Roger Christie, the self-proclaimed Hawaii Island minister of cannabis, walked out of a federal prison on Oahu today after more than four years of incarceration.
“Oh, my God, it’s a good, freaking day,” Christie told Civil Beat shortly after he left the Federal Detention Center near Honolulu International Airport.
Christie pleaded guilty in September 2013 to federal charges of marijuana trafficking and failing to file tax returns.
He will now reside at Mahoney Hale, a halfway house, downtown.
Roger Christie walks out of the Federal Detention Center with Libertarian candidate for governor Jeff Davis, who picked him up.
PF Bentley/Civil Beat
“I’m told that I’ll be sharing a 2-bedroom apartment with three other guys until the ‘expiration of my sentence’ on Nov. 14, when I’m allowed to fly ‘home-sweet-home’ for good,” Christie stated in a press release earlier this morning.
Christie, 65, told Civil Beat he will continue to appeal his case in federal court, arguing that marijuana should not be a Schedule I drug akin to heroin and other hard drugs.
Look for a full report from Civil Beat later today. Meanwhile, read this related story:
No Christmas in Hilo for Roger Christie
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About the Author
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Chad Blair is the politics editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on X at @chadblairCB.