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Ministers sentenced, Church seized
Submitted by jacob on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 14:35
Church of the Universe founders, Reverend Walter Tucker (75) and Reverend Michael Baldasaro (58) were today sentenced to massive jail sentences for distributing sacrament to members of their church. In addition to more than 18 months in jail each, the courts are taking their $98,000 property as an “offence-related property”. All this, for less than $100 in marijuana.
Hamilton police investigated the church, which did not sell to minors, or support organized crime, for almost a year, purchasing small amounts of marijuana 5 times before conducting a raid.
It is unthinkable that in Canada, in 2008, that two reverends would be sentenced to year plus sentences for distributing their religious sacrament to fellow adults. These two men have dedicated their lives to the non-violent use and distribution of a substance that they are fighting to legalize, a substance that doesn't hurt people.
The Canadian Senate studied marijuana for 2 years, concluding that the prohibition of Marijuana is more dangerous to society than the substance itself.
Our courts have ruled in the past that our Freedom of Expression covers any act that is intended to convey a message without harming others.
Combining these facts, one is forced to go back to the statement, it is unthinkable that in Canada, two people could be sentenced to over a year in jail and deprived of their property for using distributing a relatively harmless herb to protest the dangerous prohibition of that same substance.
The BC Marijuana Party believes that the Church of the Universe should remain open and it's founders free. Marijuana is a relatively harmless substance which must be regulated to maintain our society. Simply, too many adults in our society have chosen to use marijuana to effectively prohibit it. It is incumbent upon the government to only impose criminal penalties on acts which harm others, in this case, there has been no harm, except, of course, to the two reverends.
Canadians support legal and regulated marijuana. Government must recognize this fact and stop jailing Canadians for using a plant humans have consumed for thousands of years.
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