Indopedia All Things Marijuana
“420” is not just a fun three-character term: it represents a sacred day in the cannabis community. This past 4/20 in Denver, “420” took on a new meaning as the International Church of Cannabis opened its arms to “Elevationists.”
While the church’s “religion” is called “Elevationism,” what its members follow isn’t necessarily a religion as much as a spiritual thought. Steve Berke, one of the church’s founders, tells me that “We aren’t saying we invented Elevationism. Elevationism goes back in history and the history of marijuana dates to ancient China. We’ve given it a title and a place of worship.”
And the place of worship is really what Elevationism is all about. Just as ancient churches and castles were transformed into art by premier artists (see: Michelangelo) throughout history, so was the cannabis church’s aesthetic design.
The church itself, located in Denver’s Washington Park neighborhood, was built over 100 years ago to serve as a more traditional place of worship. The outside of the building features a graffiti mural by Los Angeles street artist Kenny Scharf, whose artistic efforts look like all the characters in…
