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Dec. 2008 Speech

Drafted 12/5/2008

Written and presented by, Rev. Kevin A. Loring

Hello and thank you for your valuable time. The Temple of Advanced Enlightenment would like to collaborate with the City of Bangor to distribute medicinal cannabis to qualified patients under Maine law. Currently there is no safe place for patients to receive this medication, or even seeds and instructions on how to grow their own. Under Maine law a patient may choose a caregiver for this task we would like to be that caregiver. We are not talking about simply dolling out cannabis to anyone who shows up, quite the opposite. We want to create a HOSPICE style care giving program that extends all the same care giving functions as an actual caregiver would. This program would be made of volunteers and weekly dispersal overseen by the Bangor Police Department to ensure the continuity of public safety & awareness.  

The drug laws are not generally applicable criminal laws.  Federal laws have spiritual use exemptions for peyote. The Maine drug law has exemptions for marijuana, such as medical exemptions for qualified Maine patients.  The very nature of the drug laws shows they are not your usual garden variety criminal laws.  There is no administrative process for asking that the murder laws be repealed, changed, or an exemption granted.  There is no administrative process for asking that the robbery laws be repealed, changed, or an exemption granted.  The drug laws have such an administrative process because criminal penalties only attach for using drugs illegally, not for using them legally as defined by State, Federal & International law.

State law enforcement officers cannot arrest medical marijuana patients or seize their medicine simply because they prefer the contrary federal law. On Dec. 1^st of this year the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review a landmark decision, in which California state courts found that its medical marijuana law was not preempted by federal law. Advocates assert that better adherence to state medical marijuana laws by local police will result in fewer needless arrests and seizures. In turn, this will allow for better implementation of medical marijuana laws not only in California, but in all states that have adopted such laws.

The Supreme Court also granted a permanent injunction against the DEA in 2006 for interfering with the sincere religious practices of the UDV, a Brazilian sect with 200 members in the United States. This sect also utilizes natural plants as an entheogen; in fact they too use a powerful hallucinogen, DMT made into a tea called hoasca. This decision, coupled with the longstanding religious use exemption for peyote show three things very clearly. One; that sincere religious use is an acceptable use not abuse. Two, the United States has no compelling interest in stopping the sincere religious practices of a faith, as long as they are a credit to their community and add peacefully to the celebrated diversity of those communities. And three; that the responsible and spiritual use of DMT and Peyote help keep these substances from becoming abused or diverted to sources outside their faith.

Due to the press coverage provided by the Bangor Daily News, we have made a lot of new friends and unfortunately also a lot of new enemies. Drug Dealers are afraid of our Temple, because we place a new value on cannabis that is not monetary. We are taking the money out of their pockets. This will lead to a decline in the number of drug dealers on our proud Maine streets. Less trafficking, less crime, and less violence, these are measurable results in the War on Drugs. Safer streets and safer medicines for Maine, absolutely free of charge to the Maine people.

Bangor Police Chief Ron Gastia is also worried about budget cuts at the MDEA.  “I just met with the [City] Council and told them that we don’t have a handle on the drug problem at all. I informed them of the very real risk that MDEA [the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency] was at risk of losing one-third of its staff, and we can not pick up that ball.”

President Bush called for renewed religious freedom internationally and also called for new faith based initiatives to help provide much needed services to our communities. With new budget restraints and less officers statewide, we need more community involvement to ensure our beloved State can continue pursuing and providing for the safety, welfare and quality of life, for all Maine people.

Please seriously consider what we are offering. We welcome you to work with us for a positive, responsible change. You need not condone or personally believe our faith for us to work together as friends, to stand united against drug abuse and bring creative and proactive solutions to complex social problems within our State. Thank you.