POT-FOR-RELIGION QUEST IS JUST A SMOKE SCREEN

Maybe it's serious to them, but to most people, the plan by two Big Island
men to create so-called marijuana ministries is sillier than wool hats on a
sunny beach.

Jonathan Adler, who is running for Big Island mayor (no, his campaign slogan
isn't "A vote for Adler is a vote for pot"), and Roger Christie want to use
marijuana for legally recognized religious purposes and formal ceremonies.
Among other things, Christie intends to make it a sacrament in a wedding
ceremony.

The problem, as they see it, is that the state hasn't enacted a medical
marijuana law passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Ben Cayetano
earlier this year. The law protects people who smoke pot for medicinal
purposes from being prosecuted.

If the ultimate goal of Adler and Christie is legalization of marijuana,
they should stick to medical and societal arguments if they want a sense of
credibility in their otherwise quixotic quest. Claiming that marijuana is
important to their spirituality is just a bunch of smoke.