Native American Church Sues DEA over Sacramental Use of Cannabis

[Jorkest]

Breaking news from Michael A. Glenn, the lawyer for the plaintiffs in this case.

Honolulu, Hawaii - The OKLEVUEHA NATIVE AMERICAN CHURCH OF HAWAII filed for an injunction in Federal Court that would allow its members to continue to use Cannabis as a ceremonial sacrament. The Plaintiffs are seeking an Order declaring their consumption, cultivation, possession and distribution of Cannabis to be free from federal penalty.

Currently the Federal Government is prohibited from preventing members of The Oklevueha Native American Church from using the entheogenic cactus Peyote, and The Church is now seeking the same religious freedom for its members' religious use of Cannabis.

Church President and named Plaintiff MICHAEL REX "RAGING BEAR" MOONEY is a Native American Spiritual Leader (commonly known as a Medicine Man). Mr. Mooney and The Church are suing ERIC H. HOLDER, JR. (Attorney General for the United States of America), MICHELE LEONHART (Acting Administrator of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration) and EDWARD H. KUBO, JR., (United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii).

According to the Plaintiffs' attorney, Michael A. Glenn, "the federal government is required (by the American Indian Religious Freedom Act) to protect and preserve for American Indians their inherent right of freedom to believe, express, and exercise their religion, including the use and possession of sacred substances, and the freedom to worship through ceremonies and rites."

here is a link to some legal document regarding this case

http://www.dosenation.com/upload/Native American Church Complaint.pdf

 

[burnt]

How come native american's who never even had a traditional history of smoking cannabis (that I am aware of) can sue the DEA but the rest of us can't?

Cases like this are a joke. I wish I could just make up some religion and say let me use drugs for it.

 

[ohayoco]

Do it. 'The Entheogenic Temple of Science and the Holy Material Universe' !

I hope they win their case. Another chip away at the Puritan stone idol that the government forces upon all our shoulders! When joining a religion makes you free to eat whatever entheogen you like, people will become a lot more 'religious', and prohibition will eventually capitulate as a result. The more cases like this arise, the more the unfairness of prohibition will be forced into the public eye.

 

[Infundibulum]

Do it. 'The Entheogenic Temple of Science and the Holy Material Universe' !

No. It should be "The Temple of People that have the Right to treat their Bodies and Minds as they please", aka the sum of all humans!

 

[burnt]

Yea I mean I do think anyone has the right do use substances for religious purposes. But I think people have the right to use those substances for ANY purposes too. I think the religion argument completely misses the point. The point is individual liberty is what's important.

 

[ohayoco]

I expect you'd be hard pressed to find someone on here who disagrees. The religious sacrament argument is a crack in the wall to stick the crowbars into, so it should be supported by all who value liberty.

 

[blue_velvet]

I expect you'd be hard pressed to find someone on here who disagrees. The religious sacrament argument is a crack in the wall to stick the crowbars into, so it should be supported by all who value liberty.

Good point. Religion can actually serve a productive purpose now.

 

[jamie]

it is kinda discriminative to give it to them and not everyone...they have found remains in my ancestrial homeland of denmark of a vovlva, burried with a bag containing her hemp seeds and datura seeds, along with other animal parts and such..and another site was found nearby with more datura..

Plus, there IS a species of cannabis that grew in the northern areas of europe..cannabis ruderalis i think..I dont believe for one second that cannabis was not used as an entheogen in europe..same with liberty caps, amanita, poppies(later on at least), wormwood, sage, mugwort and yarrow(all containing thujone and others..LSA containing ergot as well. And I dont believe you can even get real absynth here is canada..even full spectrum yarrow tinctures are/were illegal unless de-thujoned!

Europeans get fucked over soo much these days...everyone has a right to a heritage but us..dont get me wrong..I have much respect for the native peoples of north america..but I have my own animistic plant eating ancestors as well damn it!! It's called siedr, seither, seithing..etc.

I cant stand how our government refuses to acknowledge the shamanic heritage of the eruopean..asw far as I know, there is not one asatru group in canada still that is recognised as a viable religion/faith..so they cannot get any funding or benifits like other native and christian organizations. It's fascist bullshit. You cant give one man rights, and take way the others.

 

[jamie]

I expect you'd be hard pressed to find someone on here who disagrees. The religious sacrament argument is a crack in the wall to stick the crowbars into, so it should be supported by all who value liberty.

Good point. Religion can actually serve a productive purpose now.

I see it as a distraction that will need to be dealt with eventually anyway...people will want they're rights as well.


Ps..Id still sue if I was them:d