--- description: Prayers with pot — religious right or illegal activity? title: Cannabis Church Challenges Indiana's Religious-Freedom Laws image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8efcdc40c2678dde/69885964cd1bba81466fc1a7/cannabis-church.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [faith](/tag/faith/) ## faith Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # A Cannabis Church Tests Indiana's Religious-Freedom Law ## Video: Inside the World of Medical Marijuana for Kids [Watch (HLS stream): Inside the World of Medical Marijuana for Kids](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/6Ic4KUCK.m3u8) (16:16)  _Published 2014-10-21. The story of a family's illegal cross-country drive to transport marijuana oil for their epileptic 3-year-old daughter. A look inside the quasi-legal, science free world of medical marijuana for children from TIME's Red Border Films_  by [Tanya Basu](/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 1, 2015 8:54 PM CUT  Members of the congregation at the First Church of Cannabis sing and dance during the church's first service on July 1, 2015, in Indianapolis Members of the congregation at the First Church of Cannabis sing and dance during the church's first service on July 1, 2015, in IndianapolisMichael Conroy—AP  by [Tanya Basu](/author/tanya-basu/)  ## Tanya Basu Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 1, 2015 8:54 PM CUT A church devoted to the legalization of marijuana held its first service in Indianapolis on Wednesday. The [First Church of Cannabis](http://www.gofundme.com/churchofcannabis "undefined"), founded in March of this year with members who identify as Cannaterians, is seeking to legalize marijuana in Indiana as a religious liberty. The church is citing the state’s controversial [Religious Freedom and Restoration Act](https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/bills/senate/101#document-92bab197 "undefined"), which went into effect on Wednesday. The law, which permits companies and individuals to defend themselves in legal proceedings by citing religious beliefs, has been attacked by opponents who argue that it could be used by those who want to discriminate against LGBT people. But the First Church of Cannabis hopes to turn that concern on its head, using the law to allow for legal marijuana use. The gathering on Wednesday included Christian hymns, from the traditional “Amazing Grace” to a rendition of the marijuana smokers’ anthem, “Mary Jane.” But the service after the hymns was decidedly nontraditional, including [testimony from church members](http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/07/01/humor-police-presence-mixed-cannabis-church-site/29561919/ "undefined") on medical marijuana and pot growers arguing for their legalization. (The church grounds had no marijuana, as marijuana possession is illegal in Indiana.) The Cannaterians, a group which counts its worshipers in the thousands and asks its members for a $4.20 tithing per month, view marijuana as a religious sacrament, according to Bill Levin, the “Grand Poobah” of the church, who said that opposition to the church and its teachings was akin to religious persecution. “Among its distinguishing features are its belief in the gift of Cannabis from a supreme power from which man and woman are to use for the betterment of humankind,” the church’s [website](http://cannaterian.org/ "undefined") reads. The First Church of Cannabis isn’t the first group to challenge the intersection of federal law and religion. Canna Care, a “Christian-based” medical marijuana dispensary in Sacramento, Calif., [fought with the Internal Revenue Service](http://time.com/10137/medical-marijuana-taxes-irs-christian-dispensary-canna-care/ "undefined") on the company’s tax bill under a 1982 law that did not recognize drug trafficking as a business, thereby making it illegal for the group to pay taxes. Some in Indiana’s religious community reacted negatively to First Church of Cannabis. “I don’t believe it’s a religion,” [said](http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/06/30/church-of-cannabis-prepares-for-first-service-in-indiana "undefined") Bill Jenkins, a local pastor of an evangelical church. “I believe it’s a drug house.” ### 7 Dizzying GIFs of Spinning Cannabis Strains  Hawgs Breath Type: Indica Lineage: Hindu Kush x Afghani Smell/Taste: Fruity, Earthy, Citrus Effect: Euphoric, Relaxed, Uplifted, Sleepiness, Pain Relief, Stress/Anxiety Relief Nugshots  Ed Rosenthal Super Bud Type:Hybrid Lineage: Afghani Indica x Hindu Kush x Mexican Sativa x Thai Sativa x African Hybrid Smell/Taste: Mint, Earthy, Citrus, Effect: Uplifted, Relaxing, Active, Pain/Stress Relief Nugshots  Grape Ape Type: Indica Hybrid Lineage: Afghani x Skunk #1 Smell/Taste: Sweet, Grape, Berry, Effect: Relaxing, Pain Relief, Sleepiness Nugshots  Bubba Kush Type: Indica Lindage: Bubble Gum x OG Kush Smell/Taste: Sweet, Earthy, Citrus, Perfume Effect: Calming, Body Relaxation Nugshots  Black Poison No known reliable data. Nugshots  Platinum Bubba Kush Type: Indica Lineage: Platinum OG Kush x Bubba Kush Smell/Taste: Floral, Sweet, Fruity, Earthy Effect: Body Relaxation, Pain Relief, Appetite Stimulation, Sleepiness Nugshots  Mango Haze Type: Hybrid Lineage: Northern Lights #5 x Skunk #1 x Haze Smell/Taste: Mango, Pine, Citrus, Tropical, Mint Effect: Uplifting, Cerebral, Euphoric Nugshots  Platinum OG Kush Type: Indica Hybrid Lineage: Master Kush x OG Kush Smell/Taste: Earthy, Sweet, Pungent, Pine Effect: Sedation, Calming, Anxiety Relief, Appetite Stimulation Nugshots  Hindu Kush Type: Indica Lineage: Unknown Smell/Taste: Earthy, Sweet, Piney, Effect: Relaxing, Pain Relief, Body Sensation, Sleepiness Nugshots _Read next:_ [_Episcopalians Vote to Allow Gay Marriage in Churches_](http://time.com/3944183/episcopalian-gay-marriage/?iid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") [_Download TIME’s mobile app for iOS to have your world explained wherever you go_](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/time-mobile/id328218429 "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3943754/religious-freedom-indiana-marijuana/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3943754/religious-freedom-indiana-marijuana/"},"headline":"A Cannabis Church Tests Indiana's Religious-Freedom Law","datePublished":"2015-07-01T20:54:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:02:41.375Z","description":"The group claims opposition to their pot worship is religious persecution","url":"https://time.com/3943754/religious-freedom-indiana-marijuana/","keywords":["faith","Drugs","U.S.","Marijuana legalization","Indiana"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8efcdc40c2678dde/69885964cd1bba81466fc1a7/cannabis-church.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tanya Basu","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tanya-basu/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8efcdc40c2678dde/69885964cd1bba81466fc1a7/cannabis-church.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Members of the congregation at the First Church of Cannabis sing and dance during the church's first service on July 1, 2015, in Indianapolis.","caption":"Members of the congregation at the First Church of Cannabis sing and dance during the church's first service on July 1, 2015, in Indianapolis.","creditText":"Michael Conroy—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/faith/","name":"faith"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3943754/religious-freedom-indiana-marijuana/","name":"A Cannabis Church Tests Indiana's Religious-Freedom Law"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Inside the World of Medical Marijuana for Kids","description":"The story of a family's illegal cross-country drive to transport marijuana oil for their epileptic 3-year-old daughter. 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