The First Church of Cannabis, founded by Bill Levin (“Minister of Love and Grand Poobah of the Church”) held their first service on July 1, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Church’s followers are called “Cannaterians” and there are already over 1000 members worldwide.
Cannabis is an integral part of a Cannaterian’s faith; therefore, the First Church of Cannabis, which is an official state-recognized religious organization, has been pushing the boundaries of recreational cannabis use in a state where it is currently illegal.
Cannaterians follow their own list of Commandments, which they have dubbed “The Deity Dozen.” According to Cannaterian.org, the Deity Dozen are as follows:
- Don’t be an a**hole. Treat everyone with love as an equal.
- The day starts with your smile every morning, when you get up, wear it first.
- Help others when you can. Not for money, but because it’s needed.
- Treat your body as a temple. Do not poison it with poor quality foods and sodas.
- Do not take advantage of people. Do not intentionally hurt anything.
- Never start a fight … only finish them.
- Grow food, raise animals, and get nature into your daily routine.
- Do not be a “troll” on the Internet. Respect others without name calling and being vulgarly aggressive.
- Spend at least 10 minutes a day just contemplating life in a quiet space.
- When you see a bully, stop them by any means possible. Protect those who cannot protect themselves.
- Laugh often, share humor. Have fun in life and be positive.
- Cannabis, “the healing plant” is our sacrament. It brings us closer to ourselves and others. It is our fountain of health, our love, curing us from illness and depression. We embrace it with our whole heart and spirit, individually and as a group.
Although Levin previously said that he would feature cannabis use during the inaugural worship service, due to concerns over the use of cannabis at the service, Levin decided to postpone marijuana usage during services for the time being.
To learn more about the First Church of Cannabis, check out this short video: