South Africa’s pinnacle court has legalized the private use and possession of cannabis.
Parliament now has to amend the necessary legislation and decide on the quantity of the drug that will constitute private use.
By legalizing cannabis, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo was upholding a Western Cape High Court ruling permitting the private use of marijuana.
Zondo ruled that the expectation of privacy of individuals was not limited to one’s home or place of residence.
The state, which argues that cannabis is a dangerous gateway drug, had brought the case to the Constitutional Court
South African officials now have to decide how to treat several international conventions it has signed outlawing the drug.
They must also legislate to stop minors being exposed to it.
Advocates of banning marijuana say legalizing it will lead to overcrowding in rehabilitation centers and a spike in mental illness.
Hundreds of pro cannabis supporters, who have been lobbying for this outcome for decades, were outside the court in Johannesburg.
Their dreadlocked spokesman Gareth Prince lauded the fact that South Africa had broken with Western mores by allowing its people to use what he called their traditional tobacco.
They were joined by traditional healers, known as sangomas, who have long used cannabis for its medicinal properties.