cannabisnews.com: Pot Advocates Accuse Police of an Inquisition 





Pot Advocates Accuse Police of an Inquisition 
Posted by FoM on January 04, 2002 at 21:51:41 PT
By Bobby Command, West Hawaii Today
Source: West Hawaii Today 
Accusing police of an inquisition and "scorched earth" policies, advocates of relaxing marijuana enforcement asked police for tolerance when dealing with those who use cannabis for medicinal or religious purposes.About 20 people, many referring to themselves as clergy members, testified to police officials Thursday on draft rules regarding aerial eradication and the medicinal and religious use of marijuana.
By order of the County Council, the Hawaii Police Department assembled rules to address growing concern about marijuana eradication and enforcement policies on the Big Island.Most testimony centered around the religious use of marijuana. Leaders and followers of such religions as "First Hawaiian Church of the Holy Smoke" and "Church of Realized Fantasies" insisted they have a Constitutional right to practice in the privacy of their own sanctuaries a religion that requires the use of pot.Rev. Dennis Shields of the Religion of Jesus Church said the draft rules are discriminatory because they protect someone who can produce a card - sanctioning medical marijuana usage, but allow someone who smokes pot as a religious act to be jailed."These draft rules are not only a violation of the 14th amendment rights to equal protection under the law, but they also create a law which persecutes a person with the punishment of arrest based solely on one's claim of religion instead of medicine," Shields said.One cancer patient, John Robison of Kona, said he was a victim of police - friendly rules when his home was searched and his medical marijuana confiscated. Robison said he is forced by the police to break the law and purchase his "medicine" from a drug dealer."I'm the living proof ... that (cannabis) is a medicine," Robison said. "Let's find some common ground," Robison emotionally pleaded to police.Dominic Veltre said the draft rules did not adhere to the spirit of the County Council resolution, which he said was seeking a "peace treaty" between medicinal and religious users and police.Veltre said the resolution was asking police to give patrol officers the option not to arrest someone caught with a small amount of marijuana.He also said a rule requiring police to document claims of religious use of marijuana after a suspect is advised of their rights, was redundant. "C'mon guys," Veltre said. "We're stoned, not stupid."Many who testified said police priorities are misguided because they target people sincere about their religion and not involved in commercial marijuana production or distribution.Rev. George Lacy said he applauded the recent heroin bust by police, but criticized the use of police resources to arrest small - time pot users when the public is in an uproar about a crystal methamphetamine epidemic on the Big Island.Lacy said his church, "Alii Kai Puuhonua," a 12 - by - 12 coffee shack at the end of a road in Ocean View, was raided and $200 donated to him for a water catchment tank taken by police, all for a small amount of marijuana."Nobody here is wealthy as far as your laws of mammon are concerned," Lacy said. "You don't see the gold and jewelry" that dealers of hard drugs usually wear.While asking for tolerance from the police, many attending showed little for the one person who did not share their views. "I'm surprised when people ask for compromise," Marni Herkes said, "but then are rude."Herkes, speaking on her own behalf, said she was swayed by Robison's moving plea, but others should not hide behind religion when doing something wrong.Newshawk: Rev. Dennis ShieldsSource: West Hawaii Today (HI)Author: Bobby Command, West Hawaii TodayPublished: January 4, 2002Copyright: 2002 West Hawaii TodayContact: wht aloha.netWebsite: http://westhawaiitoday.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Dennis Shield's Home Pagehttp://hialoha.com/konagold/church/Hearing To Weigh Religion and Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11660.shtmlRules Call for Documenting Religious Aspect of Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11447.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by Rev Jonathan Adler on January 06, 2002 at 18:29:54 PT:
Who Did Support The New Rules?
Aloha Folks! I Did! I supported the rules and my testimony was read onto the record by the Big Boss of the Vice Squad Capt. James Day! The reporter didn't want to include my testimony, but it was read. I supported the HPD rules because they finally acknowledged the religious rights and defense in writing! They set a standard that can be met, why do I say so, because I met that standard already in court and the Police know it! I had my grand opening last October and Vice attended! We discussed the first recognized legal facility and he agreed it was iminent. I'm tired of other "so-called" reverends who have no training, history or documentation that pre-dates the law or a court stipulation signed by the prosecutor agreeing that our church has passed the three prong "Andrews Test" at trial under oath! I wish those out there who feel they have religious rights would suck it up and do what I did to prove it. Put up or keep quiet! I say the proof should be offered before special powers and rights are blanketed on anyone who wishes to outwit the law!
Maybe someday it will be legal for all, but steps must be taken as we are able. Peace, Rev. Jonathan Adler
Hawaii Medical Marijuana Institute
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Comment #5 posted by DdC on January 06, 2002 at 14:34:58 PT
Sacramental Cannabis
Archiology, not Theology discovered the hashish incense in the ancient temples.
Did Moses, Jesus or Mohammed teach for hours using the Clinton defense of not inhaling?
Reality Check...If it weren't for cannabis rope and sails Pauls message would have stayed on the shore. If not for the fine hemp linen lil baby Jesus would surely be sore or the hemp burlap sackcloth John the Babtist wore or the oil lighting the lamps or soothing desert dry skin or diaper rash. The art work on cannabis canvas or the hempseed fed to the animals or the staple gruel ate as porage for breakfast. The carpets and rugs and tapestries hung all from cannabis fiber, grown in the area, toked in the chiloms and hookah's.
Let us find Truth as Jesus asked and let the congregations take the church back!
We're coming in from the cold.
Peace, Love and Liberty
DdCAlter-Nativity
http://boards.marihemp.com/boards/politics/media/39/39261.gif
Sacramental Cannabis 
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 05, 2002 at 13:02:53 PT
EJ, I can check them out
I don't know where the papers are but I can do a search and look at them. Doing tabloids is something I haven't done except once or twice. I never read any of them but I know lots of people do. Do you think the articles will help us reform our current drug laws? That's the most important thing. I really try to stay within a certain area. I am open to ideas. Do they mention anything about changing drug laws?
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Comment #3 posted by The GCW on January 05, 2002 at 03:54:24 PT
Discrimination
Is the bulls-eye. Discrimination like nothing else in America today. Patients allowed morphine, but not cannabis; citizens allowed cigerettes and booze but not cannabis; allowed to grow tomatoes and potatoes but not cannabis; alloweed to eat partially hydrogenated asphalt phosphates but not hemp seed oil; etc.... 
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Comment #2 posted by E_Johnson on January 05, 2002 at 00:55:27 PT
FoM, Can we get tabloid stories here?
The Enquirer and the Star this week seem to be competing with cute celebrity pot stories.The Star featured a reminiscence of Larry Hagman's about having sex with his wife after the two of them smoking weed, and then there was a huge earthquake and they didn't notice because the sex was so good. Then the hotel staff came to see whether they were okay, and they thought they'd been busted for the weed, but the staff just wanted to make sure they'd survived the earthquake they didn't realize had just taken place. The Enquirer however beat them with photos of Charlize Theron in a bikini smoking something that made her look mighty darned happy in a bong made from a Granny Smith apple, at a pool party at her Hollywood Hills home with 30 of her friends.Her publicist had no comment when the Enquirer asked exactly what was being smoked in that apple.Hey these papers go to the heartland. If they feel it's the right time to run cute celebrity pot stories -- things really are changing in DEAland.No wonder the DEA wants to come to the heartland and embrace the masses. But the masses now seem to be rolling over and saying not tonight, DEAr, we have a headache.
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Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on January 04, 2002 at 23:17:45 PT
Speak these words facing East
Herkes, speaking on her own behalf, said she was swayed by Robison's moving plea, but others should not hide behind religion when doing something wrong.Tell that to Mullah Ashcroft please.
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