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Religion & Law

: Religion Clause

Legal Peyote For Ceremonial Purposes Is Becoming Hard To Find

By Howard M. Friedman

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Yesterday's Brownsville (TX) Herald reports that peyote, used in ceremonies by members of certain Native American religions, is becoming more difficult to obtain. A special exception in federal drug laws-- 42 USC 1992a-- permits Native Americans to use the otherwise banned hallucinogen for traditional religious ceremonial purposes. Peyote grows naturally only in four south Texas counties, and traditionally it has been harvested by peyoteros who then sell it to Native American vhurch members. The DEA and the Texas Department of Public Safety supervise their work. However it has become more profitable for Texas ranchers to lease their land to oil developers or as hunting preserves, than to get fees from peyote harvesters seeking out the rare cactus. This is leading to over-harvesting of the remaining U.S. supplies. Church members believe they must use naturally growing peyote, so greenhouse cultivation is not an option. Mexico has a large supply of the cactus, but is unlikely to allow export because of U.S. pressure on it regarding illegal drugs.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on June 30, 2008 (boomark / email).