Social - FREE Medicinal Marijuana in Bangor, Maine

[fnord]

Free Medicinal Marijuana in Bangor, Maine?

Bangor, Maine -- While combining Native American, Universalist, and Pagan theology, the Temple of Advanced Enlightenment in Bangor, Maine preaches love, compassion, and acceptance along with respect for Mother Earth. Priests and Priestesses of the Temple agree to a vow of poverty and must complete at least 500 hours of service to the local community. Following their philosophy of compassion and giving, the Temple is asking for local support in a plan to distribute marijuana to their neighbors.
The Temple hopes to dispense organically grown medicinal marijuana to those with a written prescription or recommendation from a doctor. They will provide the marijuana at no charge, but donations will be welcome. High Temple Priest Kevin Loring is the spokesman for the Temple. At the December 8th Bangor City Council meeting, Rev. Loring proposed the Temple's Compassionate Care plan to distribute medicinal cannabis. The Reverend asked the council to "work with us for a positive, responsible change". This proposal requests the Bangor Police Department to be present for one to two hours each week as marijuana is distributed to members of the community.
n 1999 Mainers voted to legalize marijuana for medicinal use. Persons receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer, as well as those suffering from HIV, glaucoma, seizures, and multiple

sclerosis, are allowed to possess or cultivate a small amount of marijuana for personal use. Caregivers of sick patients may also possess marijuana so they are able to distribute the medicine when needed by their patient. According to the Temple's website medicinal cannabis is not always smoked, "It can also be put into a capsule, made into tinctures and oils, steeped into warm teas and baked into cupcakes, brownies...". At this time, Maine's legalization of marijuana for medicinal use is primarily intended for individuals to grow their own plants. Legislature has refused to pass any bills pertaining to developing statewide or local distribution programs. Not having an official dispensing system has led to raids and arrests of legitimate distributors. Many legal users have turned to drug dealers to fill their prescriptions.

Providing a safe place for marijuana prescription patients to receive natural organic cannabis is Rev. Loring's goal. The Temple would like a representative or volunteer from the Bangor Police Department to be present during distribution so they can see that all state laws are being enforced. Volunteers and church members would be responsible for the marijuana distribution. The Bangor Police Chief Ron Gastia responded by claiming the department does not have the time or resources to participate. Although this initial response is negative, the Temple of Advanced Enlightenment hopes community support and continued meetings with the City Council will lead to a plan for distributing medicinal marijuana to residents of Bangor.

The Temple of Advanced Enlightenment is accepting new members, donations and volunteers.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...gor.html?cat=8

[fnord]

Group uses marijuana as sacrament
Temple of Advanced Enlightenment seeks religious exemption from DEA



BDN Staff
BANGOR, Maine — Every Tuesday and Sunday afternoon the living room in the Rev. Kevin Loring’s apartment becomes a tiny house of worship.
The head of the 3-year-old Temple of Advanced Enlightenment earlier this week stood next to a round table as five others sat on sofas and chairs pushed back against the walls. They formed an uneven circle in the second-floor walk-up.
“We use music as a form of prayer,” Loring, 28, told them as the service began. “It helps us to see a little bit more clearly.”
He played Ben Harper’s “I’ll Rise” as the worshippers bowed their heads. After the song, the minister gave thanks to the Pure One and to Mother Earth. Then the minister prepared the sacrament by placing a small amount of marijuana in a wooden pipe.
“The taking of the sacrament is a very serious tradition,” he said. “It’s a very holy spiritual tool. It is with great respect that we take part in the sacrament.”
Loring lit the pipe at 4:20 p.m., inhaled, exhaled, then took a drink of water from a large clear glass. The minister passed the pipe and lighter to his fellow clergyman, the Rev. Garrett Wozneak, 28, of Glenburn. Wozneak inhaled, exhaled, passed the pipe and drank from the glass Loring offered as they participated in the Sacred Smoking Circle.
In smoking marijuana followed by taking a drink, participants take in the four elements — marijuana from the earth, fire to light it, wind to inhale and exhale the smoke and water, according to Loring.
“Cannabis is the Divine Inheritance given to all people by Mother Earth so that we may unlock the mystery of the many and varied messages of the Pure One,” the group’s Web site states.
Responsible use of marijuana for spiritual enrichment is at the center of the religion that Loring, a Penobscot Indian, and others founded about three years ago. Members do not advocate for the legalization of marijuana because they believe its use requires spiritual guidance, the minister said.
“It’s important to take one eye from the physical realm to see more clearly in the spiritual,” Loring said. “That may sound like you are half blind, but you really are taking your focus from one place to another — a place where you can see real unconditional love.”
The use of marijuana as a sacrament by members is carefully monitored, he said. Temple members must be at least 18 years old and have completed basic religious studies of the Temple before they engage in rituals such as the Sacred Smoking Circle, Vision Quest, Blessing of Meals, Blessing of Home, Holy Anointing and Honoring the Deceased, which are religious rituals similar to those practiced in mainline religions.
Samantha Bailey, 20, of Winthrop met Loring online. Bailey said Tuesday that she was not raised in a religious tradition, but the Temple’s beliefs were “something I could wrap my brain around.”
“When I take in the sacrament,” she said, “it opens up my mind to different possibilities. I see things in a completely different way, and I see things that I would not normally have caught.”
Loring, Wozneak and Jillian Dunton are the group’s ordained clergy and make up the temple’s high council. In order to be ordained, each had to be a member for at least three years, complete 500 hours of community service, be tested by other council members, sign an affidavit of spiritual cannabis use and take a vow of pov-erty, compassion and morality.
The Temple’s beliefs are based in what are considered by theologians to be Native American traditions. Loring and other clergy wear black shirts and robes similar to those worn by clergy in Christian denominations but with green instead of white collars.
“Native American [and] First Nations religion is primarily about experience, not about theology or doctrine,” according to the fourth edition of “How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook. It is simultaneously a personal and a profoundly communal experience. The nearly universal rule among Native peoples that explains this, is that ceremonies, customs and various cultural traditions, which are all ways of exercising spirituality, are, at their core, community activities for community members.”
Giving back to the community is central to the Temple’s theology, according to information on the Temple’s Web site. Members and seekers meet twice a month at the Union Street Brick Church in Bangor to discuss how to best do that.
One idea the group is exploring is distributing medical marijuana, which is legal in Maine if prescribed by a physician, to people in the Bangor area who have been advised to use marijuana but cannot obtain it legally.
The Temple is in the process of asking the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for a religious use exception so members don’t need to fear arrest, according to Loring. Its mission statement also includes providing public education programs on religious freedom and civil rights in relation to smoking marijuana.
“As human beings, we’re wired to want to know more about spirituality,” the Rev. Lee Witting, owner of the Union Street Brick Church, said after Tuesday night’s meeting. “There’s a whole generation that has the same spiritual yearning that we in traditional Judeo-Christian traditions have, but they have no direction in which to point their spiritual curiosity.
“This is an intellectual approach to spiritual use of marijuana,” Witting, who also is a chaplain at Eastern Maine Medical Center, said, “that might keep them from using other more destructive drugs. They are doing something good and taking a new approach so I’m glad to let them use the space.”
In the Sacred Smoking Circle on Tuesday afternoon, Loring told worshippers to take in a positive better tomorrow when they inhaled and to exhale the negativity that kept them from becoming better people.
“When I take in the sacrament,” Bailey said, “it opens my mind up to different possibilities. When I blow out the negative energy, it really feels that way to me, like I’m expelling the bad.”
The Temple of Advanced Enlightenment will hold its next meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the Union Street Brick Church on the corner of Union and First streets in Bangor. For more information, visit www.templegreen.org.
jharrison@bangordailynews.net
990-8207

Goals of the Temple of Advanced Enlightenment:
• Seek a spiritual use exemption from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
• Offer drug abuse intervention and mentoring.
• Promote cannabis as a narcotic replacement therapy.
• Distribute medical marijuana free.
• Educate public on spiritual use of marijuana.
• Partner with houses of worship, lawyers, colleges and universities.
• Seek a $60,000 grant from the Marijuana Policy Project.



http://bangornews.com/detail/94169.html

One of the coments left by the tmple on the bangor news website:

On 11/29/08 at 08:44 AM, TempleGreen wrote:
I hope everyone understand the basic tenants of religious freedom. That your right to believe we are wrong is the very right we fight to protect. I'm astonished at the level of animosity and intolerance displayed here. But I respect your opinions and freedom of speech. We want to live together in peace. We know full well how hateful people can be. We are not stupid, we KNOW that those who stand against us will try to demonize us and capitalize on messages of hate.
People tend to think the United States is a christian republic, however, it is not. It is a secular republic, dedicated to religious freedom and equality for all. If the taste of our message leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you can always go to the bar and have a drink. Maybe you'll go home and pop a valium and rest easier knowing you helped squash someone else's dreams.
Drug abuse is a serious problem. Opiates have taken over our State. It's no suprise that addicts can never clean themselves up. Our community does nothing to support them. Look at these posts and it is clear why so many fall through the cracks. Indifference and Intolerance. Yet we have a methadone clinic, oh yeah, that's right, everyone looks down on those trying to get out of addiction and be the citizens you wanted them to be. Great Work!
Our Country was the home of the Native Americans. White settlers, looking for religious freedom came here and wiped us out. They forced christianity on our tribes, hoping to Tame and Pacify the Native Savages. Then, white, landowning slave owners who did not want to pay taxes, fought the Revolutionary War to gain freedom from Britain. Another Job well done, we pay more taxes now than ever before. We got a tax for everything. But again, it's ok. We will all be so busy arguing that we won't notice when the Chinese reposess our country becuase we can't pay off our outstanding debts. I hope you like rice.

fnord added 13 Minutes and 8 Seconds later...

[top]The Temple of Advanced Enlightenment: using marijuana for spiritual enrichment

[top]Aislinn Sarnacki

"Starting a new religion is not an easy thing," Temple of Advanced Enlightenment Rev. Kevin Loring said. "In a way, we are the child religion of all religions."

The Temple of Advanced Enlightenment is a group advocating for responsible spiritual use of marijuana. The group was founded by the Rev. Kevin Loring in 2005. The highly organized group, with beliefs and practices that include a written creation story, is striving to be recognized as a religion.

Loring, clothed in a black robe with a green collar, sat with his hands clasped in front of him on the cafe table. The young man, with dark, shoulder-length hair, wire-rimmed glasses and a goatee, spoke of his mission.

"We want to raise awareness of religious intolerance, protect civil rights and become a valuable tool in the fight against drug abuse," Loring said.

The temple is in the planning stages of petitioning the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency for a religious use exemption for their use of marijuana. They also aim to provide public education programs on spiritual use, religious freedom and civil rights.

Religious use of pot is restricted to temple members who are at least 18 years old and have completed basic religious studies of the Temple. They then may engage in practices such as the Sacred Smoking Circle, Vision Quest, Blessing of Meals, Blessing of Home, Holy Anointing and Honoring the Deceased.

Members attend an open-floor discussion twice weekly at the Union Street Brick Church in Bangor and meet for prayer and worship at Loring's house on Tuesday at 4:20 p.m. and Sunday at noon. Other temple services include drug abuse mentoring, marriage ceremonies, funerals and instruction on compassionate care giving and medical marijuana.

According to the temple's Web site, "Cannabis is the Divine Inheritance given to all people by Mother Earth so that we may unlock the mystery of the many and varied messages of the Pure One."

They do not advocate for the outright legalization of marijuana because they believe use requires spiritual guidance.

"We are not trying to open a floodgate for people who just want to smoke reefer," Loring said.

In the Sacred Smoking Circle, the clergy leads prayers as a peace pipe is passed clockwise to symbolize the passage of time. Usually each member consumes one gram of marijuana at each ritual.

Prior to the Vision Quest, a member fasts for a week. Then he or she is led to a remote location and partakes in sacrament - where water and music are used in order to reach an enlightened state of mind. Loring heard his calling on a Vision Quest in his late teens when he spent more than a week alone in the woods.

"We try to get people to not focus on the sacrament," Loring said. "It's like focusing on the little cracker at Catholic Church."

The temple views marijuana as a substance that has a 5,000-year history as a spiritual and medicinal tool. They feel it aligns the mind and body, unlocks portions of the mind and transcends boundaries to bring people together. Medicinally, it is an effective treatment for pain, asthma, diabetes and mental distress, according to Loring.

One of the chief concerns about marijuana is the stance that it functions as a "gateway drug." Police seized more than 100 pounds of marijuana in Starks, Maine on Oct. 4 during Harvest Fest, an event sponsored by a marijuana-advocacy group. In addition to the marijuana, they seized ecstacy, mescaline, cocaine and prescription medications.

"These are all groups that advocate for legalization of marijuana, but it defeats their argument when there's more hard drugs there than marijuana," said detective Chris Gardner of University of Maine Public Safety.

Loring, Jillian Dunton and Garrett Wozneak make up the temple's high council. In order to be ordained, one must be a member for three years, complete 500 hours of community service, be tested by the council, sign an affidavit of spiritual cannabis use and take a vow of poverty, compassion and morality.

"Those who choose this path are choosing to step forward voluntarily and walk a very hard path that may include jail or prison time, fines or worse, if we are persecuted by the government," according to the temple's Web site.

Dunton, ordained in 2006, is a UMaine education student who teaches elderly aquatic exercise classes and children's swimming lessons at the YMCA.

In addition to the three priests, two members are in the process of clergy training, and 40 to 70 people have adopted the temple beliefs.

"We are starting to have a lot more from campus. Younger minds are a lot more open," Loring said.

Their beliefs largely stem from Native American spirituality, but they incorporate teachings from numerous religions. A unique creation story, written by the clergy, is online as a portion of their evolving religious text. They worship a single entity and capitalize on lessons of love, tolerance and respect of nature.

"A belief with a lot of followers is generally recognized as a religion while one who doesn't have a lot of followers generally is not," said UMaine anthropology professor Henry Muson.

Although cannabis is key to their practices, the temple does not sell it. The clergy plans to engage in voluntary reporting of their intended activities to local and state authorities, such as city governments, local police departments and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

A goal of the temple is to increase by 500 members and add 1,000 emails to its mailing list. Loring often walks the streets or campus to talk to people about the temple. People can learn more at templegreen.org.

http://media.www.mainecampus.com/med...-3514411.shtml


Just to clairify the temple giv out medical MJ not only to those who have a prescriuption but those whos docotors have mentiend that marijuana may help them with there ailment.

[doggy_hat]

Why do they smoke at 4:20? I can understand spiritual use, but getting high at 4:20 just doesn't seem to have any possible religious importance, especially since plenty of non-spiritual users, who they evidentally don't support, have 4:20 rituals. They also seem to be a bit hippocritical, in that they preach freedom, and civil rights, yet they only want religous pot legalized and nothing else.

Overall they seem like a positive force though, and any group that is fighting for more logical drug laws, no matter how specific, is always a good thing. Although I can't help but think that they're just a group of elitist stoners that decided to form a religion. But I don't really know enough to be sure.

[fnord]

Originally Posted by doggy_hat

Why do they smoke at 4:20? I can understand spiritual use, but getting high at 4:20 just doesn't seem to have any possible religious importance, especially since plenty of non-spiritual users, who they evidentally don't support, have 4:20 rituals.

Gotta smoke sometime!

They also seem to be a bit hippocritical, in that they preach freedom, and civil rights, yet they only want religous pot legalized and nothing else.

I cant speak for them but i highly doubt they only want to see pot legalized for religus use,i think this is just the avenue there taking to acomplish there goals.

Overall they seem like a positive force though, and any group that is fighting for more logical drug laws, no matter how specific, is always a good thing..

Yes anyone fighting for imrovment of drug laws is a hero in my book,its just sad that these folks are probably going to end up facing jail time for there actions due to our current legal climet. Im quite proud of them, its just sad that people i know will end up being burned at the stake as martyrs.

Although I can't help but think that they're just a group of elitist stoners that decided to form a religion. But I don't really know enough to be sure

2 our of three of the inner council are old friends/acquaintances of mine Garrett Wozneak(who used to claim to be alergic to pot!) is definitely an elitist stoner ~hes a good person none the less,the other two not so much from my personal experience with them Jillian Dunton has one of the kindist hearts of all the people i know, and the other fellow ive onloy had a few encounters with many years ago so IDFK.

[Spunion]

As a resident of the bangor area I was pleasantly surprised when I heard about the temple. I was never aware that it existed and i am anxious to check it out and try to help the cause

[fnord]

More good news from these fellows.

Rev. Loring of the CPU and ASA presented his second speech to the Bangor City council tonight, pitching
our idea to open a cannabis dispensary in Bangor, Maine. The idea calls for
a temporary, weekly dispersal for pre-qualified patients. BY temporary, we
mean the site will be setup and torn down each week after a two hour
dispensing of much needed medicine.
Maine has been very slow to implement it now 10-year old medical marijuana
laws. Maine is now becomming the new battlefront in the battle for patients
rights.
The council has agreed to hold a committee hearing on the subject and make a
decision on wether or not to endorse the plan. This is a small vistory for
our Maine citizens.
Below you will find a copy of the speech presented by Rev. Loring.

Good evening and thank you for your time,

It is in the spirit of compassion that we once again appear before the Mayor
and City Council. Today I ask again for your help and try to clarify the
proposal through which we seek to relieve the suffering of the Maine people.

For 10 years Maine has had medicinal cannabis laws. Medicinal cannabis is
perfectly legal under Maine law. In Dec. of last year, our state enjoyed
maybe it's first affirmative defense of medicinal use. Don Christen was
thankfully found not guilty of cultivation and distribution because his
intents were legal under Maine law. Even Kennebec and Somerset County
District Attorney Evert Fowle agrees that more needs to be done to protect
the patients.

Since the last time I approached this council, The Temple has partnered with
many associations across the United States. We are now directly affiliated
with the Cannabis Protection Union, a large and growing nationwide
organization of lawyers, advocates and patients. The Temple is also
partnered with Americans for Safe Access, a coalition of doctors, nurses and
patients. The Temple has partnered with over a dozen Churches nationwide
including Rastafarians, Coptics, Christians, Baptists and others. We have
also asked for the help of the Maine Civil Liberties Union and American
Civil Liberties Union. We even have the support of a small handful of
Maine's state level politicians.

It is estimated that 80 million Americans use cannabis in some form. Doctors
are protected from prosecution for prescribing or recommending cannabis as a
therapy. The Supreme Court recognizes that State marijuana laws are not
superceded by Federal laws. Even the Administrative Law Judge for the DEA
stated that cannabis is one of the safest therapeutic substances known to
man. Our current President has also recently stated that Federal resources
should not be used to circumvent state law.

We are not alone and we are growing steadily. Under current Maine law all
that is needed to become a patient is a simple note from your doctor and you
can grow at home. For those too sick, or do not have the knowledge to safely
produce their own supply, a legal caregiver must be appointed. The Temple
wishes to become that caregiver. This means medicinal recipients would
already be pre-approved by the Temple and receive a set amount each week.
This is not a delivery service. This would be a set dispensary point,
preferably at the Civic Center, Police Station or maybe even City Hall.
Overseen and regulated so that the patients are protected and receive the
compassion they deserve and are legally allowed under State Law.

We do not support having a pot shop or other permanent cannabis dispensary
in Bangor. In California, such dispensaries have lead to a rise in local
traffic, crime and are a nuisance to local residents. For-Profit
Dispensaries seek only to profit from the pain of sick people. A temporary
site, such as we are proposing, is a much safer and a more responsible
alternative. This follows the gold star standard set forth by the Women's
and Men's Alliance for Medicinal Marijuana or WAMM. Volunteers, many of whom
are patients themselves work together to grow and prepare their medicines.

The Temple has several experts in the field of cannabis cultivation and
medicinal preparation. These skills are vital to properly creating safe
medicines. Not all medicinal marijuana is smoked, in fact much of it is made
into teas, tinctures, oils and capsules. Vaporizer technology eliminates
much of the danger associated with smoking cannabis and has shown great
potential in reducing harm to the patient. It is incredibly hard to grow
medicinal cannabis safely. Many fertilizers and even soils can make the
patient more ill. Which is why having experts as caregivers is a great idea.
We wouldn't ask a nurse to know how to grow corn, We wouldn't ask a farmer
to inject medicine. We must use the right people for the job, each with
their own tools and knowledge working together for the benefit of the
patient.

I ask you again for your support. This idea has merit, no matter what group
does it. Let Bangor be a role model in providing this medication responsibly
and safely. Let Bangor lead by example and show true compassion where it is
desperately needed. I would like a letter of support from each of you. You
need not support me or the Temple, just the idea. This idea has real merit.
This idea will help the sick and profit no one. This idea will save lives.

Thank you.

Ive heard that theres a good chance that they will get permission for the dispensary.

[beentheredonethatagain]

still up to challanges of free pot, now where do I sign up? I cant let Fnord get all the good causes , I believe in freedom of speech and freedom of free pot.