NEWS

Cannabis Church founder sues former IMPD chief Hite for defamation

Mark Alesia
IndyStar
Bill Levin, founder of the First Church of Cannabis

The founder of the First Church of Cannabis in Indianapolis is suing former IMPD chief Rick Hite for defamation after Hite compared him to infamous cult leader Jim Jones at a news conference last June.

Bill Levin, head of the controversial church, charges in the lawsuit that Hite's comment was "extreme and outrageous conduct" that harmed Levin's reputation and caused emotional distress.

The lawsuit quotes Hite as saying, "As Jim Jones once did within our state, he led a group of people into a place of no return. We don't want that to happen again in this state."

Jones started the Peoples Temple in Indianapolis and eventually relocated to California and then Guyana, where more than 900 of the cult leader's followers died by murder or suicide in 1978.

The lawsuit does not specify the damages Levin is seeking. It was filed in Marion County court and also names the city of Indianapolis and IMPD as defendants.

Former Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department chief Rick Hite.

Hite, now head of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, told IndyStar on Friday, "I'm not aware of it, and that's my comment." Hite resigned from IMPD on Dec. 31 after the election of new Mayor Joe Hogsett.

The alleged defamatory quote came at a news conference by law enforcement less than a week before the church's inaugural service. Hite and Marion County prosecutor Terry Curry warned that anyone smoking marijuana at the church would be breaking the law and would be prosecuted.

At the time, Levin said Hite's comparison to Jim Jones was "religious bigotry" and a "vulgar insult to our new religion."

Three days after the news conference, Levin said marijuana would not be part of the church's services. He said the church could better press its version of religious liberty in a civil lawsuit rather than a criminal case.

Who is First Church of Cannabis founder Bill Levin?

Levin and the church have a pending civil case against the state.

The Cannabis Church attracted international attention after being granted non-profit status by the Internal Revenue Service. Levin created the church in part to test Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The inaugural service at the church on July 1 attracted national media, police and protestors. Outside the church, there were food trucks and a Kool-Aid Stand. Inside the church, there was a raucous mix of music, balloons and dancing in the aisles, as well as testaments to the benefits of cannabis, medicinal and otherwise. Offering envelopes read, "One Toke. One Smile. One Love."

The church's services continue every Wednesday.

Contact IndyStar reporter Mark Alesia at (317) 444-6311 and follow him on Twitter: @markalesia.

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