| Part of a series on |
| Cannabis |
|---|
 |
The Church of Cognizance (COC) was founded in 1991 by Danuel & Mary Quaintance [1] in Graham County (Pima) Arizona, United States.
| Part of a series on |
| Cannabis |
|---|
| |
The Church of Cognizance (COC) was founded in 1991 by Danuel & Mary Quaintance [1] in Graham County (Pima) Arizona, United States.
In 1994, the Quaintances recorded a 16-page "Declaration of Religious Sentiment" concretizing the establishment of their church. [2] The COC Founders recording announced their intent to unite the world's ethnic minorities that utilize and rely upon the cannabis hemp plant as an ethno-socio-religious institution following Neo-Zoroastrian tenets.
While COC members are encouraged to study all of the world's religions, the Zoroastrian Avesta is held by them to be the least convoluted and most ancient source supporting their practices and beliefs. Numerous references to Haoma may be found in the Avesta. [3]
In 2006, the COC with 40 to 50 members in Arizona, nationwide had 72 registered Individual Orthodox Member Monasteries (IOMMs), which are located inside members' homes. [4]
To become a "registered member" of the COC, a candidate must read a pamphlet titled "The Church Of Cognizance Introduced". [5] The pamphlet includes the below stated beliefs, description of organization, and the membership pledge of the church. If the candidate is in agreement with the beliefs, organization, and pledge, they then must then fill out, and sign their PLEDGE and return it to the designated address. [6]
Members of the COC claim to believe:[ citation needed ]
1. That cannabis as Haoma, when raised and used properly, aids the mind, body, and soul.
2. That Haoma is the ancient teacher of wisdom, compassion, and the way to the kingdom of glory in heaven on earth, while humans let ego block their own, and others, path to this kingdom of glory.
3. That Haoma is the capable provider of all substance required to accommodate a comfortable, healthy, productive, full-bearing life.
4. That Haoma is the righteous protector of their health, and longevity; by way of receptors in the human body that they believe Haoma connects with to heal.
Based on their beliefs, they declare marijuana/cannabis/haoma to be "the teacher, the protector, the provider". And further, that the proper religious use promotes "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds, none of which is harmful to the health, safety, welfare, or morals of society in general".
The COC is composed of "Family Oriented Monastic Orders" wherein members are dedicated to promoting the health, safety, welfare, culture, and tradition of the family thru their belief:[ citation needed ]
1. That the physically able, retired adults, of the family should care for the sick, the eldest, and the youngest of the family.
Each Family Oriented Monastic Order of the Church Of Cognizance is designated an "Individual Orthodox Member Monastery" (IOMM).
By submitting their application, prospective members pledge their allegiance, and support, to the Church Of Cognizance and the IOMMs of which it is composed. Their pledge requires: [7]
On February 22, 2006, the founders of the Church of Cognizance, Danuel and Mary Quaintance, were arrested with 172 pounds of marijuana. They asserted that the marijuana was for religious use, an argument which US District court judge Judith C. Herrera rejected outright. The federal judge stated that the evidence shows the two created the church and beliefs as a way of justifying their lifestyle choice to use marijuana and their belief that marijuana should be legalized. She further stated they cannot avoid prosecution for illegal conduct by simply calling their conduct a religion. Also it was noted that the monasteries were all located in members' homes. The church states a "declaration of religious sentiment" on behalf of the Church of Cognizance was filed with the Graham County Recorder's Office 12 years prior this arrest in 1994. Further noted was that the Quaintances had not faced any prior criminal charges related to their church and that they do not grow marijuana but pick it up from church "couriers", which is what they were doing when they were arrested. Both founders stepped down as leaders of the church following their arrests. But the couple hope to one day resume what they view as their worship. [8]
On August 18, 2008, they both pleaded guilty to two counts. One count of conspiracy with intent to distribute 200 pounds or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of marijuana; and one count of possession with the intent to distribute 100 pounds or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of marijuana, as well as aiding and abetting. They faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Danuel Quaintance is serving[ when? ] a five-year sentence at a facility at the Federal Correctional Institute in Terminal Island, California, near Long Beach. Mary Quaintance is serving two years at the Victorville Federal Correctional Complex in Adelanto, Calif. [9]
Although they both were confident that an appeal based on their claimed religious use would keep them out of prison, [10] a unanimous three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on May 19, 2010, affirmed the denial of the couple’s RFRA defense in United States v. Quaintance. The panel agreed that evidence in the case established that the Quaintances had failed to establish that their beliefs about marijuana as a sacred substance were sincerely held, further concluding that “the record contains … overwhelming evidence that the Quaintances were running a commercial marijuana business with a religious front — particularly in this transaction aimed at securing bail money for Ms. Quaintance’s brother.” [11]
Zoroastrianism or Mazdayasna is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic ontology and an eschatology which predicts the ultimate conquest of evil by good. Zoroastrianism exalts an uncreated and benevolent deity of wisdom known as Ahura Mazda as its supreme being. Historically, the unique features of Zoroastrianism, such as its monotheism, messianism, belief in free will and judgement after death, conception of heaven, hell, angels, and demons, among other concepts, may have influenced other religious and philosophical systems, including the Abrahamic religions and Gnosticism, Northern Buddhism, and Greek philosophy.
In the Vedic tradition, soma is a ritual drink of importance among the early Vedic Indo-Aryans. The Rigveda mentions it, particularly in the Soma Mandala. Gita mentions the drink in Chapter 9. It is equivalent to the Iranian haoma.
Haoma is a divine plant in Zoroastrianism and in later Persian culture and mythology. Haoma has its origins in Indo-Iranian religion and is the cognate of Vedic soma.
The THC Ministry, founded by Roger Christie from the Religion of Jesus Church, is a religion which considers cannabis to be a sacrament. Members base their practices on what they see as an eclectic mixture of ancient wisdom, modern science, and the enlightening and healing properties of cannabis sacrament. Its mission includes "liberating the Cannabis plant and the minds of those who do and of those who do not revere it," and is actively involved in the legal and social discussions surrounding cannabis use in society. On July 8, 2010, Christie and 13 other individuals allegedly associated with the THC Ministry were indicted by a Federal grand jury in Honolulu on Marijuana Possession and Trafficking charges. Christie served four years in jail following an April 2014 sentencing, and is on probation until 2018.
Roger Christie is an American ordained minister in the Religion of Jesus Church, which regards marijuana as a "sacramental herb." In 2000, he founded the THC Ministry, which offered cannabis as a part of its services. On July 8, 2010, Christie and 13 other individuals associated with the THC Ministry were indicted by a Federal grand jury in Honolulu on marijuana possession and trafficking charges. On Sept. 27, 2013, Christie pleaded guilty to marijuana trafficking and two counts of failing to file income tax returns. On April 28, 2014, Christie was sentenced to a term of five years in federal prison, with credit for time already served at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center.
Different religions have varying stances on the use of cannabis, historically and presently. In ancient history some religions used cannabis as an entheogen, particularly in the Indian subcontinent where the tradition continues on a more limited basis.
Cannabis in Canada is legal for both recreational and medicinal purposes. Medicinal use of cannabis was legalized nationwide under conditions outlined in the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, later superseded by the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations, issued by Health Canada and seed, grain, and fibre production was permitted under licence by Health Canada. The federal Cannabis Act came into effect on 17 October 2018 and made Canada the second country in the world, after Uruguay, to formally legalize the cultivation, possession, acquisition and consumption of cannabis and its by-products. Canada is the first G7 and G20 nation to do so.
There has been much speculation as to the botanical identity of soma or haoma. Soma is a plant described in Hindu sacred texts including the Rigveda, while haoma is a plant described in the Avesta, a collection of Zoroastrian writings. Both names are derived from the Proto-Indo-Iranian *Sauma. Proposed candidates include various species of plants and or fungi. Traditional etymology of Indian Soma is Somalata used traditionally by the Srauta Brahmins called Somayajis whereas the Avestan Haoma is an Ephedra, which are totally unconnected species sourced from different areas. European researchers suggest other plants, such as the perennial Peganum harmala, Nelumbo nucifera, Cannabis sativa, and the sugarcane species Tripidium bengalense ; while fungal candidates include the fly-agaric mushroom Amanita muscaria, the psilocybin-containing mushroom Psilocybe cubensis, and the ergot fungus Claviceps purpurea. Other scholarly proposals include mixtures of these candidates with each other and with other substances.
Persecution of members of the Rastafari movement, an Abrahamic religion founded in Jamaica in the early 1930s among Afro-Jamaican communities, has been fairly continuous since the movement began but nowadays is particularly concerning their spiritual use of cannabis.
In the United States, the non-medical use of cannabis is legalized in 19 states and decriminalized in 12 states as of May 2022. Decriminalization refers to a policy of reduced penalties for cannabis offenses, typically involving a civil penalty for possessing small amounts, instead of criminal prosecution or the threat of arrest. In jurisdictions without penalty the policy is referred to as legalization, although the term decriminalization is sometimes used for this purpose as well.
The use, sale, and possession of cannabis over 0.3% THC in the United States, despite laws in many states permitting it under various circumstances, is illegal under federal law. As a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, cannabis over 0.3% THC is considered to have "no accepted medical use" and have a high potential for abuse and physical or psychological dependence. Cannabis use is illegal for any reason, with the exception of FDA-approved research programs. However, individual states have enacted legislation permitting exemptions for various uses, including medical, industrial, and recreational use.
In the United States, the use of cannabis for medical purposes is legal in 37 states, four out of five permanently inhabited U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia, as of February 2022. Eleven other states have more restrictive laws limiting THC content, for the purpose of allowing access to products that are rich in cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of cannabis. There is significant variation in medical cannabis laws from state to state, including how it is produced and distributed, how it can be consumed, and what medical conditions it can be used for.
In the United States, the use and possession of cannabis is illegal under federal law for any purpose by way of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (CSA). Under the CSA, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I substance, determined to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use – thereby prohibiting even medical use of the drug. Despite this, most states have legalized either or both the medical and recreational use of cannabis.
The First Church of Cannabis is a cannabis-based registered church in the U.S. state of Indiana founded in March 2015 by Bill Levin.
Cannabis in Rhode Island is legal for medical and adult use. Medical use was legalized through legislation approved in 2006, and adult use in 2022.
In Washington, D.C., cannabis is legal for both medical use and recreational use for possession, personal use, cultivation, transportation and gifting, and for retail sale once a regulatory system is implemented following an affirmative vote by the residents on a 2014 ballot initiative. The United States Congress exercises oversight over the government of the District of Columbia, preventing the local government from regulating cannabis sales like other jurisdictions with authority derived from a U.S. state.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is a general prohibition, deriving from the Word of Wisdom, against intoxicating substances; cannabis was explicitly banned by the church in 1915. The church has also sought to influence "appropriate" legal resolutions on medical cannabis.
Terms related to cannabis include:
The International Church of Cannabis is a religious organization in Denver that uses cannabis as a sacrament. Members claim the use of cannabis helps elevate people to a higher understanding of self.
Coachella Valley Church is a Rastafarian church of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, located on The Alameda in San Jose, California. It was incorporated in 2016 and is at the same location as a previous dispensary, Amsterdam's Garden. The city has a history of litigation against its operators and seeks to end their operations, claiming it is an unpermitted marijuana dispensary.