Seizure of Marijuana Does Not Violate Religious Freedom

In Loop v. United States, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46636 (D. Minn., June 30, 2006), a Minnesota federal district court held that the religious freedom of Dennis Loop, a Rastafarian, was not infringed when federal marshals seized his brass marijuana pipe, wooden marijuana case, and a small amount of marijuana as he went through a metal detector in order to enter the federal courthouse in Minneapolis. The court rejected Loop's First Amendment and RFRA claims, finding that while marijuana is essential to Loop's religious practice, he did not show any burden in having to leave it at home during brief visits to the court house. The magistrate's recommendation, which was accepted by the judge, is at 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46635 (D. Minn., March 29, 2006).