article_snippet.sent: But last August, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals's decision and sent the case back to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after finding the federal government's action would violate the federal RFRA.
article_snippet.sent: the church became alarmed and cited how the federal government allows an exception for American Indians to use another illegal drug, peyote, in American Indians religious ceremonies.
article_snippet.sent: In fact, the federal RFRA was designed partly to protect the Native Americans' use of peyote, said CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
article_snippet.sent: They were a legitimate religion, and this was a legitimate ritual of The religion, and Congress wanted to make sure this was protected,CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said of peyote and the 1993 law.
article_snippet.sent: the federal government has never explained why the federal government has accommodated the church use of peyote (which contains mescaline, also a controlled substance) but cannot accommodate the UDV's use of hoasca," the church said in a statement.
article_snippet.sent: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the church's favor, saying the federal government failed to show a compelling interest to ban the substance for religious use.
article_snippet.sent: The peyote exception also fatally undermines the federal government's broader contention that the Controlled Substances Act establishes a closed regulatory system that admits of no exceptions under RFRA," the court ruling said.
article_snippet.sent: But in 2003, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court decision and rejected the church group's claims, finding no substantial burden on the churches, which also failed to establish the church group RLUIPA claim.