(Newswire.net — April 2, 2015) Indianapolis, IN — The state of Indiana has just approved “The First Church of Cannabis” under its controversial religious freedom law, called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Congressman Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced the ‘real’ RFRA bill on March 11, 1993 and it was introduced in the Senate the same day by Ted Kennedy (D-MA). Only three Senators were against the bill and President Bill Clinton signed it into law.
The religious freedom law was mainly passed because Native American Associations wanted to legalize the use of Peyote, a psychoactive substance that is a part of their cultural heritage.
As the author of the 1993 federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), Sen. Chuck Schumer is one who can offer clarity over the controversy surrounding Indiana’s version of the law, CNN reported.
Schumer mocks Indiana’s contention that the state law is simply a mirror of the 22-year-old federal law. “That may be true only if you’re using a Funhouse mirror,” Schumer wrote on his Facebook page.
Illegal in Indiana, marijuana, however, has another cultural heritage. If it is necessary for religious ceremonyes, that means it is legal to use. A canabis ‘worshiper’ Bill Levin, came up with the idea to establish “The First Church of Cannabis”. His new ‘church’ gained many followers almost instantly. Thanks to the RFRA, the church was legalized.
“As Elwood said, ‘I’m on a mission from God,'” Levin said in a phone interview to the ABC News, referencing the famous quote from The Blues Brothers movie.
Nearly 18,000 people have “liked” the First Church of Cannabis’ Facebook page since it went live on March 26th. According to Levin, he is amazed how fast the Church of cannabis gained followers, he now hopes to expand the new religion to accommodate the faithful, he told ABC News.
“In my mind’s eye, I thought I’d get 200 to 300 people from Indiana,” Levin said. “I have to think different now. I didn’t realize I was going to have the most popular religion in the country.”
Beside followers, the church receive has already received thousands of dollars in donations. Levin disclosed to ABC his plan s to ask members for $4.20 per month in donations.
Currently, Levin is looking for a physical location where the “sanctuary”, as he calls the church building, should be built.
The uproar is over that fact that the Indiana law expands the reach of the religious protections to include private companies and cases where the government is not involved. Other main issue is that the Indiana’s religion freedom law could hypothetically legalize, for example, hate groups into ‘religions’ with legal means to practice its religion.
“In our expert opinion, the clear evidence … unmistakably demonstrates that the broad language of the proposed state RFRA will more likely create confusion, conflict, and a wave of litigation that will threaten the clarity of religious liberty rights in Indiana while undermining the state’s ability to enforce other compelling interests,” the letter, whose signatories included many Indiana law professors, stated.
These concerns, however, are based on speculation of what might happen, but that does not mean it would happen, said Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at South Texas College of Law told the CNN.
He said it is true the Indiana law makes it clear that individuals and private companies can use the religious freedom law as a defense, “But, just because you raise the defense does not mean it will be successful.”