Drugs are bad mmkay?!

The use of a halucinogenic tea in religious practice and the legality of the imporation of said tea from Brazil will be heard by the Supreme Court.

The tea, known as hoasca, is made from plants that grow in the Amazon region and that produce a chemical listed by both the federal government and an international narcotics trafficking treaty as a controlled substance. The chemical, dimethyltryptamine, usually known as DMT, can also be produced in a laboratory, but followers of the Uniao Do Vegetal religion use only the naturally occurring version, which does not grow in the United States.

The case is an appeal by the Bush administration of a federal court injunction won by the 130 members of the church's American branch, who brought a lawsuit five years ago to prohibit the government from invoking the Controlled Substances Act to block the importation of their tea and from seizing the sacred drink. The church, which combines elements of Christianity and indigenous Brazilian religion, opened its American branch in Santa Fe, N.M., in 1993.

The Federal District Court in Albuquerque, ruling before trial, issued a preliminary injunction against the government. The order was subsequently affirmed by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, in Denver, and last November was affirmed again by the full appeals court by a vote of 8 to 5.

A trial has still not taken place, a fact that would ordinarily pose an obstacle to Supreme Court review.

Forget that last part about a trial not taking place, pesky technicalities don't typically decide whether or not the Supremes hear a case.

However, the fact that the Bush administration is tryin to fight the War on Drugs, by infringing on the People's right of worship is worth a gander no?

Particularly when these religious zealots are trampling the country waging wars on activist judges based (in part) on supposed leftistWars on Christianity.

Let's just say that the Administration's goal is as innocent as keeping those people safe from the dangers of drugs. If so, which is safer?

This:

Or This:

(thems is rattlesnakes o' da poisonous kind)

How about that Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . ."

United States Constitution, Amendment I


"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and
religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18

The Supreme's declined to hear a case about snake handling, though it is illegal in some states. But if drugs are involved, the Supremes intervene. I guess we'll just have to see if there will more laughable commerce clause arguments.

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