Hawaii Cannabis Minister Granted the Right to Assert Religious Defense in Federal Proceedings

Three Years in a Federal holding facility, now Rev Christie will finally have his day in court.

(COTTAGE GROVE, Ore.) - Over the weekend while spending time with one of my ministries mother/great grandmother's at the 22nd annual Seattle Hempfest, Mr. James "Flying Eagle" Mooney, leader of the Oklevueha Native American Church (ONAC), announced to me personally as well as a short-while later publicly, the wonderful news about the legal status of fellow cannabis freedom fighting warrior Reverend Roger Christie.

Reverend Christie, for those of you whom may not know or be aware of, is the founder of "The Hawaii Cannabis Ministries" (THC Ministries). He has been sitting unwillingly in a federal jail in Hawaii awaiting trial due to his teachings, encouragement and use of cannabis as a sacramental substance with his congregation.

Reverend Christie, whom happens to be the grandmother of my "Soldiers of Jah Ministries" of Oregon by the way, has been illegally detained in the Hawaiian Federal Correction system despite the promise of Due Process and the right to Speedy Trial in the US court systems since 2009, when his ministries were raided at the hands of state and federal authorities.

Since that time, Christie and congregation members on his behalf, have been begging for the right of sacramental defense as given under the 1st amendment of the United States Constitution if he's to stand trial in federal court for cannabis cultivation and distribution, but the pleas have gone unrecognized thus far, as he'd stood for those rights on his THC Ministries foundation alone.

But now, the tides have been forced to change, and with it brings good if not great news for both Christie as well as society as a whole, especially those of us martyring for cannabis as a whole and specifically for sacramental rights and acknowledgement in America as well, and that is this: "Roger will be able to use religious defense" in his 3+ year stalled criminal court proceeding if and when it finally progresses to trial in the US federal court system.

Roger Christie has been a cannabis activist turned sacrament minister & healer openly and legally licensed for a great many years, but the heat was on when Christie revealed physical proof that cannabis is in fact a legitimate sacramental substance as far as the world of religion is concerned and can be proven within the bible itself.

Christie filmed a short video on YouTube teaching as well as proving that cannabis is the primary ingredient in authentically made "Holy Anointing Oil" according to the definition of the "Living Torah", aka the Jewish/Hebrew Holy Bible, which by way is more accurate that the King James Version or any spin-off's thereafter as is is the actual text of the "Chosen People".

In the video, along with explaining the ingredients and measurements, Christie presents the page in the Living Torah's concordance that both verbally defines as well as pictorially shows the cannabis plant as being the main ingredient in the sacramental substance.

"Jesus Christ means 'I am anointed" which Christie contends confirms the importance of this knowledge being taught as well as learned and accepted. Followers of Christ are to be anointed with the sacramental substance according to biblical instruction, but since Catholicism banned the true substance more than a hundred years ago, a substitute to the placebo has been offered forward in it's place, of course hindering the users accessibility to true communion with our "Most High" creator.

Reverend Christie, along with his wife Share, and approximately a dozen of their congregation members were all arrested and charged federally with cannabis possession and cultivation related charges in 2009. All were arrested upon the raid and later released... all but one - Revered Roger Christie. It's said that he is the primal target as well as threat when it comes to cannabis use in the Hawaiian Islands, as that it's too dangerous to let him go on bail or own recognizance release.

This comes as great news to this reporter personally as I've angrily watched not one from the cannabis community come to his aid. "Religion & cannabis use should not be inner-mixed" said the lead attorney of NORML (The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) Mr. Kieth Stroup back in 2009 after the initial arrest.

As a result Rev. Christie has been fighting his uphill legal battle alone, with the help of a public defender of course. Stroup is a VIP in the cannabis community and his words carry great weight when it comes to the attorneys found within the movement. Now, at the news of the accomplishment, Stroup & the cannabis orgs attorneys are showing more positive support for Christie's mission on the public level during cannabis events.

Since Christie's arrest in 2009, only his immediate family were granted rights to see and visit with him, until 2011 when a stop was put to Christie's ability to spend time with his wife.

She has been begging for the right to visitation with him since, but has only thus far been allowed to see him during their scheduled appearances into court regarding the charges against them, they're not allowed to directly interact with one another while there.

A week prior, while talking with Reverend Carl Olsen, lead minister of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, which this reporter has personally been a member in good standing for more than 25 years, I'd asked him why it was that Roger Christie was not asserting the fact that in addition to being the head of the THC Ministries, he in fact is also an ordained minister in the Native American Church and is the only clergy representative of Okleuva in and for the Hawaiian islands.

Reverend Olsen currently sits in an Iowa federal prison himself on a 35 year sentence for having transported sacramental cannabis from his mother church-house in Jamaica over to their branching off-shoots in America.

Reverend Olsen quickly sent word and my question to Reverend Christie from his Iowa federal prison cell just a few short days prior to a hearing Christie would have in federal court regarding the proceeding of his case.

Receiving word of the great news from Reverend Mooney assures me that Roger will receive the religious respects entitled him federally while in court, and that he will in fact be recognized from this point forward as a sacramental substance minister as far as the court proceedings against him continue, a milestone of a victory to be had and a huge relief and sign of hope for the cannabis community as well as society as a whole.

Now, as the case slowly inches it's way closer to trial for the Christie's, not only is there a ray of new hope to be celebrated, but a bounty of blessings to be offered to this reporter and my ministries personally for my long time freedom fighting efforts encompassing cannabis liberation.

Reverend Mooney has blessed this reporting minister, with the gift of ordainment thru the Oklevuea Native American Church. Additionally, Reverend Healer Mooney has blessed Soldiers of Jah Ministries with the honor of becoming the Oklevuea Native American Church (ONAC) in addition to the ministries of it's own.

What this means, is that the federal rights to sacramental substance education & uses allowed to ONAC can now legally be obtained, practitioned and is sanctioned thru Soldiers of Jah Ministries, which currently operates a church-house in downtown Harrisburg, Oregon in the ole blue catholic missionary building with the steeple! For more information and or detail, please email this reporter directly at: joy.m.graves@gmail.com

The greatest of luck and bestest of wishes and blessings to Reverend Christie and the Hawaii Cannabis Ministries, may the truth and justice of fact bring you happiness, good health, victory and freedom!

Joy Maxine Graves, published author, cannabis reporter and photographer is best known for her involvement as a Cannabis Freedom Fighting Activist. Joy has shown herself to be quite the trooper when it comes to fighting for as well as defending Truth, Justice & Honor, for protecting the "weaker guy", and for standing her ground when faced with nothing but hate and diversity. As the #2 most beloved personal "Jack's Girl" to the Emperor of Hemp himself (Jack Herer, RIP) for more than 13 years, which is how Salem-News.com encountered her by the way, we soon-after couldn't help but to noticed her flare for photography as well as her knack with people, and she has become a valuable part of the Salem-News team.