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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a pot-smoking Indianapolis church that wants marijuana to be recognized as a sacrament.
The First Church of Cannabis filed the lawsuit on grounds that pot was considered a sacrament under Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The 3-year-old case was dropped Friday in Marion Circuit Court, The Indianapolis Star reported. The suit was filed as a test of RFRA and named multiple defendants, including then-Gov. Mike Pence and state and local law enforcement officers.
In her dismissal, Judge Sheryl Lynch said the church's love for marijuana does not count as practicing a religion. She also said allowing exemptions for illegal marijuana use and possession would negatively impact society.
The pro-cannabis church's attorney said he plans to appeal should the church lose the case. The group has argued that the government has no right to decide which religious beliefs should be protected.
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