The first time Roger Christie smoked pot, he got high, in more ways than one.
"It fed me spiritually in a way I didn't even know I needed," he said. "I felt whole and complete."
The Steamboat Springs native went on to found The Hawaii Cannabis (THC) Ministry, a church where marijuana is the sacrament, 10 years ago in Hilo and has since been spreading the ganja gospel around the country -- and now around Colorado.
An effort last year to establish a Cannabis Ministry branch in Boulder didn't pan out, but now longtime marijuana activist and Nederland dispensary owner Kathleen Chippi has been ordained as a minister in the church and plans to open Closer to the Heart Ministries in the mountain town sometime next month.
New state regulations have left many medical marijuana dispensaries with an uncertain future, and doctors who recommend marijuana are under increased scrutiny. Frustrated by these developments, some activists are turning to the as-yet-untested idea that marijuana use is protected under the First Amendment's guarantee of religious freedom. They hope that will provide a way for more people to use cannabis without government interference.
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| Kathleen Chippi, founder of Closer to the Heart Ministries, poses in front of her marijuana dispensary in Nederland on Thursday. ( Greg Lindstrom ) |
On Saturday, Christie and Chippi will join other ministers, activists and lawyers in Nederland for a conference, sponsored by the Boulder-based Cannabis Therapy Institute, on religious marijuana use. On Sunday, there will be a ministry training session for those who feel the call.
Chippi, a lapsed Catholic, said she feels she has been a cannabis minister for years, but she didn't realize it until she met Christie.
"People use cannabis to bring them closer to their god or their spirit," she said. "It's something I've followed for years, but I called myself an activist."
Christie points to numerous references to cannabis in the Bible (it's the plant often translated as "fragrant cane" and was an ingredient in holy anointing oil), and its use in other religious traditions. He also sees a possible allusion in the story of God speaking to Moses from a burning bush.
"Moses met God not in his parents, not in the sun and moon, but in the smoke and heat of a burning plant," he said. "Was it the same plant? We'll never know, but because it has been replicated for so many people, I believe there is some evidence."
Chippi plans to keep running her dispensary in addition to the new ministry. Some medical marijuana patients aren't interested in the spiritual aspects of cannabis use, and some users who see a spiritual benefit don't qualify as medical marijuana patients.
But Chippi is "not pleased" with the new regulations on medical marijuana.
"It started out as compassionate health care, but it turned into the Department of Revenue and creating new criminals," she said.
Pursuing the ministry, however, is not the easy way out, she said.
"I have three attorneys," she said. "One of them feels it's a great case, and I'll win it. Another one thinks it's a great case, and I'll probably do jail time. The third one thinks it's a bad idea. Does my husband want me to do it? No. Do I value freedom? More than anything."
Denver attorney Robert Corry, who will be a speaker at the conference, says the case law on religious use of cannabis in Colorado is just starting to be written. He's representing a client in Clear Creek County who was found guilty of possession, despite being a longtime believer in the spiritual use of cannabis. Corry plans to appeal the verdict.
Jeff Gard, a Boulder attorney who specializes in marijuana issues and is not connected with the conference, said religious belief is not a trump card that protects practitioners from prosecution. Courts have consistently upheld polygamy convictions, for example.
"Regardless of how it works out, you'd still have to go through the process of prosecution," he said of anyone looking to test state or federal law. "You will be fighting your way out from the inside, potentially from behind bars."
Chippi also wants potential disciples to know that participating in cannabis ministry requires more than a desire to get high.
"If you're not sincere, you can't be a church member," Chippi said.
Evidence of that sincerity comes from a willingness to be tutored in the theology and history of religious cannabis use.
"If you get arrested, your beliefs might questioned," she said. "You need to be able to respond, and your answer can't be 'getting high.'"
The Cannabis Ministry does have a catechism: "God, that's great! Please show me the blessings in this situation and hurry! We are safe, we are loved and all is well."
Christie, the church's founder, said that mantra has even shown him the blessing in marijuana prohibition.
"It's given me meaningful work in life," he said.
Source www.dailycamera.com
