Marihuana church under fire

[420mory]

The Church of Cognizance, which has quietly operated in Pima, Arizona, since 1991, has an unusual tenet, its worshippers deify and use marijuana as part of their faith.

Until federal authorities charged them with possessing 172 pounds of their leafy green sacrament earlier this year, church founders Dan and Mary Quaintance say they smoked, ate or drank marijuana daily as a way of becoming more spiritually enlightened.

But now, with added conspiracy charges, the Quaintances face up to 40 years each in prison in a case they call religious persecution.

Federal prosecutors say religious freedom does not exempt the use of illegal drugs. The Quaintances say it does. They also say a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing a religious group's use of a hallucinogenic tea containing a federally banned substance should nullify the charges against them.

http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/metro/137087

http://coc.enlightener.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi

420mory Reviewed by 420mory on 07-13-2006. Marihuana church under fire The Church of Cognizance, which has quietly operated in Pima, Arizona, since 1991, has an unusual tenet, its worshippers deify and use marijuana as part of their faith. Until federal authorities charged them with possessing 172 pounds of their leafy green sacrament earlier this year, church founders Dan and Mary Quaintance say they smoked, ate or drank marijuana daily as a way of becoming more spiritually enlightened. But now, with added conspiracy charges, the Quaintances face up to 40 Rating: 5

[SpiritLevel]

RastaFari has been battling for decades to have marijuana recognised as part of their religion. In some countries I'm sure it has been granted a a religious 'fing'.

LAW SUCKS

[Markay]

I smoke like that a bit. Out in the forest thinking about our creator.

[newactivist]

You can't even get married in India without there being marijuana present as part of the ritual from what I heard.