Since former presidential candidate George Wajackoyah had a full economic blueprint built around the bangi economy, I think its cultivation should be promoted and economic zones established in key growing areas. That way, there could be consolidation and value-addition modelled on tea and coffee.

The next step would be adding scents and flavours in bangi, such as mint or lemon or chocolate. That will help weed smokers stop smelling like punda. The highest grade of weed, it is safe to assume, will be sold at premium rates and distributed in places of worship, regardless of religious affiliations to forestall any prospects of future litigation. This way, worshippers can mix smokes with drinks.

The hard part will be developing a legal framework to regulate the sale and consumption of bangi. Why, most MPs use it, hence their delusional behaviour. What we need is a panel of stone-sober MPs, and who can comprehend what Rastas mean with “spiritual upliftment.”