Narok Senator Ledama ole Kina, on Tuesday, September 22, showed off a vast parcel of marijuana (bhang) plantation during his trip to Lithuania.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, the lawmaker disclosed that he was considering reviving former Kibra MP the late Ken Okoth's 2018 bill that sought to legalise bhang.
He explained that he was considering the move for "health reasons and also for hemp commercial reasons."
In the video, Ledama is seen nearly buried by the plants as he lists the medical benefits of the plant that has been a source of debate over the years.
"I am right in the middle of a firm in a place called Lithuania. What you can see here is actually Marijuana and it is taller than me. Why is it that we in Kenya are still stuck in the old ways of saying that this is an illegal drug?
"My host is telling me that this is Hemp and it is used for construction. If this is good in reducing the pain for cancer, why not legalise it?" he posed.
He further argued that if the drug was not good for people, other countries would not have legalised it.
In 2018, Ken Okoth filed a notice in the National Assembly introducing the Marijuana Control Bill 2018 to decriminalise the use of marijuana.
The bill, which did not pass, followed another unsuccessful bill that had been tabled by two Kenyan researchers, Gwada Ogot and Simon Mwaura in 2017.
Many legislators such as Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo have, however, opposed its legalisation arguing that kenyans were likely to abuse the medicinal aspects of the drug.
“Bhang has medicinal benefits which we have blatantly abused. If the lobbyists were doctors or pharmacists, a good argument could be made,” Kilonzo argued at the time.
Medicinal Benefits
Marijuana has numerous documented benefits for humans including pain management especially for individuals suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, endometriosis and migraine.
It is also hailed for reducing cancer treatment side effects, like loss of appetite as well as reducing inflammation for Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis patients.
The drug is also said to help improve sleep disorders largely because of its relaxing effects.
Several African countries including South Africa, Lesotho and Zimbabwe have legalised marijuana for health purposes.
Below is a video of Ledama inside Marijuana plantation:
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