Tag: Rastafari
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Haile Selassie and the Highest Art of Power: Winning Without Drawing the Sword
History remembers emperors for their conquests. Haile Selassie I is remembered for something rarer — for proving that the highest art of politics is not domination by force, but mastery of legitimacy, symbolism, patience, and law. His reign stands as one of the clearest demonstrations in modern history that enduring power does not come from…
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Nebraska RFRA (First Freedom Act) — Probation Condition Challenge
Nebraska’s Religious Freedom Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 20-403 to 20-404) imposes strict scrutiny on state actions that substantially burden religious exercise. That means: The State must prove BOTH: A compelling governmental interest, AND That the burden is the least restrictive means of achieving it. Probation conditions are state action and are subject to RFRA…
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Humans Abusing Sacred Psychedelics; Plant Teachers Aren’t Happy; Warning To Humanity
In 2026, the year of the Fire Horse (double fire incoming as horse is fire itself), psychedelics are going to correct/withdraw guidance from the humans for not respecting them. I wondered when, not if, this process of spirit realm correction would come about. Taking without reciprocal giving has never worked out with God. The gifts…
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Studies Showing Cannabis Can Cure Cancer
Cannabinoids, including Δ9-THC, CBD, and CBG, exhibit significant anticancer activities such as apoptosis induction, autophagy stimulation, cell cycle arrest, anti-proliferation, anti-angiogenesis, and metastasis inhibition. Clinical trials have demonstrated cannabinoids’ efficacy in tumor regression and health improvement in palliative care. However, challenges such as variability in cannabinoid composition, psychoactive effects, regulatory barriers, and lack of standardized…
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Negotiations Conquer Armies: The Haile Selassie Lesson from Law 3 of The 48 Laws of Power
Reader note: This blog post protected by the constitution’s first amendment. By Jason Karimi There is a persistent myth in modern political culture: that power is seized primarily through confrontation. Through resistance. Through force. History tells a far more dangerous—and far more instructive—truth. Empires are not usually conquered by armies. They are conquered by negotiations.…
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Petition To White House Faith Office For Religious Protections For Rastafarians (DRAFT)
Subject: Petition for Religious Exemption for the Sacramental Use of Cannabis Under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) Date: 12-18-2025 To: The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships The White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, DC 20500 Dear Director and Staff of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Mr. Karimi, the undersigned, respectfully…
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Truck Drivers Can Use Cannabis Under Schedule 3 Absent Policy Interventions
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/drug-testing-industry-group-is-sounding-the-alarm-about-marijuana-rescheduling-as-trump-plans-action/ I’m now a solo advocate and quit representing other people as the entire weed movement and all its groups desire criminality, rebellion, and cool kid ego games and I can’t do it any longer. When I say that, as cannabis advocates, we cannot unleash regulations that don’t respect public health and safety, or programs…
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Holy Smoke: Rastafarians Toke for a Higher Power (2013 City Pages Minnesota)
Holy Smoke: Rastafarians Toke for a Higher Power By Matt Peterson October 9, 2013 Hey, pass me that lighter,” Jamison Arend says to the guy in the chair next to him, a younger man with loose dreadlocks that hang down to his waist. The two men are lounging in the living room of a modest,…
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Wyoming Religious Cannabis Lawsuit Happening
Wyoming passed RFRA. Weedpress will provide details on a lawsuit we just found out about shortly. Stay…tuned…
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Opening Statement
Good morning your honor. Good morning counsel. The State has not met its burden of demonstrating a compelling interest in prohibiting the Petitioner’s possession of cannabis for religious use. The State has the burden under the Iowa Religious Freedom Restoration Act to show the Petitioner’s possession of cannabis for religious use is a threat to…
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DEA Brief in Iowaska Healing Church Iowa Lawsuit July 2025
Download the DEA brief at the above link. Case concerns an ayahuasca church demanding religious exemption to use ayahuasca in ceremony as their sacrament. Interesting brief.
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Olsen v. DEA, 878 F.2d 1458, 1461 (D.C. Cir. 1989)
The DEA’s contention that Congress directed the Administrator automatically to turn away all churches save one opens a grave constitutional question. A statutory exemption authorized for one church alone, and for which no other church may qualify, presents a “denominational preference” not easily reconciled with the establishment clause. See Larson v. Valente, 456 U.S. 228, 245,…
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RFRA Changes The Cannabis Game; Fulfills My Prediction Religious Cannabis Constitutional Claims
Prior to RFRA state laws, I argued the first amendment right to religion would bring constitutional rulings for individuals protecting religious access to cannabis in private prayer. I think this is still the inevitable end result of cannabis litigations. There are several things to note about the RFRA.
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Model Legal Arguments & Proposed Legislative Language for Rastafarian Religious Cannabis Protections in South Dakota
I. Model Legal Arguments for a RFRA Defense A. Establishing a Substantial Burden on Religious Exercise B. State Fails Strict Scrutiny Test C. Precedent Favoring Religious Exemptions II. Proposed Legislative Language for Religious Cannabis Protections A. Amendment to South Dakota Medical Cannabis Law (SDCL 34-20G) Add a new section: B. RFRA Clarification Amendment (SDCL 1-1-23)…
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Timeline so far
October 2nd began two years October 22nd: state probation first meeting probation officer advised Nebraska probation was not allowing my active med card as an exemption. I advised I would file for a religious exemption with Nebraska to use federally lawful hemp so as not to be a federal criminal with medical cannabis. Friday November…
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Religious Cannabis Exemption Iowa Research
Government cannot favor religious activity over secular, or visa versa. The judicial cannon of constitutional avoidance means an unconstitutional statute is only unconstitutional if it is actually applied to someone in an unconstitutional way. Someone has to be injured by it, or it’s never going to be held unconstitutional. The problem with…
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Pretrial Motion To Exercise Religious Tenet, 2022
This motion was filed and granted in USA vs Karimi (2022). UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) ) v. Plaintiff, ) ) JASON ROBERT KARIMI, ) ) Defendant. ) Criminal No. 21-27 (PAM/KMM) DEFENDANT’S PRETRIAL MOTION TO EXERCISE RELIGIOUS TENET Jason Robert Karimi, through counsel, respectfully requests this Court…
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MN Attorney General letter regarding religious use of prohibited substances
RAMP Minnesota citizen lobbyist Kurtis Hanna’s research has turned up an interesting letter from a former Minnesota Attorney General that discusses the laws around religious exemptions or exceptions to otherwise prohibitive laws. This letter is reproduced here at WeedPress below. Follow WeedPress on Facebook! The original document can be seen here: The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St.…
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Notes On Important Marijuana Cases
These are not my notes, and were sent by a colleague. Reposting here without permission, to help organize my notes a bit better. Click here to follow WeedPress on Facebook. Olsen v. DEA, 878 F.2d 1458, 1459 (D.C. Cir. 1989) Petitioner in this case seeks a religious-use exemption from federal laws proscribing marijuana. We hold…
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After 12 Long Years, This Longtime Activist Finally Granted A Medical Cannabis Card For PTSD
After spending months in jail for private personal use of my religious sacrament and medicine, and after 12 years of activist work that included lawsuits against the governments who deny religious and medical freedom as well as freedom to explore consciousness, I have finally been granted the permission by an arbitrary and temporary corrupt body…
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Yesterday’s Iowa CBD Advisory Board Meeting: The Best Legal Weapon For The National Marijuana Movement In 2020?
Want to legalize marijuana? Want to legalize it the right way? Want to fix federal interference with state laws? Then listen to this: our work here in Iowa, which has taken over a decade, has convinced the State of Iowa to take on the federal government over marijuana legalization. No longer will marijuana advocates be…
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Attention Attorney General Barr: Investigate the Wisconsin Political Assassination of O.G. Rastafarian Bernell Trammell Now!
So, I’m watching the AG Barr testimony on the YouTube livestream thing, and, I believe Barr just said in response to questions about Bernell Trammell’s death that it will be being investigated as a political assassination, triggering federal crime statutes. I’m not confirmed on exactly what was said or meant yet, but we have…
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Crips and Bloods, Black Panthers Pray Publicly In Christ Name To Unite All Colors And Creeds | 38th And Chicago Minneapolis 5-29-2020
Crips and Bloods, Black Panthers Pray Publicly In Christ Name To Unite All Colors And Creeds | 38th And Chicago Minneapolis 5-29-2020 “You walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” Ephesians 2:2 Today is Pentecost!…
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Religious Freedom Exemptions: Sacramental Use Of Cannabis
https://carl-olsen.com/2018/06/sacramental-use-of-cannabis Posted on June 23, 2018 by Carl Olsen Sacramental use of cannabis I’m a member of a Jamaican Rastafarian church incorporated in Jamaica as the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church (EZCC) in 1976, Act No. 11. The sacrament of the EZCC is cannabis. I was arrested in 1978 with 100 pounds of cannabis in Muscatine…
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Twice In One Week, Ordained Rasta Minister Arrested, Then Released In Wisconsin
His latest video explains the current fight to free minorities from the prison system from the decades OLD unjust War On Some Drugs…check it out:
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After Citing The Law, Iowa DOT Grants Religious Exemption To Reverend Jason Karimi For Head Covering After Initial Denial
Hats are usually not allowed in DOT pictures, but after a Pastafarian case in Indiana allowed members of a unique church the right to wear pasta colanders on their head, the Iowa DOT has likewise granted a religious exemption to Reverend Jason Karimi of the Iowa State University House of Rastafari the right to retain…
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Madison Rastafari Church Files Federal Lawsuit Against City, Police, Alleging Theft Of Cannabis Sacrament And Intimidation, Harassment
Details on lawsuit here More details coming soon at WeedPress.
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Reddit Users Push Marijuana Church In Madison Wisconsin To Irie Heights [LINK]
Wisconsin church distributes marijuana as sacrament byu/readerseven innottheonion Luke 12 KJV 2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets…
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[VIDEO] Madison Wisconsin church fights for right to use weed as sacrament
WISN News has the details.
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Iowa Public Radio: Defining ‘Unborn Person’ and Stronger Medical Marijuana
One issue controversial. One not so much anymore. Listen to the latest medical marijuana discussion here from Iowa Public Radio.
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Here’s The Imperfect Medical Marijuana Bill Passed At The Statehouse Today After Six Years Of Work
Uploading video to YouTube so you can watch the full discourse for yourself and make up your own mind. Thanks for following WeedPress on Facebook. Today’s vote was nearly unanimous. House File 732 had various amendments offered. Representative Jeff Shipley’s amendment was withdrawn. He spoke about being confused as to why marijuana is controversial, that…
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Minor Free Speech Victory At Iowa State University As Marijuana Bandana Exemption Granted For Religious Purposes To Student Attendee
A student in the horticulture program at Iowa State University tells WeedPress they have been granted a religious exemption in according with the University’s policy for religious exemptions and are now allowed to wear a bandana with marijuana leaves printed on it to their classes. Other schools have taken issue with marijuana being printed on…
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Rastafari Religious Freedom Argument Fails To Legalize Marijuana For Everybody Rasta Or Not In Red State Opiate-Infested Indiana
They call it SINdiana for a reason. The Indiana Court of Appeals dismissed the Church of Cannabis’ case Dec. 28 after it failed to pay a court transcript fee and failed to present an argument as to why the appeal should not be dismissed. “Laws against the possession, sale and use of marijuana are designed to protect…
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Here’s the latest brief in Olsen vs. Iowa Board of Pharmacy (2018) filed by Colin Murphy
From https://iowamedicalmarijuana.org/cases/olsen-pharmacy.html?fbclid=IwAR1V0Tax4ea2up69AgkKkW8tEe6Coy4UXhSBV4zOwoad0ELVK5Nws4WO4Ig 05771__CVCV056841_BRIF_6502853 STATEMENT OF THE CASE On July 5, 2018, Petitioner Carl Olsen (“Petitioner ”) filed a Petition for Scheduling Recommendation with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy (“Respondent”). R. at 2 – 45. The Petition sought a recommendation to the Iowa General Assembly that the religious use of cannabis (THC) by Rastafari 1…
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Police In Uniform Caught Busting Moves, Having Fun — Reverend Baker’s Video Says “Musta Been The Contact High” | VIDEO From High Times Party Shows Security STONED #OMGre
https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fthe420reverend%2Fposts%2F10212230821992108&width=500
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Check Out This Flyer For Marijuana Church GreenFaith Ministries America/Jamaica
https://www.facebook.com/GreenFaith/Greenfaith Ministries can be followed here on Facebook for more info. Reverend Brandon Baker, founder, is pictured below holding a chalice up in prayer during a ceremony.
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Damian “Junior Gong” Marley Public Lecture
Published on Jul 3, 2018 Damian “Junior Gong” Marley delivers public lecture at the UWI Mona. This event was put on by the Department of Literature in English under the title “MonaRock”. Watch here below with excerpts listed and links to more books on the subject. And um, this is the last one. I was…
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Iowa Rastafari Cannabis Sacrament: Update 11 From Carl Olsen Fighting For Right To Access Low-THC Cannabis For Sacramental Use
Update found a: https://www.gofundme.com/rastafari-cannabis-sacrament?viewupdates=1&rcid=r01-153850176225-a6fd215d16f3436b&utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=cta_button&utm_campaign=upd_n Rastafari Cannabis Sacrament Share Tweet 165 shares Update 11 Posted by Carl Olsen 3 days ago Share These things get complicated quickly. The state moved to dismiss, we resisted and amended our complain, the state resisted, and we just filed our reply to the state’s resistance, which you can read…
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Minnesota: Cops Return Cannabis Pipe to 15 Year Old Rastafarian Following Ruling by Supreme Court
WeedPress broke the news two years ago about Rastafarian Jamison Arend’s legal exemption to smoke cannabis while on probation. Earlier this month, following a Court of Appeals ruling, Jamison’s son, “J.J.M.A.,” had a confiscated cannabis pipe returned to him from police evidence after the Court ruled J.J.M.A. had a religious right to possess the pipe.…
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Minnesota Court of Appeals: 15 Year Old Rastafarian Has Religious Right To Possess Cannabis Pipe
See also: BREAKING NEWS: Quad City Times, Reason Magazine, Highlight Iowa Man’s Struggle To Cure Cancer Using Cannabis Oil Another victory for the religious use of cannabis has come out of the courts in Minnesota! Last Monday, a ruling from the Minnesota Court of Appeals (copy of the ruling is at end of this article)…
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Hawaii: Rastafarian Calls Sentencing “An Answer to Our Prayers” Last Friday
Also see: Hawaii: Rastafarian To Begin Jury Trial Monday After Four Year Delay ‘Cannabis Minister Guilty,’ Hawaii Tribune-Herald Hawaii’s Reverend Harris remains free to appeal her case for the religious use of marijuana after sentencing last Friday. Reverend Harris, convicted last month of “commercial promotion of marijuana,” appeared before Circuit Court Judge Glenn Hara last…
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Minnesota: Judge Grants Rastafarian Exemption From Probation Drug Testing
For the past 18 months, Minnesotan Jamison Arend has been openly smoking cannabis daily — with a judge’s approval. Jamison, a licensed Rastafarian Minister, was sentenced to five years probation in March of 2010 after an altercation at his home. During sentencing, Judge Judith Tilsen handed down a groundbreaking exemption to the State’s probation drug…
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State of Hawaii vs. Nancy Harris: Video from Trial on August 23rd
I wrote about Reverend Nancy Harris decision to forego a plea deal and go to jury trial last week: Hawaii: Rastafarian To Begin Jury Trial Monday After Four Year Delay. Thanks to the internet, there’s video available from last Monday. Both of these videos can be downloaded here (Part 1) and here (Part 2). The…
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Hawaii: Rastafarian To Begin Jury Trial Monday After Four Year Delay
Reverend Nancy Harris is finally getting her day in court. Reverend Harris, facing a charge of “commercial promotion of marijuana” from a raid back in February of 2007, will be in court Monday morning to begin her jury trial. Rather than accepting a plea deal offered by prosecution that amounted to a slap on the…
WeedPress: The Paper Trail 