NYT’s on Hawaii’s Roger Christie, Marijuana and Faith
It ran in Saturday’s (July 20) Beliefs column, titled聽. Excerpt:
On July 29, Mr. (Roger) 颁丑谤颈蝉迟颈别鈥檚 lawyer will argue in Hawaii federal court that his client should be allowed to present a religious-freedom defense at the eventual criminal trial. He will base his argument on the聽, passed by Congress in 1993, which requires the government to show a 鈥渃ompelling interest鈥 whenever it 鈥渟ubstantially burdens鈥 a religious practice. In 2006, the Supreme Court聽on the act to permit a New Mexico church to use the hallucinogen hoasca, or聽, for sacramental purposes.
But so far such exceptions have been granted to small religious communities and relatively obscure drugs: for American Indians鈥 use of peyote, for example, or the New Mexico church with its ayahuasca. But marijuana? That would be problematic. …
Meanwhile, here at home聽, who has been held聽at the Federal Detention Center at the Honolulu Airport for over three years on drug dealing allegations, say they’ll be at the Monday court hearing聽(10:30 a.m.) before聽U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi at the Federal Building in Honolulu
Read Civil Beat’s related coverage:
No Christmas in Hilo for Roger Christie
Hawaii Pot Minister’s Bail Denial Called ‘Rare’
Hawaii Pot Minister to Stay in the Slammer
Federal Justice Officials Ignore Questions About Hawaii Pot Minister
颁辞耻谤迟别蝉测听Hawaii Cannabis Ministry.
鈥擟had Blair
