Harare lawyer Tapiwanashe Mukandi has made a High Court application challenging laws prohibiting the possession and private use of cannabis (Mbanje).
He maintains that scientific evidence reveals that mbanje is not as harmful and bad as claimed by those advocating for its criminalisation.
In Zimbabwe Mbanje is classified as a dangerous drug and its use is controlled. Of late its has been allowed to be used in medical fields.
Zimbabwe’s cannabis laws are strict, with long prison sentences of up to ten years for even limited private use.
However, in 2018, the country took progressive steps by legalising the plant’s cultivation for medicinal purposes.
This is likely to benefit Zimbabwe economically, and may lead to further changes in the law as time goes on.
Zwnews
