/ 24 January 2002

Judgment day for Rasta’s dagga use

Johannesburg | Thursday

THE Constitutional Court will hand down judgment on Friday in the case of whether Rastafarians should be allowed to use dagga legally.

The challenge against the laws that criminalise the use of dagga was launched last year by candidate attorney Gareth Prince.

This followed Prince being refused admission to the Cape Law Society of Good Hope because he had two previous convictions for dagga possession and had stated he would continue using the drug as it was part of his religion.

Prince’s attorney John Abel presented proposals on the restricted use of the drug while the court’s nine judges narrowed down exactly how the drug would be used and whether an exemption would undermine the two acts Prince challenged.

They are the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act and the Medicines and Related Substance Control Act.

The application was opposed by the Western Cape’s public prosecutions directorate and the health department.

Judgment will be handed down at 10am. – Sapa

ZA*NEWS:

Jah-man, give us a dope pass May 19, 2001

Rasta ‘lawyer’ leads bid to legalise dope November 17, 2000