Search Results: hawaii (79)

Roger Christie in a recent interview with KITV.

When Westword last spoke to Colorado-born, Hawaii-based THC Ministry founder Roger Christie in June 2010, he was readying a challenge to the federal government’s marijuana laws that would have treated dispensaries like churches. But mere weeks later, he was busted by the feds on pot distribution charges and spent the next four years-plus in jail.
Now, Christie is out and readying a new push to bring Colorado-style marijuana laws to Hawaii. Read more at The Latest Word.


Though there are about 13,000 medical cannabis patients in Hawaii, there’s no place for anyone to legally purchase the plant. Currently, patients grow their own, though technically there is nowhere to legally purchase seed or even clones – state law doesn’t even address that.
To address that issue, the Hawaii House Health Committee is looking into the possibility of creating legal dispensaries.

http://www.thc-ministry.org/
Roger Christie, Hawaii’s “Preacher of Pot”


64-year-old Hawaii resident Roger Christie has long been a well-known advocate for medical and recreational marijuana use on the Big Island. As a minister at his own church on Hilo – a quaint little joint by the name of THC Ministries – Christie enjoyed a rapidly growing congregation of over 60,000 followers, to many of whom he provided “sacrament” in the form of cannabis.
On July 8th 2010 though, it all came crashing down as a result of an extensive undercover investigation, leading to the arrest and indictment of 14 people associated with THC Ministries, along with Christie and his wife Share.

The Hawaiian Islands have historically been known for exporting fresh fruits and nuts, dank coffee beans, and sunburnt tourists. While the many legends of amazing pakalolo strains like Kauai Electric, Kona Gold, and the infamous Maui Wowie have made their way to the mainland over the years, extremely strict anti-cannabis state laws, and a lack of will to reform them, have kept Hawaii’s finest weed a well-kept secret.
One high-ranking state lawmaker hopes to change that, though, and in the process help turn marijuana into Hawaii’s new number one cash crop.

Despite overwhelming public support in favor of the decriminalization of cannabis, Hawaii’s SB472, which would have decriminalized small amounts marijuana in that state, was pronounced dead on arrival yesterday without even being granted a roll call for a vote.
Among the most blue of blue states in the nation, and enjoying Democratic Party-held Senate and House chambers as well as the Governor’s seat, Hawaii seemed poised to follow in the footsteps of 15 other U.S. states that have done away with arrests and jail time for low-level marijuana possession busts, opting to issue nominal fines instead.

TokeoftheTown.com

Update 6/12/2013: Hawaii’s proposed decriminalization bill that would have set a $1,000 fine for possession of up to an ounce has been changed, dropping the fine back to it’s original proposed limit of $100. It comes with a catch, though, the decriminalized amount would also be dropped to a 20 grams – eight short of the ounce originally promised. Money collected from fines would go toward the state general fund.

Oklevueha Native American Church
Michael Rex “Raging Bear” Mooney, right, and the Oklevueha Native American Church want their marijuana back.

​The 9th Circuit last week heard arguments to let a Native American church get some marijuana replaced that federal drug agents confiscated and local police destroyed years ago.

Michael Rex “Raging Bear” Mooney and the Oklevueha Native American Church of Hawaii filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief in 2009 after the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized a FedEx package with about five pounds of cannabis in Tupperware containers inside, reports Purna Nemani at Courthouse News.
Mooney said he planned to use the marijuana in certain religious ceremonies, specifically “lunar use” and “sweat lodge use.” He contends that the DEA interfering with those activities constitutes a violation of his religious freedom.
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