The International Church of Cannabis to Open in Denver, Colorado

The International Church of Cannabis is all set to preach brotherly love free of all dogma and theology. Situated at 400, South Logan Street, Denver, the church is housed in a 113-year old building. This church is affiliated to Elevation Ministries, and it considers cannabis to be the chief sacrament. If you’re a cannabis lover, then this church could be your path to cannabis heaven. Take pot and be called an Elevationist. The church has been founded by Steve Berke, who passionately believes that self-discovery can be achieved by deep contemplation as you blow smoke rings off cannabis joints. Cannabis, according to Steve, helps us create the best possible versions of ourselves.

Residents of West Washington Park are a little concerned about what the church plans to do once it opens. The locals got wind of what was in store only after the church began to show up on search results online. Before that, it was all a little hush-hush. It appears that Steve has researched state laws and officials feel that the church could promote pot smoking while staying on the right side of laws pertaining to open marijuana consumption. Steve Berke is quick to disabuse people of such notions. According to him, the church is not a social club in disguise to circumvent restrictions that are stated in Amendment 64; instead, it is a genuine community that supports cannabis lovers. And, there may be some truth in it. Opening a church sounds like a costly way to smoke pot, which is already legalized for recreational use in Denver. Besides, the church has the First Amendment on their side. They are entirely within their rights to practice their religion within the building. Legal opinion too supports the church. Attorney Christian Sederberg states, “This church is a legitimate effort to create a community for people that don’t find that in traditional religion, and it intends to follow all laws.”

The church is protected by constitutional freedoms of speech, religion, and association. As of now, there is no clarity on what “open and public consumption” constitutes, and since related statues are still being debated, lawyers feel that the church can operate in its present form. Sederberg, whose firm is representing the church, asks if the serving of wine, which is alcohol, during communion, is in contravention of laws open and public consumption. Because if it is not, then there should not be a problem with cannabis.

However, this church may not serve cannabis during religious ceremonies because doing so may violate existing laws on open and public consumption of cannabis in Denver, and claiming religious exemption may not work.

City Councilman Jolon Clark has his hands full in trying to ensure that Colorado laws related to marijuana use are followed by the church. The anxiety of locals is understandable because the church has kept things under wraps. The West Washington Park Neighborhood Association hopes to forge a “Good Neighbor Agreement” with the church, similar to what it has with marijuana dispensers in the area.
Berke hopes to launch the church with a three-day event. This begins from April 20th, and will be called “Elevate 2017”. The event will include discussions and talks on the cannabis business by industry leaders and policy mavens. Documentaries, music, and comedy are a part of the schedule. The church, a historic building, has been renovated and features work by Spanish artist Okunda san Miguel and pop artist Kenny Scharf. The event will be telecast on Facebook Live.

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