Why Rastafarians should be legally allowed to use marijuana

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Why Rastafarians should be legally allowed to use
marijuana

• By Joe Norton

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PROBLEM!

• The government is biased!
• The government makes exceptions for the Christian
  faith, but not Rastafarians?
• The government is forcing practitioners of the
  Rastafarian faith to perform their 1st amendment
  protected right to freedom of religion in secret
  for fear of incarceration!

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Background

• Rastafarianism
• Similar to Christianity
• Dedicated against any type of oppression and
  tyranny
• Believe Haille Selassie, a past emperor of
  Ethiopia to be a messiah
• Bob Marley was a prophet
• Closely linked with music
• One of the religions officially declared by the
  united states to be a real religion

• Marijuana
• Naturally occurring plant
• Most widely used illegal psychoactive in the
  world
• Known for its unique body euphoria, increased
  sensory appreciation and awareness
• Used widely in the history of civilization
• Became illegal in 1937

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Volstead Act

• The act in 1919 that made all beverages exceeding
  .5 alcohol illegal
• Christians use wine in their services, therefore
  it is a religious sacrament
• Christians were granted exception in order to
  continue practicing their freedom of religion

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Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)

• Bill Clinton signed this act in 1993
• there now must be a compelling state interest to
  infringe on alleged religious liberties" -
  Supreme Court
• Gave power to citizens and religious groups
• The argument now becomes, does controlling
  illegal substances count as a compelling state
  interest and thus give them the right to infringe
  on religious liberties?

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Uniao de Vegetal (UDV)

• The Uniao de Vegetal is a brazillian church which
  has roughly 130 members and is located in New
  Mexico.
• The sacrament of their official religion is a
  hallucinogenic tea made with DMT a scheduled
  substance just like marijuana.
• They became allowed to use hallucinogenic tea as
  of a March 31st 2006 court decision by the
  supreme court.
• According to the Christian Century, a religious
  journal, Chief Justice Roberts is quoted as
  saying "If such use is permitted for hundreds of
  thousands of Native Americans practicing their
  faith, it is difficult to justify denying
  consideration of a similar exception for the 130
  or so American members of the UDV who want to
  practice theirs,"
• Then is it okay to deny this very right to
  Rastafarians?????

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Problem Restated

• The United States of America is a great place,
  however it's historical treatment of the
  Rastafarian people and their constitutionally
  guaranteed right to use their religious
  sacrament, marijuana, have been unequal which
  violates the separation of church and state which
  can overtime bias our society.
• It is our duty as citizens and as people with a
  vested interest in the outcome of this
  government/society to campaign for the
  legalization of marijuana for the religious use
  of the Rastafarian people to keep our government
  unbiased.
• The government has made exceptions for the
  Christian people during the Volstead Act in 1919,
  and for the brazillian church UDV during the RFRA
  Act in 2006. Why not for the Rastafarians?

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THE SOLUTION!

• We can make a difference.
• Go out and vote for the NORML political
  organization on election day.
• The National Organization for the Reform of
  Marijuana Laws.