Indiana Sued By First Church of Cannabis over Pot Laws
Church says state laws prevent assemblage of congregants using, possessing sacred weed
Church says state laws prevent assemblage of congregants using, possessing sacred weed
| [Photo by Grubbycup] |
Yesterday, July 8, the First Church of Cannabis filed a lawsuit in Marion Circuit Court, with the complaint being that the state has infringed upon the ability of congregants to express their religious beliefs. In spite of being recognized as a legitimate church, Indiana's laws prevent people from gathering at or visiting a place where pot is used, in addition to Cannabis possession. Thus, the state's laws prevent the First Church from assembling for services, which would typically include consuming their chosen sacrament.
The lawsuit names multiple defendants, including Gov. Mike Pence, Attorney General Greg Zoeller, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, Indianapolis Police Chief Rick Hite, Superintendent Douglas G. Carter of Indiana State Police and Marion County Sheriff John Layton, according to USA Today.
The AP reported that the church's inaugural service, held on July 1, consisted of over 100 attendees mingling with around twenty cops. Levin estimates the number of congregants at over 1,000. No arrests were made, as the authorities had earlier threatened legal action against anyone possessing or smoking weed at the site.
Levin upheld his convictions at a press conference, declaring, "We are taking legal action today to ensure love has no barriers in our land." He continued, "Today we invite the state of Indiana and all its leaders to joyfully meet us in a court of law for clarifications on our core religious values. We look forward to engaging them on the high plane of dignity and discipline, with love and compassion in our hearts, to find a swift and sensible answer for our questions of religious equality."
The First Church of Cannabis was founded by Bill Levin on March 26, the day that Indiana's religious objections measure was signed into law.
S
Soft Secrets
