‘My Grandmother Used Bhang Tea’ Esther Passaris on Legalisation of Medical Cannabis

Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has urged Parliament to have a honest and realistic conversation about the legalisation of medical cannabis in Kenya, sharing a personal story about her grandmother’s use of bhang tea to manage pain.

Speaking in Parliament, Passaris argued that the country cannot ignore the widespread availability of cannabis and CBD products, noting that they can be easily ordered online and delivered to one’s doorstep.

In a moment of vulnerability, Passaris revealed how her family navigated pain management for her ailing grandmother. “When my grandmother was ailing, I was giving her the scientific medical painkillers. But my uncle was boiling bhang for her and giving her bhang tea, saying that this was going to relieve her pain,” Passaris told the House.

She also argued that Kenyans are already using cannabis whether legally or not, and that the law should reflect this reality. Passaris disclosed that she was once invited by billionaire Richard Branson to his island to meet with other Members of Parliament from around the world. The purpose, she said, was to advance the conversation around medical cannabis. “He said we needed it,” Passaris recalled, referring to Branson’s position on the issue.

She also shared the story of a patient in Canada, where medical cannabis is legal, who refused opioid painkillers due to their addictive nature and instead opted for medical cannabis.

Passaris warned that young Kenyans are already accessing cannabis in various forms, including cookies baked with bhang and sold within their own neighbourhoods.

“Our children are readily having it. There are parties where they’re getting intoxicated. Let us not live in a box,” she cautioned. Adding, “There are two kinds of bhang: there’s bhang for self-use, and there’s bhang where you’re trafficking it and selling it all over.”

While acknowledging that religious institutions will likely oppose any move toward legalisation, Passaris insisted that the conversation must happen.

“Unfortunately, the religious institutions will say no, but it is already there. It is available readily. As a country, it’s a conversation we have to have,” she concluded.