Brennan V Low

April 1, 2015
SOC 370 | Tajiri
The story of Hilo resident Roger Christie is illustrative into the political
system of Hawaii, and the United States. Learning about this recent
chapter of Hawaii history upsets many assumptions one may hold
about the freedom of religion, and the boundary between religious
liberty and state power.
Roger Christie is an ordained minister in the Religion of Jesus Church,
which was started in Kona.
THC Ministry, which is the abbreviated and popularized name for the original Hawai'i
Ministry of Cannabis Sacrament and all of its chapters, was founded in June 2000
byRoger Christie in Hawaii.It is an officially registered religion in many countries on
different continents.
According to the THC Ministry, identification of cannabis specifically as an ingredient of
the holy anointing oil, can be found in the Torah (Five Books of Moses)

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/THC_Ministry]
U.S. District Judge Alan Kay agreed with prosecutors that Roger Christie should not be
released on bail or to a halfway house because he remains a danger to the community.
Moreover, authorities did not arrest Christie after seizing marijuana during the March
search, belying prosecutors' assertions that he was a danger to the community, Winter
(Christies lawyer) contended.

[http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/98642399.html]
In March of 2010, Christies home was raided and 282 plants were
seized. He continued operating the ministry.
Christie operated a church in Hilo called the THC ministry until
_______, when he was arrested . The federal government alledged that
Christie presented a danger to the community, but never provided any
evidence to support this accusation. THC Ministry believes that "cultivation
and enjoyment of cannabis sacrament is a fundamental human right provided by God
and protected by the Constitution.

Religious basis for Cannabis usage. The Religion of Jesus Church finds
biblical basis for their cannabis use as a sacred anointing oil. It is

beyond the scope of this paper to assess the validty of these claims
what is important to note is that the State of Hawaii recognized this
church in its of
Christie was charged with growing 284 cannibis plants. Christie and
THC Ministries were surveiled for 2 years, before being raided by the
_____. The search warrant

Roger Christie has become an activiston _________ in Hilo for a

What is notable about the Roger Christie case is that he spent four
years and three months in federal prison, without a trial, without the
opportunity to post bail, and without the writ of Habeus Corpus a
judicial declaration explaining the charges against Christie. Article
One, Section 9 of the U.S. Consitution states that The privilege of the writ

of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion
the public safety may require it.

Based soley upon an accusation, an individual who believed himself to

exercising his Constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of religion,
was deprived of liberty without due process for an excessive period of
time.
As an example, U.S. Senator Tulsi Gabbard is a Hindu. The Hindu
religion considers the cannabis plant holy, and it has been used to aid
meditation.
Christie, whose THC Ministry website once proclaimed church members were immune from
prosecution on marijuana charges - See more at: http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/localnews/roger-christie-pride-went-my-fall#sthash.3FDVgHMi.dpuf

During his incarceration, two states, Colorado and Washington the former is Christies
birthplace legalized adult personal use of marijuana. He said hes especially proud of the
people of Colorado.
I ran for mayor of Denver in 1978 on a platform for legalizing marijuana, he said. Thirty-six
years later, the people of Colorado and we the people of the USA are starting to demonstrate a
greater understanding of the healing qualities of cannabis. And the more people understand
that, we are going to have a polar shift in values of cannabis going from illegal to essential.
- See more at: http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/local-news/roger-christie-pride-went-myfall#sthash.3FDVgHMi.dpuf

[http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/local-news/roger-christie-pridewent-my-fall]Christie regularly gave drugs to minors, actions he

doesn't admit or consider wrong.