Althouse: "Madison police have been investigating Lion of Judah [House of Rastafari] since March, after receiving a tip that it was little more than a place to sell marijuana."

June 4, 2019

"Madison police have been investigating Lion of Judah [House of Rastafari] since March, after receiving a tip that it was little more than a place to sell marijuana."

"Schworck and Bangert claim they provide marijuana as a 'sacrament' in exchange for donations.... Schworck and Bangert have sued the city in U.S. District Court, alleging the city violated their freedom to practice their religion when police seized marijuana on March 26 and the city, two weeks later, ordered them to stop the sale and use of marijuana at the church."

From "Landlord seeks to evict 'church' that took 'donations' for marijuana" (Wisconsin State Journal).

28 comments:

gspencer said...: A drug as part of the sacrament? Ah, yes, brings me back to all those fond memories of People v. Woody, 61 Cal.2d 716 (1964).; 6/4/19, 7:28 AM
traditionalguy said...: High times In old Madison. Now will they legalize sex workers for The Dems Convention coming to Milwaukee.; 6/4/19, 7:46 AM
Earnest Prole said...: It was also rumored the Lion of Judah provided dangerous narcotic diet pills to its members.; 6/4/19, 7:52 AM
Wince said...: "And you put your weeeeed in here."; 6/4/19, 8:09 AM
Gojuplyr831@gmail.com said...: This one is alot more fun:

https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/620/648/394867/; 6/4/19, 8:10 AM
Fernandinande said...: This is a cult, not a real religion. A real religion would use wine.; 6/4/19, 8:11 AM
BarrySanders20 said...: My son just returned from Madison after his first year there and told me about this outfit. Says he heard about it from friends.; 6/4/19, 8:33 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: What was their first clue? Jeez, laugh out loud funny right off the bat.; 6/4/19, 8:37 AM
robother said...: A marijuana bust? I'm surprised the Madison police are ignoring the more serious offense of appropriating black culture.; 6/4/19, 8:39 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: Yeah, it would be funnier if they were Black, but this has a pleasingly nostalgic Cheech and Chong feel to it. Before there were weed store ads on the front page of the Giant Nickel.; 6/4/19, 8:41 AM
Howard said...: Trustafarians; 6/4/19, 8:53 AM
Paul from Mpls said...: 2011:

www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/Driver_Causes_Thousands_in_Damage_After_Driving_Through_Wet_Concrete_126154188.html

"A Wisconsin man cost the state thousands of dollars in damage by driving through wet concrete.

"31-year-old Jesse Schwork was driving Friday night on a section of highway that was closed for repairs near Sparta.

"Workers managed to stop him after he drove around road closure signs and through about 200 feet of wet concrete."

Frankly I suspect it might be the same guy.; 6/4/19, 8:57 AM
n.n said...: A pretense to prosecute a weird and peculiar orientation. Oh, well. Marijuana is progressing.; 6/4/19, 9:12 AM
JAORE said...: Hmmmm.... tax free ("church") dope sales.

Good times.; 6/4/19, 9:22 AM
madAsHell said...: I think I've seen at least two attempts to hide prostitution behind the first amendment in Seattle. I remember one was called the "Church of Venus". They had naked ladies dancing in front of the congregation.; 6/4/19, 9:22 AM
n.n said...: Call it a mosque, a synagogue, or temple. Better yet, a chamber that indulges progressive rites, with ethically and legally impenetrable walls.; 6/4/19, 9:25 AM
NCMoss said...: Judah and the Lion on the other hand ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBx0iZvYQjU; 6/4/19, 9:40 AM
Big Mike said...: Goes to show what happens when you think you don’t have yo pay protection money to the local Democrats.; 6/4/19, 9:42 AM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: "This will be a discrimination lawsuit if the police are raiding a minority person who says he is practicing a religion..."

Matter of fact, the church was picketed by POC and SJW for appropriating the Black man's racist religion.; 6/4/19, 9:56 AM
Fernandinande said...: MADISON, Wis. - About 20 protesters gathered outside Lion of Judah House of Rastafari on Wednesday to raise awareness of what they say is racist, homophobic and anti-feminist conduct by the organization.

...They estimate that more than 20,000 people have become members.

[Black busybody] Dana Pellebon ... was specifically concerned with the appropriation of Rastafarianism by the white men who founded the Lion of Judah.

"Rasafari is a religion meant for the empowerment of black people, so I wanted to know why it is they were using my culture to appropriate the ability to sell an illegal substance," Pellebon said.; 6/4/19, 10:19 AM
Fernandinande said...: "
The church shared a since-deleted post depicting wildlife enthusiast Steve Irwin holding up a black woman with the text, “Here we have a wild hoodrat [w/pic] … Once a hoodrat reaches sexual maturity, she will begin a mating dance known as ‘twerking’ to find a mate to supply her with food and shelter.”
"

That article misuses the word "meme" to mean a photoshopped picture.; 6/4/19, 10:56 AM
Gojuplyr831@gmail.com said...: Rasafari is a religion meant for the empowerment of black people, so I wanted to know why it is they were using my culture to appropriate the ability to sell an illegal substance," Pellebon said.

Is she Jamaican? If not, why is she appropriating Jamaican culture?; 6/4/19, 11:02 AM
Narr said...: What a delightful multiculti melange we are becoming! A South Asian (?) female landlord has to evict two Nordic-looking doofuses for selling bud under cover of a religion that was made up by descendants of west Africans, centered on a Christian east African monarch.

Narr
But if it keeps them from going Goth . . .; 6/4/19, 11:16 AM
Earnest Prole said...: I think I've seen at least two attempts to hide prostitution behind the first amendment in Seattle.

Why wouldn't it be covered under freedom of expression? It's a performance like any other, no?; 6/4/19, 11:17 AM
Iman said...: These two individuals have a distinct bumbaclot look about them.; 6/4/19, 11:37 AM
Molly said...: I was doing a crossword recently and the clue "Follower of Marcus Garvey" was used to clue the word RASTA.

In Washington DC, which decriminalized possession of marijuana, but continued with making sale of marijuana illegal, some clever entrepreneur offered bottled water at $40 a bottle, and made a gift to customers of the marijuana. I'm not sure how the legality of that ploy was decided.; 6/4/19, 11:40 AM
n.n said...: prostitution... Why wouldn't it be covered under freedom of expression? It's a performance like any other, no?

Yes, an assembly of poles and holes, coincident with Planned Parenthood or a similar utility. But people thinks it's weird, then comes social progress.; 6/4/19, 11:55 AM
mikee said...: In 1980, a college friend got high with a group of newly made friends of the Rasta persuasion. His review of the free weed experience was that the ganga was kinda rough, and the guys were smelly. So it goes.; 6/4/19, 10:33 PM