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Article: High court upholds rights of minority sects vs. US drug laws.(USA)
- Article from:
- The Christian Science Monitor
- Article date:
- February 22, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 The Christian Science Publishing Society. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Warren Richey Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
American adherents of a Brazilian religious sect have won their battle to use hallucinogenic tea in their worship services.
In a unanimous ruling with major implications for minority religious groups in America, the US Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the right of religious organizations to claim exemption from certain laws that undercut their ability to practice their faith.
At issue was a clash between US drug laws - which ban the hallucinogenic substance in the sect's sacred tea - and a 1993 religious freedom law that requires the government to grant religious exemptions when ...