Rastafarian subject to drug testing It's a fate worse than jail, according to a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer today (registration required). NJ Weedman (who also goes by Ed Forchion) is not only prohibited from his religious ceremonies, he will be punished after the fact if caught via drug testing.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Arnold C. Rapoport agreed with National Park Service rangers and the prosecutor - smoking pot in the park violated Independence National Historical Park regulations and federal drug laws.
How those regulations supersede the First Amendment religious rights is beyond me.
The only good news (as predicted by decrimwatch commenter Bryan as he opined on this previous post) is that the case may be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Forchion, Duff and pro bono attorney Michael Coard said they would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, if needed, to seek the same protection Catholics got for Communion wine during Prohibition and some Native American groups got for peyote.
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