From our partners at Channel3000.com
The Dane County Narcotics Task Force, assisted by officers with the Madison Police Department, served a search warrant to the Rastafarian “church” in Madison following a drug investigation, police said.
The search warrant was issued Wednesday morning. Lion of Judah, House of Rastafari is located at 555 W. Mifflin St. in Madison. The church is a cannabis sanctuary and allows members to use marijuana as part of their religious practice. Founders say the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act protect them from being legally punished for using marijuana.
Madison city attorney’s office sent a cease-and-desist letter in April, saying there is not documentation to support Lion of Judah’s claims that they are in fact a church.
There were no injuries as a result of the warrant, according to a release by the Madison Police Department. Several people have been detained and one or more arrests are probable, according to the release.
As we reported last week, the founders of Lion of Judah are white and have been accused of cultural appropriation, but they consider themselves “black-hearted.” They’ve also come under scrutiny for social media posts viewed as racist, misogynistic and homophobic.
