Friday, August 21st, 2009 at 2:18 pm | By: Radical Russ
ECHO PARK, Calif. (KABC) — For the third time in a week, the Los Angeles Police Department has raided a medical marijuana facility.
Police arrested three people during the raid Thursday night at the Royal Temple of Zion in Echo Park.
Authorities say the facility has not applied for a hardship permit like all the other medical marijuana dispensaries, so selling the marijuana is illegal. About two pounds of marijuana were seized.
Oh my gosh! A whole two pounds of marijuana! Here in Oregon, that’s 2/3rds the amount of medical marijuana two registered patients may possess. Even at ridiculously-inflated black-market-dictated California dispensary prices that’s less than $10,000 worth of marijuana. I wonder how much it costs the city of Los Angeles to execute and prosecute such a raid? Wanna bet it’s more than $10,000?
Those associated with the temple say it is a Rastafarian ministry, and it has the legal right to sell marijuana to the sick.
“This is a church run medical marijuana club providing medical marijuana for sick people, but we do it as a church,” said Pastor Craig Rubin.
Pastor Rubin believes police are targeting those that have been vocal about legalizing the drug.
Pastor Rubin, as you may remember, is the man who was offering patients a free eighth ounce of marijuana if they would come testify at the LA PLUM hearings two weeks ago.
“They seem to be particularly picking out people who have applied for these hardships who speak out,” said Pastor Rubin.
Members say because this is a place of worship they have not done anything illegal.
“It’s because we believe a cannabis from Revelations 22 is a plant for the healing of all nations and that people should have access to this plant. It’s not only benign, it’s benevolent,” said Pastor Rubin.
Yes, and I believe the Flying Spaghetti Monster brought forth cannabis from his noodly appendages to give to humanity so they may savor His Succulent Meatballs, so I shouldn’t be arrested for my pot smoking, either.
Sorry, I know many reading this have sincere religious beliefs and some have sincere beliefs that treat ganja as sacrament, but as an atheist I continue to be offended by the notion that because I treat all books as written works of men, not gods, I deserve to be arrested and jailed for my use of cannabis. I completely support the right of religious folks to use ganja because I completely support the inalienable right of ALL folks to use cannabis, but when religious folks think they have a special and unique right to not be arrested for cannabis because they picked the right god, they are discriminating against me for my lack of a god.
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 at 4:20 pm | By: Marijuana Music Awards
‘Ganja’ by Echo Movement, is Variety Tuesday’s great Toker Tune.
Echo Movement’s message is about love. The band have a passion to learn, communicate and appreciate life’s opportunities.
Their music respects the earth and honors the pursuit of happiness. Echo Movement says love is all you need.
The band has an impressive lineup of musicians, each member having their own distinctive accomplishments. Together, the eight piece band perform with incredibly vibrant creativity.
Echo Movement merges beach culture with island and world music to create a unique blend which they call ’surf, reggae, soca’.
The band proves the new generation is built on independent accomplishments. Their songs are about people’s integrity and ability to take on any challenge while still remaining part of the community. With fans across the world, Echo Movement is living proof of their message.
Their music is packed with energy, the lyrics are universal and the hooks are infectious. The band have shared the stage with many greats including The Wailers and Passafire.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Italy’s Court of Cassation ruled that since the Rastafari religion considers marijuana a sacrament, its members should be given special consideration when it comes to possession — and how much makes a drug trafficker.
The case before the judges dealt with a reggae musician who was sentenced to 16 months in prison by a lower court in Perugia after being found in possession of enough marijuana to roll 70 cigarettes.
The Court of Cassation annulled his sentence, saying the amount appeared appropriate for personal use considering the heavy amounts that Rastafarians smoke, and ordered an appellate court in Florence to review the case.
“He was convicted because of the amount … for trafficking, but it was for his own personal use,” said the defendant’s lawyer, Caterina Calia.
Rastafari, a religion that emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s, considers Ethiopia its spiritual home and that country’s former emperor, Haile Selassie, a divine figure.
Up to 10 percent of Jamaicans identify themselves as Rastas, but they are virtually unheard of in Roman Catholic Italy.
No disrespect intended, but personally, I find the religious use exception for ganja sacrament a bit troubling. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely 100% agree that if you sincerely believe ganja is a sacrament that brings you closer to Jah / God / Allah, then you should be free to smoke it.
What troubles me is that I’m an atheist, so I have no mystical supernatural tales to protect my use, and I shouldn’t need any. Why is it that people who can never in a court of law prove that God wants them to smoke weed get immunity from prosecution, but I go to prison because I only believe in stuff that can be proven?
Then there is the question of which religions get that special immunity. No religion under 70 years old need apply. Rastas may get this break in Italy, but in the US sincere Americans who believe in ganja sacrament get to do time because their religion is younger than marijuana prohibition, so they must have formed the religion as an excuse to get high.
It’s like the medical marijuana situation. Of course I want cancer and HIV patients to have medical marijuana; you’d have to be blackhearted not to. But I want perfectly healthy people to have that right, too.
I guess it just seems absurd to me that if you had Jamaican Rasta, a disabled Californian, and me all passing around the same blunt, you’d have a believer, a patient, and a criminal.
RevRayGreen: I'll post a pic of me and my son....gimme a minute
Missippi Hippy: Guess what... I'm gonna be a new... ummmmm well, my pet piggie Ganja is in labor and they ain't mine in the same sense. See what your wife [...]
RevRayGreen: days they didn't talk back..or act disrespectful..
RevRayGreen: feel so lucky my son is 18 going 19 and my daughter 16 going on 17..relish the days that can't talk back
Urb Age: Congrats Spof thats awesome. My little Clara is about to hit 20 months. Im not the activist I used to be, but its made me a better man.
Urb Age: Heck I was gonna go up there, but just not feeling well this weekend..Dang it, I hate it when that happens..
RevRayGreen: wishing I was hanging at NORML cafe...
JohnH: Just a quick comment about tokin' and sperm motility....been tokin since age 14 and have 8 kids ranging in age from 30 to 9...(what can I say, I found 2 [...]
slash5city: really ..oprah 35 yr or more in the closet toker ...outed ....o my god !!
SneakerPimp: that would be huge news just imagen the headline
RevRayGreen: maybe Oprah smokes and keeps it on the DL...
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Third LA-area raid: Royal Temple of Zion in Echo Park
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