‘Native American’ Church Sues the Feds to Get Its Pot Back

A Utah church is suing the feds for seizing marijuana it mailed to a cancer patient, citing protections afforded by its Indian spirituality. But activists call the church a mockery.

An Oklevueha Native American Church medicine woman from Oregon mailed a 5-ounce package of pot—the sacrament of cannabis—to an ailing church member in Ohio on Dec. 10, 2015.

The package never made it. It was seized by law enforcement, as Joy Graves discovered when she used UPS’s online tracking option to track her package. Graves and the church, founded by James “Flaming Eagle” Mooney, turned around and sued for the company and the federal government for their weed and the right to ship it wherever they please, citing federal religious freedom laws as the basis.

Mooney, who claims Native American ancestry but is not a member of a federally recognized tribe, told The Daily Beast by phone Tuesday that he...

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