Indiana

Indianapolis has a marijuana church. Learn about First Church of Cannabis, how it started, how to join

Published

2 years ago

May 12, 2024

Indianapolis has a marijuana church. Learn about First Church of Cannabis, how it started, how to join

Did you know Indianapolis has a place of worship dedicated to marijuana?

Testing the bounds of religious freedom, this establishment was created to respond to Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, opening its doors the same day the law went into effect.

“This is what I live by, and I have more faith in this religion than any other,” Bill Levin, founder of the Church of Cannabis told IndyStar in May 2015. “This is my lifestyle. This is millions of people’s lifestyle.” Here’s what we know.

Indiana Marijuana Legislation Could Indiana decriminalize marijuana after a recent DEA announcement? Here’s what we know

What is the Church of Cannabis?

The First Church of Cannabis was founded by Levin in 2015 in response to Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was signed into law by former governor Mike Pence on March 26, 2015, and went into effect on July 1, 2015.

When the law finally went into effect on July 1, the doors of Levin’s beloved establishment opened that same day, as previously reported by the IndyStar. According to the First Church of Cannabis website, the group’s mission is to “celebrate life’s great adventure by building on compassion, good health, and love.”

While the group is unable to participate in the “holy sacrament” of being able to light up at their regular Wednesday service, they’ve found other ways to fill the time, according to the IndyStar. A typical service starts with a shorter sermon from Levin before opening the floor to members to discuss concerns. They also perform a “diety dozen,” with affirmations of marijuana as a means of healing. Learn more about the “diety dozen” here.

Where is the First Church of Cannabis?

The First Church of Cannabis is located at 3400 S Rural St. in Indianapolis.

Who founded the First Church of Cannabis?

Levin, 68, founder and leader of the First Church of Cannabis, is a long-standing marijuana advocate who began working with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) in the late 19990s, according to the church’s website. He eventually started his own pro-cannabis organization, ReLegalize Indiana.

Levin also ran for political positions as a Libertarian in the early 2010s, with marijuana legislation as a key focus, but came up short. When the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed, “Bill took this as an opportunity to establish The First Church of Cannabis on the basis of ‘Cannatarian’ religion where love is the most important and including the sacrament, cannabis,” according to Church of Cannabis.

Marijuana Church challenges Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Levin and the Church of Cannabis filed a lawsuit against the state of Indiana, Pence and Attorney General Greg Zoeller in July 2015 with the claim that denying them the right to smoke in public infringes on religious freedom. A second lawsuit was filed on March 3, 2016 against the city of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and former Police Chief Rick Hite.

The filed suits argued that members’ use of marijuana at the Church of Cannabis should be protected under Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, but was dismissed by the Indiana Court of Appeals in December of 2018.

“I feel sorry for the people who are not educated in this subject matter,” Levin previously said to the IndyStar. “We’ll keep doing what we’re doing, because we’re doing God’s work.”

Becoming a member of the First Church of Cannabis

Members can join for an annual fee of $54 on the group’s website. Click here to learn more.

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Indiana

Indiana police increase patrols on 2 interstates for spring break

Published

8 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Indiana police increase patrols on 2 interstates for spring break

Indiana State Police will ramp up patrols along major roadways during spring break to “deter dangerous driving behavior,” the agency said in a news release March 22.

The effort is already underway. On March 20 and 21, ISP’s Lafayette District patrolled Interstate 65 and Interstate 70 for aggressive driving as students and families hit the roads for spring break travel.

The results, according to police, were 223 traffic stops, 25 calls for service, five crash investigations, five drug-related charges, three operating-while-intoxicated arrests, two reckless driving arrests, two suspended drivers and one vehicle pursuit.“These targeted patrols are about keeping Hoosiers and those traveling through our state safe,” Lt. Tom McKee, Lafayette district commander, said in a news release. “With increased traffic on our roadways, our troopers were out proactively addressing those violations to reduce crashes and keep our roadways safe.”

ISP did not say how long the increased patrols will continue.Contact breaking politics reporter Marissa Meador at mmeador@indystar.com or find her on X at @marissa_meador.

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Indiana

San Antonio vs. Indiana, Final Score: Spurs got serious when they needed to, winning 134-119

Published

20 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

San Antonio vs. Indiana, Final Score: Spurs got serious when they needed to, winning 134-119

The San Antonio Spurs have a habit of playing with their food, but the talent difference between them and their opponents makes up for it on most nights. Eventually, they flexed their muscles and there was nothing the visitors could do.

They overwhelmed the Indiana Pacers with paint pressure, which also opened up the outside game, and everyone who got time was a contributor. Victor Wembanyama was like an angry killer wasp on defense, constantly harassing ball handlers, racking up four of his five blocks in the first half. Everything was going smoothly, but his teammates started allowing too much penetration, and their 21-point lead was reduced to eight. It was just three players doing most of the heavy lifting offensively for the Pacers, and the Spurs spent the rest of the game, denying them from getting within striking distance.

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Indiana

NFL draft profile 2026: D’Angelo Ponds (Cornerback, Indiana)

Published

1 day ago

March 21, 2026

Press Room

The 2026 NFL Draft is in Pittsburgh! This draft season, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital, and their fit with the Steelers.

The nickel cornerback position is essentially a starter in the modern NFL, and not many 2026 draft prospects have more hype there than D’Angelo Ponds. Could he be in play for the Steelers?

The basics on D’Angelo Ponds

Defensive stats via Sports Reference

D’Angelo Ponds scouting report

I’m not sure if there’s a prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft more universally loved than Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds. And if you watched him this season, you’d understand why. Ponds is the embodiment of the “got that dog in me” memes with the pit bull photo-shopped over a chest X-ray. He’s an undersized defender at 5’9, 182 pounds, sure, but he plays so much bigger and was one of the best cornerbacks in the country on a National Championship team that had to play a lot of good offenses to get that far.

The biggest constant in the games I watched of Ponds is that he makes plays. He finished 2025 with 61 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, and 11 passes defensed. He’s a high-effort player who can defend both the run and pass. That leads to production in every aspect of the game.

Ponds is more than just an undersized fan favorite, as well. While he didn’t test much at the NFL Combine, his vertical jump was elite and he looked plenty fluid in the individual drills. He’s an NFL athlete.

Ponds is a lot of fun to watch in coverage. He’s generally smooth in his transitions, with urgent, choppy footwork that helps him stay in the receiver’s pocket throughout the play. His sub-30” arms are a bit of a concern on paper, but you wouldn’t guess it from his play — Ponds does a great job contesting catches and uses his arms well to make a play on the ball.

Ponds also possesses good instincts in zone coverage, especially near the line of scrimmage. When he sniffs out a route he drives on it quickly to make a play.

Ponds has a bit of a folk hero reputation on NFL Draft Twitter — well deserved, in my opinion — but we do have to be realistic about his projection in the pros. Ponds plays big, but was still brought back down to earth against Madden-create-a-player Jeremiah Smith in their matchup.

You’ll also see him give up contested catches to big pass-catchers at times. Ultimately, while I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ponds hold up OK on the boundary in the NFL, his skill set definitely translates best to the slot where he won’t be matched up against X receivers as often and can play to his strengths coming downhill.

Because again, even though Ponds is not a large corner, he’s a great tackler for his position, hitting with impact and consistently wrapping up.

Ponds projects as a plus starter in the nickel in the NFL thanks to his coverage ability and tackling mindset.

Strengths

Choppy, active feet; mirrors effectively and relentlessly
Plays much larger than his listed size
Ferocious at the catch point; disrupts receivers with his arms
Effective, high-effort tackler

Weaknesses

Will likely be limited to the slot in the NFL
Lack of size can be an issue against big X receivers; bullied by Jeremiah Smith
Aggressive playing style occasionally backfires

What others are saying about D’Angelo Ponds

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

Ponds is a productive perimeter cornerback trapped in a smaller body, but he’s not lacking in confidence or coverage tenacity. He’s tremendously competitive and winning seems to follow him at each stop. He matches press releases with good slide quickness and has the speed to stay in-phase as routes travel vertically. Eye discipline, instincts and trigger quickness fuel his zone work and catch disruption. Size limitations will likely push him to nickelback, where mismatches against bigger bodies and physical challenges from run games will test his playmaking/durability. Ponds is a likely Day 2 pick who will be an above-average starting nickelback in the NFL.

Daniel Harms, Bleacher Report

Ponds plays with fantastic zone awareness in any variation thanks to his quick feet and track background. His instincts are tied to strong eye discipline and make him a formidable opponent when reading the quarterback. … Doesn’t panic with the ball in the air and plays with the mindset of a bigger corner when working downfield. He attacks the catchpoint with authority and timing to disrupt catches. .. When dealing with comeback routes or hitches at full speed, he displays a slight hitch within his deceleration. This slight pause allows receivers to sell deep and break him off at the top of routes. … PRO COMPARISON: Marcus Jones

Jay Robins, Stampede Blue

The simple fact is, Ponds’ tape is sensational. Had he grown roughly 3 inches taller and had his arm length and weight grow proportionally, his tape would warrant not just Round 1 discussion, but created a Top Corner in the Class debate with LSU’s Mansoor Delane. Even without that extra growth spurt, Ponds has maximized every athletic gift he’s been given and plays with a fiery intensity that shines bright. As one of the chairmen of the Upton Stout = Stud committee leading up to last years’ draft, I can’t help but love the tape and trust in the player’s clear passion to work itself out; measuring tape be damned.

D’Angelo Ponds’ fit with the Steelers

If the Steelers plan to move Jalen Ramsey to safety in the future, drafting Ponds in the second round would shore up the Pittsburgh secondary with a quality slot corner. He could also see some success on the outside in more of a cloud corner role.

Of course, the Steelers could see Ramsey as the answer in the slot for the time being (where I think he fits best), making a Ponds pick somewhat redundant. Either way, the Indiana product is sure to be an instant fan favorite wherever he lands.

TL;DR: Ponds is a feisty, undersized cornerback who excels as a tackler and in coverage. He’s a playmaker in every phase of the game who will likely move to the slot in the NFL, but Ponds’ athleticism and high-effort playing style should make him an instant contributor.

What are your thoughts on Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!

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