Roger Christie

May 2020 Roger completed his four-year federal probation with no violations. He was denied early release of probation by U.S. District Court Judge Leslie Kobayashi.

Roger is planning to restart the THC Ministry in June 2020 mostly online, but without the distribution of Cannabis sacrament until he "wins a federal injunction, or better". Ministry membership, Letters of Good Standing, Sanctuary Kits, hemp prayer shawls, I.D. cards and other THC Ministry gear will be available once again to sincere spiritual users of Cannabis.

On October 11, 2016 Share Christie self-surrendered to a federal prison camp in Phoenix, Arizona to serve a 27-month sentence with an added three year probation. She was transferred back to the Federal Detention Center Honolulu in April 2017 where she was held until released to the Orion Halfway House in Los Angeles on August 7, 2018. Share was allowed to live with her parents on September 21, 2018 where she chose to stay until coming home to Hilo on January 15, 2020. Her probation officially ends on September 21, 2021. She was denied early termination of her probation by Judge Kobayashi in January 2020. She recently filed another motion for early termination of probation, this time doing it pro se, without a lawyer. The U.S. government strongly opposed her early release, again. She's expecting an answer from the judge in June 2020.

On April 28, 2014, U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi sentenced Roger Christie to a term of five years in federal prison, with credit for the almost four years he had been incarcerated, permitting him to be released after serving 50 months in the Federal Detention Center Honolulu with no bail and no trial, no outside, no sunshine and no media contact allowed. In addition, he was sentenced to supervised release — the federal equivalent of probation — for four years after serving his prison term. The conditions of the supervised release include refraining from use of marijuana or other controlled substances or from being in the presence of using marijuana. He was subject to drug testing and always tested negative. He was allowed to appeal his sentence, but was denied by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. His wife and co-defendant, Sherryanne "Share" Christie was sentenced to a term of 27-months. She was allowed to remain free on bail pending appeal of her sentence which was denied.

On September 4, 2014, Roger Christie was transferred to the Mahoney Hale halfway house in Honolulu before being allowed to return to Puna on the Big Island on supervised release on November 14.

On Jan. 17, 2013, a federal grand jury in Honolulu returned an updated indictment against Christie and seven co-defendants. The indictment includes additional charges for three sales of marijuana to an undercover officer during 2008 and two charges of his failure to file income tax returns for 2008 and 2009," Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Kawahara, the lead prosecutor, said.

On March 21, 2013, The Hawaii Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs heard and passed Senate Concurrent Resolutions SCR75 and SR42, "urging the federal government to release Roger Christie pending trial."

On April 3, 2013, Roger Christie was visited by Senator Russell Ruderman and Senator Will Espero at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Honolulu. The purpose of this visit was to discuss Christie's incarceration, health, and rights as a United States citizen under the United States Constitution. The terms of this visit specified that no media be present. Christie was denied contact with reporters from National Geographic, Newsweek, Honolulu Civil Beat, and others Senator Ruderman stated, "I have known Roger for over 25 years. He is one of the most peaceful persons I know. To anyone who knows him, the claim that he is a danger to the community is absurd." Senator Espero commented. "This visit was very enlightening. I still feel that Christie should be released pending a trial."

On April 10, 2013, the Hawaii Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee heard concurrent resolutions SCR75 and SR42, "urging the federal government to release Roger Christie pending trial." Hundreds of testimonies supporting the measures were received from the public.

Another 2013 Hawaii Senate Resolution, SR12, called on President Obama to "initiate a formal investigation into the conduct of federal law enforcement personnel in regard to the violation of the constitutional rights of Hawaii County Resident, the Reverend Roger Christie." SR12 was never scheduled for a hearing.

On September 27, 2013, Christie made a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty in federal court to conspiring to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute 100 or more marijuana plants. His wife, Sherryanne Christie, pleaded guilty to a similar charge but involving 50 plants or more. As part of a plea agreement, the Christies agreed to forfeit more than $21,000 in proceeds from the operation of the THC Cannabis Ministry, which operated in Hilo from 2000 until July 8, 2010, when they and 12 others were arrested. Roger Christie also agreed under duress to forfeit a condominium apartment on Kauila Street in Hilo which was a gift from his late Mother.

On March 20, 2010, Federal agents raided the downtown Hilo sanctuary of Christie's Hawaii Cannabis Ministry, assisted by local police. Christie said authorities spent about seven hours searching his home and ministry, starting around 6 a.m. He said the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Inspector and U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service were involved in the search.

A three-count sealed indictment in June, 2010 charged Christie with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 100 marijuana plants, manufacturing marijuana and possession with the intent to distribute 240 marijuana plants.

Christie was arrested on Thursday July 8, 2010, along with 13 others from the Big Island, and charged with possession and sale of cannabis. According to court documents, authorities confiscated approximately 30 ounces (845 grams) of processed marijuana in the Wainaku apartment and more than $34,000 cash from the apartment and a bank safe deposit box. The money and the apartment face possible federal forfeiture. Christie's arrest culminated a two-year investigation by federal and county law enforcement during which they seized 2,296 marijuana plants, nine weapons, 33 pounds of processed marijuana, and four properties from Christie and his co-defendants. Federal authorities said this was a huge pot-growing and selling organization masquerading as a religious group. Agents seized about 3 thousand plants with a street value of nearly $5 million.

The prosecution argued that Christie should not be released on bail because he is a danger to the community. The court accepted this argument because marijuana was found again in a new search of Christie's home in June 2010, leading the court to conclude that Christie would continue to violate the law while out on bail. As quoted in the Star-Advertiser on Feb. 24, Judge Alan Kay remarked: "You would think the light would come on when the first search of his residence was made." Judge Kay's ruling was upheld by 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

In 2009, the ministry was open three days a week from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. During this three-hour period, there were up to 70 members served. The Christies and their staff welcomed people from all walks of life. Each member, patient or visitor was required to wash their hands with hemp soap upon entering and to have good manners and respect while visiting the offices in the Moses Building in Hilo.

Thereafter, a court-authorized wiretap on three telephone lines used by Roger Christie from April to July 2009 resulted in the interception and recording of numerous telephone conversations involving Roger and Sherryanne Christie, ministry employees, and other persons. According to Christie, investigators monitored 17,000 phone calls during a two-year period.

In 2008, an undercover law enforcement officer was introduced to Roger Christie, and on three separate occasions at the ministry, Christie sold quantities of marijuana to him (the largest being one-half pound).

The prosecution resulted from the combined efforts from 2008 to 2010 of the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations; Homeland Security Investigations; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Marshals Service; the National Park Service; the Sheriff's Office, Department of Public Safety; the Hawaii Police Department; and the Honolulu Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael K. Kawahara.

Rev. Roger Christie and the THC Ministry sued the U.S. government for declaratory relief and a permanent injunction in 2004 in order to get full legal recognition and protections from the federal government. He dismissed the case a few months later due to a conflict with his lawyer, Michael Glenn of Honolulu. Before the dismissal, however the defendants U.S. government filed a 37-page Motion to Dismiss. Roger has both the original injunction and the government's 37 pages of legal "chess moves" to use to refile the case at an appropriate time. "God, that's great."

During the proceedings U.S. District Court Judge Leslie Kobayashi denied Roger's motion that "marihuana" was misclassified as a Schedule 1 most dangerous substance with "no recognized medical use in treatment in the U.S.A." despite medical Cannabis being legal in Hawai'i since June 2000 and in many other jurisdictions. A hopeful ruling did come when Judge Kobayashi ruled that Roger and his wife Share were "sincere" and "religious" Cannabis Ministers, but soon afterwards she denied their religious defense because she ruled that the U.S. government had a "compelling interest" in keeping Cannabis illegal, AND that the government used the "least restrictive means" to deny their religious freedom. Roger and Share's intention to have "the last marijuana trial" (See: www.the-last-marijuana-trial.com) was denied, and most of their evidence and witnesses were never seen or heard by the Judge or a jury.

In 1986, he became a resident of Big Island, Hawaii. He was a co-founder of the Hawai'i Hemp Council in 1990 and, with Aaron Anderson (Ernest Allan Anderson), and Dwight Kondo, founded the Hawaiian Hemp Company. By 1991, he had one of the first retail hemp stores in the world. In 1996, Christie ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Hawaii County Council. In June, 2000, he was ordained as a minister by the Religion of Jesus Church through the Universal Life Church. He received his license to perform marriages in the State of Hawaii as a "Cannabis Sacrament" Minister and founded the THC Ministry. In 2004 he failed in an election bid for Mayor of Hawaii County.

In 1970 he enlisted in the US Army and was trained as a G2 Intelligence Analyst at Fort Holabird, Maryland, a US Army "spy school", but became disenchanted by the military and political missions in Vietnam and elsewhere. Christie refused his orders to serve in the Vietnam War and received an honorable discharge as a conscientious objector. His success in this process inspired him to pursue legal options to overturn United States drug policy, a fight which has led him to numerous court battles and arrests.

Roger Christie (born June 15, 1949) is an American ordained minister in the Religion of Jesus Church, which regards marijuana as a "sacramental herb." In 2000, he founded the THC Ministry, which offered cannabis as a part of its services. On July 8, 2010, Christie and 13 other individuals associated with the THC Ministry were indicted by a Federal grand jury in Honolulu on marijuana possession and trafficking charges. On Sept. 27, 2013, Christie pleaded guilty to marijuana trafficking and two counts of failing to file income tax returns. On April 28, 2014, Christie was sentenced to a term of five years in federal prison, with credit for time already served at the Honolulu Federal Detention Center.

Roger Christie was born on June 15, 1949, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Raised and schooled in the New Jersey countryside in the 1950s and 1960s, he graduated from high school in 1967.