Peyote: For Indians Only?

JANUARY 8, 2000

The case of James Warren "Flaming Eagle" Mooney, a man who says he is American Indian and a member of the Native American Church, is raising questions on who can legally use peyote.

An illegal substance, there is an exemption on the use of peyote for practitioners of the Church. But Utah authorities, who raided Mooney's home and seized 33 pounds of peyote, argue the exemption doesn't apply to him since he is not a member of a federally recognized tribe.

Get the Story:
Utah case tests limits of American Indian peyote law (AP 1/8)

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