Arizona “Associated Press – Frequently the debate of using marijuana for medicinal purposes comes up. But this time there was a debate in Arizona on whether or not the use of marijuana should be allowed if it is for religious purposes.
But an Arizona court has found that the constitution does not back the use of marijuana for religious reasons. The discussion stemmed from a case involving Danny Ray Hardesty in Yavapai County. The ruling in the state Court of Appeals upheld the conviction and sentence Hardesty received because he was in possession of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia.
Hardest tried to appeal his conviction on the grounds that he was using the drugs for religious reasons and that this is a freedom protected by the state and federal constitutions. Although the Court of Appeals recognizes that drug use for religious purposes can be a valid defense, in this case the use of marijuana is “more pervasive†and that the consistent ban on drug possession imposed by the government applies in this case.
Leave a Reply