AVON MAN CLAIMS RELIGIOUS RIGHT TO POT

Charged with misdemeanor possession, Trevor Douglas thinks religion
should save him

An Avon man is furious over a misdemeanor charge for possession of
marijuana because he says it violates his religious rights.

Trevor Douglas, 25, was recently pulled over in Georgetown by a
Colorado State Trooper for having expired license plate tags. When the
trooper smelled marijuana in Douglas' car, Douglas showed him the pipe
and less than one ounce of marijuana he had in the car.

Douglas said the court is trying him for his religious beliefs and
thinks that laws banning marijuana are off base.

Douglas, who lived in Hawaii before moving to Colorado, said he's a
member of the THC Ministry, also known as the Hawaii Cannabis
Ministry. The Web site for the ministry shows its motto as "we use
cannabis religiously and you can, too."

"If it's part of your religion, you should get security from this
prosecution of possession," Douglas. "That's how it is in Hawaii."

Douglas is quickly learning that Colorado isn't Hawaii - while medical
marijuana is legal in Colorado, marijuana is still illegal. The THC
Ministry also lists that the Hawaii County Police Department is the
only jurisdiction in the world with rules for its police officers
about the religious use of marijuana.

Douglas thought that he could flash his church identification card to
the Colorado trooper and that would clarify Douglas' use of the drug
and he'd get out of charges against him.

"I'm not a drug abuser by any means," Douglas said. "Cannabis is the
main sacrament in my religion."

Douglas said his religion is nearly identical to Christianity, but
it's the sacrament - cannabis - that is different. Just like
Christians who use wine and bread, and Native Americans who use
peyote, Douglas said cannabis is equally sacred for him.

"The tree of life, I personally believe it's the hemp plant, which is
cannabis," Douglas said.

Douglas can't afford an attorney, but said he's been doing research
before his March 9 court date. He said that marijuana has been grown
in the United States for hundreds of years and has only been illegal
for the last 70. He said the U.S. government's recognition of
marijuana as a preventative drug contradicts Colorado's laws allowing
it for medicinal uses for those with doctor permission to use the drug.

If it's preventative, Douglas said, everyone should be allowed to use
it without having to go to a doctor first.

Regardless of medical uses, Douglas said pot is literally part of his
religious beliefs and he wants to be excused for that.

"The original sacrament of Christianity is cannabis," Douglas said.
"The court is basically trying me for my religious beliefs."