The Spanish painter Okuda San Miguel was chosen to paint with amazing scenes the whole International Cannabis Church
Undoubtedly, Spain has contributed to the painting some of the great geniuses of international stature. Some of them are Goya, Velázquez, Picasso, Dalí and many more. But in the international cannabis sector, the most outstanding artist in the world is Okuda San Miguel.
The International Cannabis Church is a non-profit religious community center, as well as a place of worship and gathering for people seeking spiritual bonds and friendship through the use of cannabis.
The Church, located in the city of Denver, Colorado, was created on April 20, 2017. That is, the 420, and is the largest gathering center in the world for those who want to achieve their spiritual goals through marijuana can do it without legal problems.
The Church is a building with more than 100 years old where Okuda has painted a mural based on prisms in the vault and the walls in which various animals are represented, figures of mythology and very beautiful natural motifs.
Their colors are especially bright and vibrant. The back wall of the Church, where the parishioners enter the space of consumption, is painted with two spectacular figures that represent a shape reminiscent of a brick and another based on colored triangles. The entire space is dreamy so that the dreamlike nature of his drawings helps visitors to enter into spiritual mode.
When the International Cannabis Church opened its doors on April 20, the parishioners were amazed by the color of its interior. It was a special day because Denver reached a new dimension for spiritual life and cannabis. The artist has arranged his paintings so that the paintings seem to unfold upwards.
This artist is in great demand to perform large-scale works around the world. One of his masterpieces is the interior of the Temple of Kaos, in 2015, which is an old Spanish church from 1912 that Okuda transformed into a park for skaters. Although he usually lives in Madrid (Spain), he travels a lot to carry out his works and murals.
Born in the city of Santander in 1980, from his earliest youth he began to consume cannabis, a substance that he says helps inspire him to create his best works.
A celebration at the International Cannabis Church
On any given day, parishioners begin their rituals. The congregants, of all ages and social classes, draw their colorful pipes from their bags. After filling them with the best marijuana, they light them and pass them on to all those who are sitting on the same bench.
All social classes are present. In the same bench you can find retirees, youth, hippies, etc.
Entering this sanctuary located in a quiet neighborhood of Denver, it’s like a religious dream. Remember the Sistine Chapel but full of psychedelic colors. Color is the protagonist.
Before the International Cannabis Church opened its doors on April 20, 2017, the painter Okuda San Miguel spent six days and did not even have a sketch before beginning.
On any given Friday, puffs of pipe smoke float in the air. The co-founder, Steve Berke, 37, a former US tennis player, takes the podium. Behind him there are two velvet chairs, in the shape of a hand that makes the gesture of peace, which hold several joints.
There are no Bibles or hymns are sung. Nor is there a pastor who directs the ceremony. Each day it is up to the congregation to address a different person. It can be a known activist, some entrepreneur in the sector or a famous grower. The creed of this Church is based on “elevationism”, conceived as the belief that marijuana can help you deepen your spiritual journey. It is something very similar to what Bob Marley advocated.
There are Elevationists who practice other religions at the same time. Steve Berke is Jewish, for example. In the Church of cannabis you do not have to convert to anything. You are only asked to fill out an online application by which you state that cannabis is a spiritual sacrament in your life.
According to a girl named Lucy who is a yoga teacher and who sometimes leads the ceremony in the cannabis church, churches are buildings that, naturally, concentrate large amounts of energy. Smoking marijuana in a church makes the experience more intense.
During a ceremony, through the smoke you can see who is leading the session that lights a match inviting attendees to light their joints and pipes. Steve Berke explains that they all rely on their spiritual journeys and that during the cannabis smoking ceremony it is like celebrating their particular “last supper”. The participants celebrate this form of community help with expressive cries of “Amen.”
Cannabis and religion have gone hand in hand for thousands of years. THC interacts with the cannabis receptors of the brain and amplifies the perception of the senses, thoughts and feelings. Likewise, it influences levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine, causing sensations of pleasure; although it can also cause anxiety.
The International Cannabis Church allows you to consume cannabis in the temple whenever you have completed the aforementioned online form and be over 21 years old. It is strictly prohibited to buy or sell cannabis on the premises.
