Mathare Member of Parliament Anthony Olouch has revived the debate on Ken Okoth's Marijuana Bill 2018. 

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While eulogising the former Kibra MP during a National Assembly session aired live on Tuesday, Olouch asserted the need to realise Okoth's dream of legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes among others, cancer treatment. 

He asked a member to take up the private bill, that also seeks to create a Marijuana Control Council, create a register of farmers, producers and sellers, licensing and offences. The bill also imposes control on the recreational use of Marijuana.

The bill further seeks to decriminalise the use of the cannabis product for medicinal use.

Kenya has a long history of debates on the use of Cannabis sativa. It first became illegal with the passage of the Opium Ordinance Act (Government Gazette, March 4, 1914) when Kenya was a British Colonial East Africa Protectorate. That was revised under the current Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 1994. 

When it was first introduced, the bill was received with cheers and jeers equally by Kenyans. Debates on ethics, taboos and morality took centre stage.

However, Okoth who has since succumbed to cancer asked Kenyans to judge the bill from the medical perspective. 

ODM leader Raila Odinga's son, Raila Odinga Junior who supported the law affirmed the importance of the product medicinally and economically. 

"Through legalisation and regulation of marijuana, the government can earn revenue and plough it into more rehabilitation centres and public awareness and education on drug addiction and treatment. The spirit of the ‘Okoth Bill’ is not to increase the abuse of marijuana as a substance, but rather, to help those who need it the most but are suffering in silence. These include those who have gone through a long arduous fight with cancer and chemotherapy and desperately need some relief from chronic pain or even multiple sclerosis (MS) patient simply seeking to live as close to normal life as possible," Raila Junior said in part of his opinion piece published by Daily Nation.