A High Court judge has ruled that existing restrictions on cannabis use are constitutional and justified on public health and safety grounds, dismissing a challenge brought by a Rastafarian claimant seeking broader rights for sacramental use at home.

Paul Ras Simba Rock, through his attorney Lalu Hanuman, challenged certain sections of the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act (DAPCA) as discriminatory and argued that the Sacramental Cannabis Act’s (SCA) restrictions on where Rastafarians may use cannabis unlawfully limited their religious freedom.

In her ruling, Justice Michelle Weekes said the discrimination claim regarding the DAPCA had not been made out, noting that the law applied generally and that the SCA drew a distinction in favour of Rastafarians rather than against them.