If you’re someone who pays attention to things, it’s not hard to figure out that Indiana’s Religious Freedom law, also known as the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” is just a sneaky way Christian folks oppress gay people. But now that the legislation is in effect, it’s having some amusing unintended consequences.
This Tuesday, Indiana was forced to recognize the First Church of Cannabis, and you don’t have to guess what their favorite religious ritual is.
From The Daily Dot:
The First Church of Cannabis is a relatively new denomination, set to hold its first services on July 1, the first day the religious-freedom law goes into effect, according to Forbes. And by obtaining recognition from the state under the new law, church members (who call themselves “cannataerians”) will reportedly be allowed to light up during their church services, even though they will practice in a state where marijuana is still a highly illegal substance. It’s all thanks to Indiana’s recently reinforced religious freedoms.
The church still can’t buy or sell marijuana under the law, but Bill Levin, the self-described Minister of Love and Grand Pooba, says parishioners will still be allowed to smoke-out during church services.
Another way the law has benefitted the church was the tax-exempt status it was granted last week by the IRS.
“Somebody at the IRS loves us because we got it back in less than 30 days,” Levin wrote on the group’s Facebook page.
The First Church of Cannabis has already collected over $11,000 from more than 600 members on its GoFundMe page. If you’re wondering what the minimum donation is, it should be a no-brainer: $4.20.
[Featured image: REUTERS/Mark Blinch]
Leave a Reply