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About

 

The Basics

Members of the International Church of Cannabis are known as Elevationists. Through ritual, guided by spiritual practice, church members use the sacred flower to reveal the best version of self, discover a creative voice and enrich their community with the fruits of that creativity. Unlike other belief systems, there is no need to convert to Elevationism. It claims no divine law, no unquestionable doctrine, and no authoritarian structure.

Hours of Operation

The International Church of Cannabis is back open again to the public Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon from 12pm-8pm and Tues, & Thur 4PM – 8PM for the BEYOND Experience.  Each Beyond Light Experience starts promptly at 20 minutes past the hour. There is no consumption allowed during these hours, but you may come and tour the breathtaking property and take as many pictures as you like – no commercial photography, however, without written consent. 

Our Mission

The International Church of Cannabis’ mission is to offer a home to adults everywhere who are looking to create the best version of themselves by way of the sacred plant. Our lifestance is that an individual’s spiritual journey, and search for meaning, is one of self-discovery accelerated by way of ritual and mindful cannabis use. Elevationists claim no divine authority, nor authoritarian structure, therefore, those of all religious and cultural background are welcome to visit our chapel and take part in our celebrations.

F.A.Q

Elevationism started in Denver, Colorado with a small group of individuals unsatisfied with the outdated, organized religions currently available to them.

Church members are called Elevationists and our lifestance is that an individual’s spiritual journey, and search for meaning, is one of self-discovery that can be accelerated and deepened with ritual and mindful cannabis use. We use the sacred flower to reveal the best version of self, discover a creative voice and enrich our community with the fruits of that creativity.

As a group Elevationists demand the right to congregate and partake of their sacrament together. They do not believe it is just that they be thought of as criminals for carrying out their deeply held religious traditions, no matter how new those traditions may appear to be.

Our church has no connection to the organization with a similar name in Indiana. We organically evolved along independent branches of thought and spiritual practice.

The Christian religion took symbols of fertility like eggs and rabbits and just made them part of their celebrations. Rebirth is the message of the Christian Easter. So those pagan symbols of the cycle of life still reinforce the basic message.

We are doing a similar thing with 420. It is already a symbol of cannabis culture. So, in the spirit of the age, i.e. cultural appropriation, all we have done is decided to make it an important time, date, and number in our religion. It’s still yours, but it’s ours too now.

This is Denver. We can all legally consume cannabis here already. No, all we are doing is claiming our Constitutional Right to freely practice our religion.

There are as many paths to Elevationism as there are Elevationists. The Elevationist is awakened at the time that her cannabis experience becomes transcendental in nature.

No two people have the same Elevated experience. Therefore, no one person can tell another how to achieve her personal spiritual goals, all we can do is support each other on the journey.

The church is a focal point for people all around the world who wish to be a part of an organization that is accepting of cannabis use in one’s personal journey and search for meaning.

It is a meeting place for people to find support in their spiritual quest. There is no judgement in the church. Everyone is welcome to follow their own path as long as they remember to live by the Golden Rule. What’s the Golden Rule? Essentially, to treat others as you wish to be treated when in a healthy state of mind.

It’s true, our chapel is bright and colorful, however, it is also a quiet space of contemplation and reflection. And yes, our meeting room is a wonderland, but why should places of spiritual growth be dull and uninviting?

Should we be taken as seriously as the folks who believe that Jonah lived in the belly of a giant fish or that the wife of Lot turned into a pillar of salt?

The meaning of the murals is not to be dictated to or by us as Elevationists. When one takes the sacrament and meditates on the meaning of the murals, one may have a transcendental experience. In those moments, one receives the meaning one requires at that time.

We can tell you this much, both Okuda San Miguel who painted the chapel and Kenny Scharf who painted the church facade, are modern day masters and we are grateful to have gotten them both to create unique works for the church

We have no idea what the meaning of your life is. But, if we were to guess it is to find your own happiness. Ultimately, it seems unlikely that meaning can be found outside of our own terribly short time on this planet. Therefore, we can only live the best we can, enjoy the most, love the most, be the most. Because, when we die, we exist only in the memory of those we leave behind.  

Further, as Elevationists, we believe that your spiritual journey to find your meaning will be accelerated by using the sacrament of cannabis.

By breaking down our delusions we have noted that volunteering is better than, ‘thoughts and prayers.’ Therefore, Elevationists think that taking action, not wishful thinking, will make the world a better place.

Members of our church have created charitable projects like street cleaning efforts, raising money for other organizations, and an ongoing outreach to feed and clothe the homeless population of Denver.

Our lifestance is that when we ritually take cannabis our minds are elevated and we become a better version of ourself. And, to the Elevationist, the cannabis flower is a gift from the universal creative force.

Cannabis enables church members to tear down the false realities created by most organized religions and the machinators of state. Cannabis gives us access to the source code of our mind, while breaking down our delusion and elevating us to reality. This is a dangerous situation for the traditional institutions that wish to control our lives.

Everybody thinks you are a Cheech & Chong stereotype. So, we are also trying to redraw the ‘stoner stereotype’ meme. Elevationists are serious, committed, and talented members of the community and, as such, deserve to be seen not as stoner stereotypes, but as vibrant artists and professionals.

Elevationists are on their own spiritual journey. Some believe in the God of Abraham, some do not. Generally, as a group, we refer to a Universal Creative Force and leave it up to the individual to decide what that means.

Unlike other systems of spirituality, there is no need to convert to Elevationism. It claims no divine law, no unquestionable doctrine, and no authoritarian organizational structure. So, yes, anyone can become an Elevationist.

Further, Elevationism isn’t necessarily a replacement to existing faith, but a powerful supplement to it. The Elevationist community is not bound together by the singular god or dogma one believes in, but rather by a flower given by the universe that has positively influenced our lives and our spiritual growth.

Not at all. Although, Elevationists in Denver are able to stop by the church in person, Elevationists worldwide can take part in much of what is going and, and take part in their own rituals at home. We see this as the start of a worldwide movement.

Although, kids are welcome to attend our daily BEYOND Experience, we do not allow anyone under 21 into the church when the sacrament is being burned.

There is significant scientific evidence to suggest that cannabis is not appropriate for the adolescent mind. And, the law says that 21 is the minimum age for the consumption of alcohol and cannabis, which we consider to be appropriate.

The Church is over 100 years old and not accessible to those in wheelchairs.  There are stairs that one must go up and down to access the two floors of the Church.  However, if you call us before you arrive, we can open a back gate that allows one to access our Lounge (on the ground floor) without having to go up or down any stairs.  Further, on numerous occasions, we have had our staff carry patrons and their wheelchairs up the one flight of stairs to our sanctuary.  With prior notice, we can arrange for this accommodation. While this is not an ideal option, this is the best we can do until the Church has the funding to make the building accessible. Unfortunately, the Church’s Kickstarter campaign was not successful in raising the six figures necessary to make the building accessible.

Yes! Your dog is welcome in our church, as long as it is well-behaved and doesn’t disrupt anyone else’s experience.  If your dog starts barking during the show, you will be asked to leave.  

We have a strict “no refunds” policy on all tickets to enter the Church for the Beyond Experience. Much like you wouldn’t receive a refund for missing a concert or a show, we do not refund tickets. However, because we are open every day, your tickets are good for any day and time and never expire, so you can always come back in the future.  Alternatively, you can gift your tickets to a friend as well.  Please email us for more info on how to gift your tickets.