We the undersigned desire to petition the Attorney General and this newly formed religious freedom task force for a redress of grievances because the DEA has failed to allow a religious registry protecting citizens’ religious rights to possess a psycho-tropic plant for religious purposes, and for this reason we are seeing many citizens, such as Indians, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Shamans, Rasta’s, and others are being drug into courts arrested and fined until they prove their innocents. Many of these small courts throw these cases out or trample the evidence…and nothing is done or said…and many who have fallen under persecution have lost much in fines, court costs, seizure of personal and real property, and have been exposed to unsafe jail housing and ridicule.
Congress specifically approved the International Convention on Psychotropic Drugs, 21 U.S.C. 801a (2006), which includes an exemption for any plant being used for religious purposes. Article 32, Section 4,of the Convention on Psychotropic Substances states, “A State on whose territory there are plants growing wild which contain psychotropic substances from among those in Schedule I and which are traditionally used by certain small, clearly determined groups in magical or religious rites, may, at the time of signature, ratification or accession, make reservations concerning these plants, in respect of the provisions of article 7, except for the provisions relating to international trade.”
These laws make clear that it is not only "fairly possible" for the United States to permit the religious use of cannabis, but that domestic and international law; in fact, require such deference absent demonstration of a threat to public health and safety.
Therefore the DEA should be required by Congress to provide a religious registry and make a record of citizens or churches who use certain plants for religious purposes and prevent the persecution of these and to secure their Religious Freedom Right to practice their religion.
