When you think of the many places one can indulge in the social, spiritual, and physical benefits of marijuana, church probably doesn’t come to mind.
Jeremy Hall, an ordained minister in Michigan, feels differently about the unwritten rules of marijuana use.
On Sunday (Jun 26), the First Cannabis Church of Logic & Reason in Lansing, will hold it’s first service where churchgoers are allowed to smoke marijuana. “What I’m hoping to accomplish in the long run is to provide a place where people can be spiritual, but can also feel safe to take any of their medication,” 34-year-old Hall, who will be leading the service, told the Lansing State Journal. “If they also feel cannabis is part of their spirituality, they can combine the two in a safe environment.”
Hall also said that the non-denominational church is “the first of its kind” in Michigan.
Medical marijuana is legal in the state, and thanks to a 2013 City Charter Amendment, Lansing’s Code of Ordinances does not apply to the use, possession or transfer of less than once ounce of marijuana on private property at least 21 years of age.
Considering the fact that the service will be held at Lansing Herbal Farmers Market, on private property, Hall says he “doesn’t anticipate any problems or abuse.”
Hall feels marijuana can be part of a “religious experience,” of sorts. “It can help people in pain and create a sense of belonging. You are consuming something that is breaking down all these preconceived notions and barriers and provides an outpouring of love.”