On July 1, 2015, The First Church of Cannabis opened its doors in Indiana, due, mostly, to the state’s newly introduced Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). A week later, it was suing the state to allow churchgoers (called “cannataerians”) to smoke marijuana during religious ceremonies. Three years later, a judge ruled that the church cannot play the “religious freedom” card to circumvent state drug laws. The First Church of Cannabis is the brainchild of Bill Levin, who also serves as its Grand Poobah. Members follow a set of guidelines known as the Deity Dozen. They advise people to be nice to one another, help those in need, enjoy nature, etc. And smoke weed. The last “commandment” touts the virtues of cannabis, which is the church’s holy sacrament. Unsurprisingly, cannataerians are marijuana enthusiasts and believe that RFRA should be exempt them from state and federal prohibitions on cannabis.
Judge Sheryl Lynch disagreed. She opined that such an exception would hinder police’s ability to enforce drug laws, as anyone charged with a violation could invoke “religious exemption.”[2] It is not yet clear if Levin and the church plan to appeal the ruling.
Poster Comment:
"Cannataerians" -- are they taking a cue from the First Presleyterian Church of Elvis The Divine ;-)
http://www.geocities.ws/presleyterian_church/home.html
Another story of the 20 is absolutely yummy -- Statue Mix-Up Costs Postal Service Millions. Wish the award was 10 times bigger.