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A federal court is ruling that a church for Native Americans in Hawaii should not be excused from federal marijuana laws despite the group’s claim that ingesting cannabis is part of its sacred sacrament.
The Native American Church of Hawaii had asked for relief from federal marijuana laws under the U.S. Religious Freedom Restoration Act, saying it used cannabis during sweat lodge ceremonies to help people connect with their creator.
A district court ruled against the claim, saying the church didn’t produce enough admissible evidence about its religion other than a strong belief in the benefits of marijuana. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld the district court’s decision, saying a prohibition of cannabis doesn’t impose a substantial burden on members’ right to exercise their religion.
“It’s really disappointing,” said Michael Rex “Raging Bear” Mooney, who founded the church. “Cannabis is a prayer smoke, so it’s a sacrament … through the effects of the medicine, it also helps us become closer to our creator. It puts us in a place, a state of mind, where we can actually feel the presence and an actual relationship with our creator.”
The issue stems from an incident in 2009 when the church, then called Oklevueha Native American Church of Hawaii, filed a complaint against federal officials, saying a member of the church had his cannabis seized.
But the church in its practice can also use peyote, a hallucinogenic drug used in Native American rituals. Federal law allows tribal Indians and members of the Native American Church to use peyote in religious ceremonies.
The court said in its ruling that the church made no claim that peyote is unavailable or that cannabis serves a unique religious function, so prohibiting cannabis doesn’t force Mooney or the church to choose between obedience to their religion or criminal sanction.
The church, which has at least 250 members, plans to appeal the court’s decision, said Mooney’s lawyer, Michael Glenn.
“Man’s relationship with the divine can’t be dictated by any other person or government entity,” Glenn said.
Would smoking da kine be allowed under the “religious liberty” laws being passed in many red states? How about human sacrifice? Oops! Probably not. Those laws merely institutionalize bigotry, allowing bigotry in the name of religious freedom.
The Leviathan has spoken, it must control, it must rule, and it’s time to starve the beast.
There is hope. From time to time, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals do make correct decisions that would not be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. Imua.
Any intoxicant used to make a person a believer in God is false hope!
ENTHEOGENS EXIST
Pihkal!
“Closer to your Creator”, sounds religious, of course it’s how? By getting high anyone can hallucinate and imagine for whatever purpose.
Cannabis will more than likely be legalized within the next 3 to 5 years as this seems to be the national trend among the different states…..
No, just a substantial burden on individual freedom.
So peyote which has a much more mind altering effect is allowed but marijuana isn’t? That makes about as much sense as marijuana being classified as a schedule 1 drug. None at all, totally devoid of common sense.