Washington, DC—In an explosive new report, the Lepanto Institute charged the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) with granting money to an organization that helps establish marijuana farms. The report shows that the California Center for Cooperative Development (CCCD), which received $50,000 from the CCHD for fiscal year 2014-2015, assisted in the launching of medical marijuana cooperatives.
"We've already shown that the CCHD is responsible for funding organizations that work with Planned Parenthood and organizations run by ministers who perform same-sex 'marriages,'" said Michael Hichborn, president of the Lepanto Institute. "Must we now suffer Catholic funds going to organizations involved in the promotion of recreational drug habits in the name of medicine?"
According to the Lepanto Institute's new report, CCCD stated in its 2010 annual report that it assisted groups interested in establishing medical marijuana cooperatives. The CCCD echoed its interest in medical marijuana cooperatives on a facebook posting from 2012.
"The legalization of medical marijuana was never about medicine, but has always been an attempt to legitimize recreational drug use," said Hichborn. "The Catechism of the Catholic Church is very clear about the condemnation of recreational drug use, and for a Catholic agency to fund such a thing is a grave scandal."
"The incompetence of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has achieved a new low," Hichborn added.
The Lepanto Institute is calling upon Catholics across the United States to call the Catholic Campaign for Human Development headquarters in Washington, D.C. to demand answers.
The main phone number for the CCHD is 202-541-3210. The email address for the CCHD is cchdgrants@usccb.org. And to contact Ralph McCloud, the director of the CCHD, call 202-541-3367 or email rmccloud@usccb.org.
The profile on CCCD can be found on the Lepanto Institute’s website.
For media inquiries and to learn more about the fully documented activities of the CCCD and CCHD, please contact Michael Hichborn at MDHichborn@LepantoInstitute.org.
