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working thesis: The following research will investigate whether or not the use of the hallucinogenic plant peyote by Native American children, adults, and members of the Native American Church for religious activities is appropriate and just. I will argue that courts will find that religious use of the peyote plant by the Native American Church is protected under the free exercise of religion clause of the First Amendment. However, ingestion of this very dangerous hallucinogen has many side effects on the body that become very damaging over time, especially at a young age. Even though families have the last say in what their offspring do and don’t do, drugs are not a matter that should be under that category. By allowing Native Americans and members of the church to ingest peyote, which has the hallucinogenic drug mescaline, we as a society are saying that it is right and just to take drugs and use the First Amendment for protection. The founders of the U.S. Constitution did not create the First Amendment to be abused in this way. Even though Native Americans are an unfortunate minority today and deserve to keep and perform their generations old religious actions; recent studies on hallucinogenic drugs, including mescaline, have found that they are quite dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.
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