Connect with us

Arizona

Psychedelic Churches in Arizona Score Big Wins in Court 

Published

on


Although certainly not common or mainstream quite yet, psychedelic churches which use some type of hallucinogenic substance as a sacrament have grown in popularity over the last few years, especially as research emerges pointing to the many benefits of using these drugs. The churches have faced scrutiny and harassment from police and law makers, but thanks to a renewed interest in psychedelics and some recent revisions to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, many of the churches that were raided are suing their states of residence – and winning!

Check out the latest win from Arizona, brush up on the most current laws on cannabis and psychedelics in the state, and learn more about the prevalence of psychedelic churches in the US.

What’s the news? 

Before getting into the recent hearing, let’s start with a little bit of background information. Three years ago, law enforcement agents in Phoenix, Arizona, raided the residence of Clay Villanueva, a local pastor who was known for facilitating ayahuasca ceremonies. Federal agents arrest him on conspiracy charges after finding a surplus of ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, and cannabis.  

Phoenix, Arizona

Villanueva filed a lawsuit against the DEA, which has recently been approved for trial. Villanueva, who was on the board of directors for the North American Association of Visionary Churches, passed away on April 1st, 2022. However, his church Vine of Light, is one of two churches who got some good news regarding their court cases over legal status. Several other churches were part of the lawsuit, but only Vine of Light and another one in Tucson, the Arizona Yage Assembly (AYA), can proceed to trial. 

Back in March, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton allowed a claim by the churches rejecting the DEA’s requests to dismiss the case. And a few weeks ago, on May 4th, District Court Judge Roslyn Silver ruled that the case could move forward to trial. They were granted religious exemptions under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.  

The next hearing is scheduled for June 6th, but I wasn’t able to find any new information about it so it may have been postponed. But if the churches win their case, they would be immune to federal prosecution and can go on conducting spiritual ceremonies that incorporate psychedelic drugs, without fear of arrest.  

All about ayahuasca  

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew made by combining the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with the leaves from the Psychotria viridis shrub, and boiling or heating for a prolonged period of time. It was originally used for spiritual and ceremonial purposes by tribes in the Amazon basin, but over the years, it’s grown in popularity throughout the US and other countries as well.  

Although it’s still used spiritually – as many churches continue to keep it as their sacrament – ayahuasca is also utilized for its medicinal properties, particularly fighting depression and drug addiction. Recent studies show that, when used correctly, Ayahuasca can reduce dependency on certain substances; an incredibly important benefit when we consider the rate of addiction and overdose deaths in the United States alone.  

Despite all the emerging research making headlines, the active ingredient in ayahuasca, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), remains illegal. According to the controlled substances act, DMT is classified as a schedule 1 narcotic, meaning it has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse”. We know this is not true, but that’s the law.  

Luckily, there is an exemption in the law that allows for religious use of ayahuasca, as per the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a federal law enacted in 1993 that “ensures that interests in religious freedom are protected.” A landmark 2006 Supreme Court decision to allow ayahuasca as a sacrament, brought by O Centro Espírita Beneficente União do Vegetal church (based in Brazil, with a branch in New Mexico), has been cited in over 1,200 judicial actions and law review articles to date.  

Psychedelic churches popping up in the US 

A rising demand for ayahuasca and other natural entheogens has led to an increase in churches and retreat centers that facilitate spiritual psychedelic experiences. Many of these churches are fighting legal battles, and many are pointing to the aforementioned case in New Mexico in order to protect their right to use hallucinogens in their ceremonies.  

Some are coming out of victorious, like a church in Oregon that sued for ayahuasca use and won. Others, unfortunately, are facing long, drawn out court battles, like Soul Quest Church of Mother Earth from Florida, who is hoping an appeal court can revive their challenging of a DEA ruling that prohibits their use of ayahuasca tea as a sacrament.  

“In every major city in the United States, every weekend, there’s multiple ayahuasca ceremonies. It’s not just a twice-a-year thing,” said Sean McAllister, who represents an Arizona church in a lawsuit against the federal government after its ayahuasca from Peru was seized at the port of Los Angeles. 

But the popularity of hallucinogens is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it has led to more research and some loosened restrictions on certain substances (at an incredibly slow rate, but it’s better than never). On the other hand, it has also led to some increased scrutiny about the safety of the drugs, as well as the churches and retreats themselves. Many churches felt it was more effort than it was worth, and have chosen to stop operating entirely over fears of prosecution.  

What’s legal in Arizona? 

As far as drugs go, not very much is legal in Arizona. The state has both medical and recreational cannabis, the latter of which was legalized in November 2020. While most people believe that medical has only been available for the past few years (because that’s when Arizona decided to expand their medical program), but the law to allow cannabis for certain therapeutic reasons passed back in 1996, shortly after California became the first state to do so. There was much debate as to whether the law was invalid based on a technicality.  

Ketamine is also somewhat legal in Arizona, but only for medical use. Much like the rest of the country, you can find several ketamine treatment centers throughout the state, although the extremely high cost of treatment is prohibitive for many people. In recreational contexts, ketamine is illegal and considered a schedule 1 narcotic.  

Completely illegal at the moment are LSD and MDMA, both of which are considered “dangerous substances” resulting in penalties of up to four years for a first offence of simple possession, and up to fifteen years for repeat offenders. This applies to both of the aforementioned substances.  

Psilocybin mushrooms are illegal as well, but they do grow naturally in various parts of the state. The most common species of shrooms in Arizona is Psilocybe aztecorum. These color of these mushrooms ranges from dark brown to light yellow, depending on light and hydration. Like most states, magic mushroom spores are legal, because only the fruiting bodies contain psilocybin.  

Psilocybe aztecorum

Additionally, there is a bill in the works that would ease regulations on psilocybin, House Bill 2486, which has bipartisan support. The bill seeks to provide $30 million to help learn more about how mushrooms can potentially assist with conditions such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety. “I’ve seen first-hand how extraordinary psilocybin and other psychedelics can be,” VivaMed CEO and Founder said Kendric Speagle, CEO and Founder of VivaMed. Speagle says he’s always looking for new, effective treatment options. 

As a Navy veteran, he also knows just how limited current treatment options have been. “There’s a real urgency to come up and develop better therapeutics,” he said. “And we think psychedelics have tremendous promise for helping vets that can’t find relief in other ways.” 

Final thoughts  

Although the Arizona case has yet to reach a final ruling, because of the very cut and dry text in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, it’s expected that they will win. And a win for spiritual hallucinogenic use is a win for all of us!

Hello readers. We’re happy to have you with us at Cannadelics.com; a news source here to bring you the best in independent reporting for the growing cannabis and hallucinogen fields. Join us frequently to stay on top of everything, and subscribe to our Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, for updates straight to your email. Check out some awesome promos for cannabis buds, smoking devices and equipment like vapes, edibles, cannabinoid compounds, amanita mushroom products, and a whole bunch more. Let’s all get stoned together!



Source link

Continue Reading

Arizona

Keeler: Do Deion Sanders, CU Buffs have path to College Football Playoff? “They absolutely do”

Published

on

By



BOULDER — Ralphie’s path to the College Football Playoff? Turn left at Texas Tech’s secondary, take a right past Isaac Wilson, do a U-turn at Arrowhead and pump the brakes on Ollie Gordon.

“They do (have a way). They absolutely do,” Fox Sports college football analyst Geoff Schwartz told me Thursday. “Because the schedule dictates a chance to win all these (November) games.”

The Red Raiders can’t defend the pass. Utah can’t score. Kansas and Oklahoma State can’t give a darn.

Read the rest of this story on TheKnow.DenverPost.com.



Source link

Continue Reading

Arizona

CU Buffs star Travis Hunter “should play, for certain” at Arizona, coach Deion Sanders says

Published

on

By



BOULDER — The Travis Hunter Heisman Train could soon be getting back on track.

Hunter, the Buffs’ two-way star, “should play, for certain” at Arizona on Saturday, coach Deion Sanders said during a news conference Tuesday.

The junior cornerback/wide receiver left CU’s home loss to Kansas State last weekend after taking a hit to his upper body with 8:08 left in the second quarter.

Read the rest of this story on TheKnow.DenverPost.com.



Source link

Continue Reading

Arizona

America’s tastiest THC vapes of Labor Day 2024 and beyond

Published

on

By


Planning on working next weekend? You’re doing it wrong.

Summer officially ends with the Labor Day weekend—which means barbecues, hikes, parades, concerts, and some serious seshing. 

Labor Day and the fall season make for superb occasions to rip the vape. THC vape carts and pods get you lit in a low-profile way—that means no stink-eye from judgy parents or nosy neighbors. You just sip it and rip it to get lifted on the tastiest terps legal weed has to offer.

Here are some of our favorites.

California

Arcata Fire Rosin Syrup Disposable

Arcata Fire + Ridgeline LANTZ all-in-one pen. (Courtesy Arcata Fire)

A brand that’s made a big splash with its cartridge lines, Arcata Fire has multiple awards for its vape flavors. They produce a killer 510 threaded live rosin and live resin selection, but for those looking for that top-shelf experience, track down one of their AVD hardware Rosin Syrup disposables, especially the Lantz flavor they made together with Ridgeline Farms. At Hash Week in San Francisco, they held a sneak peek at some upcoming flavors and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them taking home another trophy next year. (Matt Jackson)

Suprize Suprize Live Resin Carts

Part of Royal Key, one of the best living soil producers on the West Coast, Suprize Suprize is their art department, releasing collabs not just between them and farmers but artists as well. These full-gram 510 cartridges and all-in-one disposables are made from fresh frozen flower only and have flavors like Apricot Cherry Chill and Midnight Sapphire. We recommend searching out the Fuel Z, a ((Sunset Sherbet x (OGTT) x (RS11 x Geist)) No.186. Featuring the same batch of Live Resin they use in their super popular jars of frosting, just split into two formulations for the vape smokers in their audience. (Matt Jackson)

Shasta Hash Co. Rosin Disposable

A newer name to some of you Cali smokers living outside the central area, Shasta Hash Co. has been pumping out disposable rosin pens that are lighting up consumers as well as the Reddit threads. They have a massively tasty Grape Gas right now that’s a big score if you can find it, or try the Ambrosia which combines that with some strong Orange Terps. Shasta Hash Co. uses O2 vape hardware which seems to be the biggest hit with small-batch hash makers who are trying to get the best terp expression from their work. The vape world keeps moving to ‘solventless’ and away from volatile solvents like butane. (Matt Jackson)

See also: All-in-ones from Kalya and Nasha.

Oregon

Fenario Farms Rosin Disposable 

Located in Eugene, Oregon, this small-scale, family farm holds the title for best pod/cartridge from the Oregon Grower’s Cup in 2023 and previously won their Master Grower title in 2020. Fenario Farms runs a bunch of gear from noteworthy breeders like Symbiotic Genetics, Archive Seed Bank, and Masonic Seed. Their half-gram, disposable rosin pods feature iKrusher hardware and, along with a great Papaya, the flavor lineup right now has a couple of extra notable hitters on deck like the Grape Fanta and Super Boof. (Matt Jackson)

Shop highly rated dispensaries near you

Showing you dispensaries near

See all dispensaries

Entourage Cannabis Live Resin Cartridge

Entourage works with a number of incredible partner farms throughout Oregon. They recently released a full-gram live resin all-in-one which carries enormous clouds of flavor but we want to focus on their outstanding selection of live resin 510 threaded cartridges. For smokers looking for something classic or that they’ve never had the chance to try before, Entourage has flavors like Caffeine x Gold Moonshine, Lebanese Spice, and Portofino #13. We highly recommend lighter smokers check out their Nightmare Cookies, which despite the name actually carries a 2:1 CBD to THC ratio. (Matt Jackson)

Washington

Pacific & Pine Live Rosin Cartridge

Residing in the eastern high plains of Washington, this farm specializes in native soil-grown cannabis and is proudly family-owned and operated. They have a line of half-gram, solventless, single-source, ceramic AVD 510 cartridges that are a big hit. You can also get them in an all-in-one version. Check out Guava Wookie or the Orange Fruit Snax. (Matt Jackson)

Blush Velvet Rosin Disposable

The female-owned hash brand Blush Velvet has a great lineup of rosin disposables that they’ve put out on the market including Gelato Mintz and Birkinz. These feature O2 Vapes rechargeable hardware and represent some of the best top-shelf options for Washington’s solventless vape fans. (Matt Jackson)

Colorado

Green Dot Labs Live Rosin Carts

Colorado’s mile-high altitude and arid air can be brutal on fresh flower, but it’s perfect for making hash. Colorado’s leading concentrate brand Green Dot Labs gets the terps flowing with their “Blue Label” line of single-source, live-rosin carts. The plant never touches butane or other volatile solvents. They do it all with ice, water, screens, heat, and pressure. Green Dot’s hardware is high-end, too. They use borosilicate glass and stainless steel—so there’s no plastic mixing with the oil. The 510-thread carts work best with their variable-voltage battery for a super-low-temp ‘sesh mode.’ Strains right now include Red Froot, Blu Froot, Holy F#@k, and Thunderdome.

Arizona

Connected live resin cartridges

Arizona is awash in vape carts—with nearly 700 cartridge options in Phoenix alone. The Copper State is still getting up the learning curve on live rosin, but they’ve got plenty of live resin and distillate carts on tap for the pool party. Standing out—Connected brand live resin carts of Lemonatti (Gelonade x Biscotti)—a chill, flavorful hybrid. Connected has been leading the cannabis game since the medical era in California.

See also: MPX Melting Point Extracts Triangle Kush sauce cart; the Select BRIQ all-in-one 2-gram Clementine; nugrun live resin all-in-one Forbidden Fruit, Canamo all-in-one live resin Blue Dream. More top vape brands in Arizona: Stiiizy, MFused, Select, and Canamo.

Michigan

Element live resin disposables

Michigan legalization has resulted in intense competition and even bigger savings and quality for consumers. One-gram vape carts start at just $7—versus $70 in command economies like New York. All the big brands play in The Mitt—including Select, ROVE, Airo, Stiiizy, and Timeless vapes. So what’s good? Check out the Element brand live resin all-in-one (aka ‘disposable’) vape in strains like Peanut Butter Breath. The cart hits crazy strong and tasty, with 81% THC and 9.65% terpenes. The multi-cannabis cup-winning brand avoids distillate and sketchy additives like non-cannabis flavorings. Other strains include Gorilla Cherry, Island Paradise, Rainbow Belts, Strawberry Cream Cake, Moby Grape, and Granny’s Apple Fritter.

Ohio

Select BRIQ Elite

Ohio’s legal weed regime is less than a month old and sales are hot, hot, hot. Run, do not walk to the limited supplies of legal, tested vapes—and avoid sketchy vapes sold on the streets and head shops. Popular national brand Select brings its all-in-one device the BRIQ to recreational smokers in the hot strain Bubblegum Gelato. The 2-gram unit runs $75. See also: Timeless Vapes, and Vapen.

Illinois

Daze Off Jokerz #31 + Dante’s Inferno

Chi-town comes down from a raucous Democratic National Convention this week—good thing there are over 300 vape options in the city. The brand Daze Off clearly understands the assignment with a brilliant lineup of new cultivars in vape form. Other strains include Crossbreeze (Cap Junky + Jungle Lava), French Inhale (YUZU Sorbet + Jokerz 31), Alternate Reality (Durban Poison + MAC 1), Power Stone (Jokerz 31 + Florida Oranges), Arc Reactor (Durban Poison + NF-1). Daze Off comes from the grower making Aeriz products. See also in Illinois: Rhythm, Cresco, 

New York / New Jersey

Luci Live Rosin AIO

New York’s market is young, but their operators remain dedicated to the grind of staying on trend. Luci made a splash this past year with their 2-gram hash hole joints, and now they’re rounding out their product line with dabbables and vapes. For optimal discretion and optimal terps, their live rosin all-in-one half-gram disposables deliver, with a range of fruit forward strains like Strawberry Parfait. These run a pretty penny, ($60 for half a gram) but the pairing of potency and pungent flavor make them well worth it for terpheads. We recommend the classic Blueberry Muffin. (Amelia Williams)

Massachusetts

Suncrafted Cannabis live rosin vapes

We already gave Suncrafted Cannabis a shoutout for their award-winning rosin gummies, but their accolades don’t stop there. Their in-house live rosin vape cart placed fourth at the 2024 Boston NECANN Cup, for good reason. Their options run the terp spectrum, from Mandarin Cookies to Garlic Butter, and offer high-CBD options for those who need an alternative to THC. (Amelia Williams)

Beboe Downtime Vape Pen

Massachusetts’ legal cannabis market keeps improving this fall. Boston alone has 246 legal, tested vape options—crazy considering its Puritan roots. One unique national standout—the Beboe Downtime vape pen. It’s classier, effect-based, and lower-THC for a more mature crowd. The pen comes “socially dosed” at 60% THC, which is plenty. Additionally, it has 15% CBD to prevent anxiousness. The ‘downtime’ effects also come from a custom blend of minor cannabinoids CBN, CBG, and CBDV. See also in Massachusetts: The Clear, Airo, Sanctuary Medicinals, and Fernway.

Maryland

SunMed Labs live resin carts

SunMed Growers is one of Maryland’s biggest cultivators, but their sister brand SunMed Labs handles the extracts and vapables. You can get disposables and distillates, if that’s your thing, but their live-resin 510 carts maintain the integrity of their greenhouse flower strains, and run the gamut of classics and new flavors. We recommend the immutable Maui Wowie, Lemon Berry Tart, and Kush Cake. (Amelia Williams)

Maine

Third Shift Resin live rosin carts

Maine has no shortage of heady hash, but not everyone can transfer that solventless integrity from the jar to the cart. Third Shift Resin, however, have managed to package their beloved line of rosin into vape pens in over a dozen strains. Exotic, little-known flavors are their specialty, with options like Pineapple Kiwi, Dole Whip, and Piegasm Punch. Just make sure your medical card is up to date, as they are for patients only, but offer reciprocity for patients from 28 states, plus D.C. See also: Maine Craft Cannabis (Amelia Williams)

Missouri

The Clear Blue Raz 2-gram distillate cart

Missouri has 100% legal cannabis and it’s awesome. Kansas City, MO alone has 126 vape options for pickup and delivery. On the top shelf, The Clear brand distillate carts like Blue Raz. The fat tank contains 2 grams of potent oil that tests at 85% THC and other cannabinoids. Blue Raz tastes bright, sweet, and jammy—juicy and sweet enough to have you think about the last time you had a slushie. The Clear uses food-grade glass tanks, stainless steel posts, and ceramic heating tech—as opposed to cheaper plastic. The Clear brand helped pioneer legal extracts all the way back in 2012 in California. Other cultivars include Grapevine and Lime Sorbet all-in-one. See also: BRIQ, The Clear, ROVE, Timeless, Airo.

New Mexico

ghost. Blue Dream 2g All-In-One’

One of the southwest’s newest legal weed states, New Mexico gets up to speed on national trends this fall. For example, the brand ghost. offers a 2-gram ‘all-in-one’ ready-to-use vape in the most popular flavor of the US—Blue Dream. Ghost started in 2019, and the all-in-one has this small, innocuous form factor that won’t attract attention. Other cultivars in the solid lineup include Black Mamba, Apple Jacks, GMO, Slurricane, Guava, and Horchata. See also in New Mexico: Dime, O.pen, Airo.

Pennsylvania

Standard Farms All-in-One rosin vape

Don’t write off the medical-only states. Standard Farms have products in multiple states, but only Pennsylvania have their new rosin vapes, available in both 510 and disposable form. Your best bet at finding flavors like Biscotti Pie and Blue Slushie are at Rise dispensaries throughout the state. (Amelia Williams)

And that’s 15 states of tasty vapes for Labor Day 2024 and beyond. There’s even more so take a spin around Leafly.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending

Copyright © 2021 The Art of MaryJane Media