"The clergy and the religious nation clearly and categorically oppose any kind of legalization of cultivation and realization of marijuana for any purpose, which is the common mood and unchanging attitude of the Church," the statement of the Patriarchate says.

"In the social network and mass media periodically the information is spread that part of the clergy do not have negative attitude towards cannabis cultivation bill that the church has given up positions and is actually confronted with only individual clergy, which is not true at all."

In parallel, the criticism against the current authorities is made by the head of St. Ambrose Fathers Monastery.