Two Madison men who openly provided marijuana to people in return for donations to their Rastafarian church — and whose state and federal cases had been winding their way through the courts since 2019 — have pleaded guilty and been ordered to pay less than $1,000 in court costs.
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Jesse R. Schworck, 44, on Monday pleaded guilty to one felony count of maintaining a drug trafficking place and was ordered to pay $518. His co-defendant and co-church leader, Dylan P. Bangert, 29, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor marijuana possession on Dec. 16 and was ordered to pay $443.
Dylan Paul Bangert, left, and Jesse Schworck, center, appear with their attorney, Guy Cardamone, during a bail hearing in May 2019.
The two opened the Lion of Judah House in a modest, rented storefront at 555 W. Mifflin St. in March 2019 and used it as a place to openly smoke marijuana while providing what they claimed were as many as 10,000 church members with marijuana “sacrament.”
At the time, its website described the church as “Wisconsin’s first & only lawful Rastafari cannabis sanctuary” and offered membership cards with electronic sign-up as well as gifts and religious books. Schworck and Bangert also sold vintage clothing, sports equipment and rented roller blades from the space, a former laundromat and corner grocery store.
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After an investigation, police raided the establishment in late May of that year, arrested the two leaders and shut down church operations. On June 4, Schworck and Bangert were charged with felonies for dealing marijuana and maintaining a drug trafficking place, and Schworck also faced misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct charges stemming from an alleged dispute with a person who he said took marijuana from the church without paying.
The building’s owner moved to evict the pair on June 3, 2019, but in mid-July a Dane County judge ruled the pair could return but without the pot.
The reopening lasted only a few days because on July 22, the city Building Inspection Division barred the space’s use due to multiple violations, including its use as something other than a store, heating and air conditioning work done without permits, water in the basement and a sump pump that seemed nonfunctional. In October, the building’s owner won his bid to evict Schworck and Bangert.
Later, in May 2021, a judge threw out a federal civil rights lawsuit the two had filed against the city and others for allegedly violating the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, the First Amendment’s clause allowing free exercise of religion, the Fifth Amendment’s due process clause, the 14th Amendment’s equal protection and due process clauses, and the Wisconsin Constitution.
Schworck has multiple past state misdemeanor convictions for crimes, including drug possession, while Bangert had no criminal record in Wisconsin prior to his misdemeanor conviction in the Lion of Judah case.
Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said Schworck’s latest case was not one likely to result in significant, if any, time in prison.
As for Bangert, he had “less culpability in the offense,” Ozanne said. “He did not create or run the illegal store, and he now has legitimate employment.”
He also noted that federal prosecutors had seized about $48,000 related to the church, including nearly $9,000 in cash found at the church itself and nearly $39,000 found in a church credit union account.
Marijuana use is at an all-time high—Here’s how it affects mental health
Marijuana use is at an all-time high—Here’s how it affects mental health
Marijuana use is at an all-time high in the United States. In the past decade alone, Americans’ reported marijuana smoking has more than doubled, increasing from 7% to 13% from 2013 to 2023, according to a national poll from Gallup. And, a separate study found that half of adults (50%) now say they have tried marijuana at some point in their lives. The reported increase in marijuana use, known formally as cannabis, parallels a shift in national policy. The U.S., historically known for its racially motivated “War on Drugs,” has now seen marijuana legalized for medical or recreational purposes in three-quarters (38) of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Roughly half of those states (24) and D.C. have legalized recreational use alone for adults aged 21 and older.Despite these shifts in reported use and policy, experts remain largely in the dark about the effects of occasional marijuana use, a result of contested federal restrictions on research. A larger body of research, though, reveals concerns about the effects of heavy, long-term marijuana use — especially on young people’s mental health. Data shows that young people who use marijuana weekly or more double their risk of developing depression and anxiety, and cannabis use is associated with conditions like psychosis, suicide, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among young people.These findings are compounded by the fact that age greatly influences the likelihood of smoking marijuana. According to Gallup’s national poll, young people ages 18 to 34 are the most likely to report marijuana use of any age group surveyed — over a quarter (26%) report smoking marijuana. To assess how marijuana affects people’s mental health, Charlie Health looked at the numbers, including data on how cannabis use is linked to psychosis, depression, and other mental health conditions. We also offer some evidence-based tips on how to cope with marijuana-related mental health issues. Heavy cannabis use has been linked to psychosisCannabis use has been linked to long-lasting psychotic disorders, with a stronger relationship seen with higher levels of use — a metric that can vary between studies but generally refers to people who use cannabis frequently and in large quantities, significantly more than occasional or moderate users. A review of 18 studies involving over 66,000 people found that heavier cannabis users had a significantly higher risk of developing psychosis. The meta-analysis showed that the heaviest users had about 3.9 times higher risk of schizophrenia and other psychosis-related outcomes compared to non-users. However, as mentioned above, it’s important to note that multiple factors may be at play here, and the relationship between marijuana use and mental health has been found to be bi-directional. For example, data shows that rates of marijuana use are nearly twice as high among adults with a mental health condition as compared to adults without a mental health condition.The risk of psychotic disorders is greatest among young people with cannabis dependence A study of nearly 7 million people looking at data between 1972 and 2021 found that cannabis use disorder (CUD) was linked to a higher risk of schizophrenia. According to the study, the risk of developing schizophrenia associated with CUD was highest among young people overall, particularly males aged 16-20. Among males aged 16-20 with CUD, the likelihood of developing schizophrenia was 3.84 (as compared to the baseline of 1.0) — more than twice the likelihood among females with CUD of the same age range (1.81). However, both of these scores still indicate that the risk of developing schizophrenia associated with CUD was highest among young people overall compared to other age groups.
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Occasional cannabis use increases the likelihood of depression, suicidal thoughts, and academic struggles among young people
Many studies show a positive correlation between cannabis use and depression, of which chronic use further strengthens this association. This research has been substantiated by Charlie Health, too. Upon joining treatment at Charlie Health, clients who used marijuana frequently had significantly higher rates of depression on average than those who did not use marijuana, internal data shows.A study of over 68,000 adolescents found that compared to teens who didn’t use cannabis, those who used occasionally had roughly 2 to 4 times higher odds of experiencing various negative psychosocial events, including things like depression, academic struggles, involvement in risky behaviors like fighting or getting arrested, and suicidal thoughts. The risk was even greater for adolescents with CUD, who experienced the highest rates of these negative outcomes. If you’re having thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, this is a mental health emergency, and you should contact the 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.Marijuana may help mental healthDespite the findings above, research related to marijuana and mental health is hotly contested. Many studies concede that social and environmental demographic factors may contribute to marijuana-related mental health outcomes and that findings may be dose-related, with research typically only applying to heavy users and people who have cannabis dependencies (as mentioned above). Also, on the flip side, some studies have shown the medical and mental health benefits of marijuana use. Cannabis has been found to help address sleep-related symptoms in people with conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or chronic pain, and the substance has been found to help reduce anxiety symptoms. How to address the mental health impacts of marijuana use Addressing the mental health effects of marijuana use is, first and foremost, about addressing the underlying mental health condition. Whether you’re struggling with your relationship with cannabis use or symptoms related to cannabis use, it’s important to reach out for professional mental health support. Specifically, consider reaching out to mental health professionals who are experienced in working with substance use disorders, young people, or people looking to change their relationship with marijuana.This story was produced by Charlie Health and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
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“}]] The two opened the Lion of Judah House in March 2019 and used it as a place to openly smoke marijuana while providing church members with marijuana “sacrament.” Read More
