The Church of Cognizance: Sign Me Up

The Church of Cognizance, which leaders say has 72 monasteries located in members' homes nationwide, has a simple motto: "With good thoughts, good words and good deeds, we honor marijuana; as the teacher, the provider, the protector." Dan Quaintance, 54, says the church has 40 to 50 members in Arizona, but cannot estimate how many there are nationwide. Leaders say members must be 18 to join, and he says the average age of worshippers in Arizona is 35. Dan, who preaches at weddings and funerals of church members, says the church does not sell its sacrament or proselytize. Federal prosecutors say religious freedom does not exempt the use of illegal drugs. The Quaintances say it does. They also say a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing a religious group's use of a hallucinogenic tea containing a federally banned substance should nullify the charges against them.

The ruling they're referring to is a recent case where the Supreme Court upheld the right to sacramental Ayahuasca, which is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution.

On February 21, 2006 the U.S. Supreme Court decided that members of the ayahuasca-using União do Vegetal (UDV) church must be allowed to continue using their DMT-containing brew until a final decision is reached in their case against the government.

Download the Ruling in PDF

Learn more about that case over at The Vaults of Erowid, who have been tracking it closely. If you're interested in the Church of Cognizance -- and who wouldn't be? -- then you can start with their official website. They are considerably more sophisticated than the media makes them out to be, which will not come as any surprise to most readers. After all, Timothy Leary is still "That guy who fed kids acid" to this day. The Church of Cognizance is typically reduced to joke headlines like "Pot Church Takes a Hit."

yeah, nyuk nyuk fuckin nyuk...

The CoC is rooted in the study of Zoroastrianism, which many historians hold to be the prototype for all other monotheistic religion. They also draw upon our Masonic founding father's favorite faith, Deism, frequently making use of the phrase "The God of Nature" to describe the entity they worship. Needless to say, if you're curious this will reward study. We wish Don and Mary the best of luck, because they're currently facing charges of possessing over 172 pounds of weed.