“If indeed they are a bonafide church, they have a right to operate within the city zoning code,” he said. “That does not give them the right to openly flout state law. I do support the city attorney’s effort to end the illegal sale of weed there.”

Schworck and Bangert, who claim perhaps 10,000 members from all parts of the state, see it very differently, maintaining that the church is rooted in Rastafarianism, a religious movement that employs the ritualistic use of marijuana. They say they don’t pressure members to become Rastafarian, and that many if not most simply use cannabis to ease mental or physical stress or for meditation. It’s up to members to seek fellowship or learn more, they said.

“We’re not trying to convert people to something,” Schworck said. “If they have an inclination to learn more, we’re willing to share more.”

The church gives a better option for obtaining cannabis than the black market or on the street, Schworck said.

The city isn’t buying. “It seems to me one gets your weed and smokes your weed 24-7 and we’re good,” Zilavy said.