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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The rules for who could use peyote in traditional American Indian religious ceremonies would be clarified under a measure endorsed by a Utah Senate committee today.
The bill would define American Indians as those who are members of federally-recognized tribes. The bill has already passed the House and now goes to the full Senate for debate.
Peyote, a hallucinogenic herb, is illegal for general use. But federal law makes some exceptions. The Utah proposal would bring state law in line with federal law.
The proposal is intended to prevent people from escaping prosecution by claiming Indian heritage without having to prove it.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
