let us pray that our country of the USA is still free for all religions.
---------- Forwarded Message ----------- From: "Thomas Roberts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: undisclosed-recipients:; Sent: Tue, 06 Dec 2005 17:07:45 -0600 Subject: Ayahuasca Supreme Ct. case, links from MAPS 7. Ayahuasca Case Heard in the Supreme Court On November 1, The Supreme Court heard a case pitting the federal government against a Brazilian Ayahuasca Church based in New Mexico, the Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao do Vegetal (UDV). The New York Times <http://www.maps.org/sys/nq.pl?id=659&fmt=page> and others <http://www.scotusblog.com/movabletype/archives/2005/11/herbal_tea_case.html #more> covered the story. The federal government banned the UDV from using ayahuasca, also known as hoasca, because the DMT-containing substance, taken in the form of a brewed tea, is illegal under federal drug laws. In 1999, U.S. Customs officials seized a shipment of ayahuasca and subsequently raided a church member's home. UDV eventually sued and last year the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's finding: the federal government did not prove that the drug posed a significant danger to its congregants or that use of ayahuasca would lead to non-religious use or abuse. The Drug Enforcement Administration was forced to register UDV as a legal importer and distributor of ayahuasca. The Bush Administration, however, appealed the case to the Supreme Court. Pending the Supreme Court's decision in this case, UDV members are allowed to import and to use ayahuasca for sacramental purposes. The Supreme Court has not yet issued its ruling and will probably not do so for several months. However, some sophisticated observers of the oral arguments have said that it is a possibility, but not a certainty, that either the UDV will win the case or the Court will not rule but send the case back to a lower court for further litigation, while enabling the UDV to keep using ayahuasca while the lower court's case goes forward. Time will tell. ------- End of Forwarded Message ------- --- TCB'n, Noah "The foundation of all mental illness is the unwillingness to experience legitimate suffering." - Carl Jung _______________________________________________ FRIENDS mailing list [email protected] http://lists.sffreaks.org/mailman/listinfo/friends
