MEDICAL MARIJUANA DEFENDANT GAINS ATTORNEY

WAILUKU Honolulu Attorney Michael Green will defend medical marijuana
advocate Raymond Christl against felony marijuana charges, Maui Circuit
Judge Shackley Raffetto confirmed in a hearing this morning. Raffetto
earlier entered a not guilty plea for Christl before he obtained an
attorney. Christl, a pastor at Religion of Jesus Church, which requires its
adult adherents to use marijuana as a sacrament, was arrested Oct. 22 at
his home near Wailuku, which is also used as a church. He admits police
found quantities of marijuana there, which he said were for medical use.
Christl founded the Maui Medical Marijuana Association in 1992 and has been
distributing the drug for the past two years, he said. On the day he was
arrested, the Ohana Aloha, which he helped form, had planned a marijuana
and hemp exposition at Wailuku Community Center.