| First Church of Cannabis | |
| Leader Title: | Grand Poobah |
| Leader Name: | Bill Levin |
| Area: | United States |
| Headquarters: | Indianapolis |
| Founder: | Bill "Grand Poobah" Levin |
| Founded Date: | March 26, 2015 |
| Founded Place: | Indianapolis |
| Scripture: | Deity Dozen |
| Type: | Cannabis-based new religious movement |
| Congregations: | 1 (3400 South Rural Street, Indianapolis) |
| Number Of Followers: | --> |
| Tax Status: | 501(c)(3) tax-exempt |
First Church of Cannabis is a cannabis-based church founded in 2015 and registered in the U.S. state of Indiana.
The First Church of Cannabis was founded in March 2015 by Bill Levin, who attended Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, a Reform Judaism synagogue, as a child. He said it was a direct response to the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Monthly dues are $4.20. Levin said that the church was granted IRS tax-exempt status less than 30 days after he applied.
Levin titles himself Grand Poobah, or highest holy official, of the church. He claimed that he had the idea to found the church while watching the popular television series The Flintstones. "Grand Poobah" is a term derived from the name of the haughty character Pooh-Bah in Gilbert and Sullivans The Mikado (1885), and used recurringly in The Flintstones as the name of a high-ranking elected position in a secret society, the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes.
The group planned to test RFRA on July 1, 2015, with a service in Indiana including the use of cannabis. However, legal threats from the city forced the first service to not use marijuana at all. The service went without any arrests, even with a heavy police presence, although there were protesters from a nearby Christian church.[1] Parking was restricted, as the police argued that they were enforcing a city law on parking on a street less than 24 feet wide. Nearby residents also restricted parking on their property, although at least one person allowed parking for a small fee. The service featured a comedian, live music, and dancing. Food trucks were outside along with a merchandise table selling t-shirts and stickers.[2]
A security camera was installed outside of the church on the first day of service. City officials argued that the camera was installed to ensure public safety. Levin retorted by saying "I find it flattering. If you think we are important enough to install a camera so you can have a guy watch us 24 hours a day, good! Good! You're spending our Hoosier tax money proper."[3]
The church has a list of twelve commandments called the "Deity Dozen", which includes abstention from Internet trolling.
The group's meetinghouse is located at a former Christian church building on South Rural Street in Indianapolis. Services are held every Wednesday at 7.
The legal status of the Church of Cannabis' use of marijuana in a jurisdiction where it is illegal, but the Religious Freedom Restoration Act holds, has been debated by legal experts. The Supreme Court case set forth certain criteria in U.S. v. Meyers that may or may not match fourteen criteria listed by the Internal Revenue Service in granting tax-exempt status. Several days after its first service, the Church sued both the state of Indiana and the city of Indianapolis, claiming that the present marijuana laws infringed on their religious beliefs.[4] This case was dismissed on summary judgement[5] and again on appeal.[6]
The Deity Dozen are a set of guidelines put forth by the Church.