In California, a showdown is underway between a church that sees cannabis as sacred and law enforcement. The battle began when law enforcement raided the church’s weed supply. And now, the church is fighting back. With this California cannabis church suing police over raids, important questions about the state’s legal weed system are coming into focus.
The Showdown
The Church of Hundred Harmonies, located in La Puente, California, is part of a larger network of churches called the Association of Sacramental Ministries.
The defining feature of these churches is that they all see cannabis as sacred. Keeping with this belief, members of these churches consume weed as part of their religious practice.
The building where the Church of Hundred Harmonies gathers has two main sections. One is the sanctuary, the other is a room full of cannabis “sacraments.” Congregation members can go into that room and purchase weed, which is priced by the gram much like at a regular dispensary.
The idea is that after purchasing their weed, members can then go to the sanctuary to partake of their sacraments and participate in the church’s spiritual practices.
But the local Sheriff’s Office apparently sees things differently. They claimed that the sacraments portion of the church building was operating as an illegal dispensary.
As a result, deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office raided the church last November. Now, the church is suing the Sheriff’s Department for their actions, claiming that the raid violated their freedom of religion.
The church is seeking monetary damages and an injunction to keep law enforcement from raiding them again.
Final Hit: California Cannabis Church Suing Police Over Raids
This case raises some interesting questions. For starters, it raises the question