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- Steve Ryan Berke (born 5 May 1981) is a co-founder of the International Church of Cannabis, two-time candidate for mayor of Miami Beach, cannabis activist, rapper, YouTuber, entrepreneur, and former All-American tennis player. As a college tennis player, Berke gained All-America honors and the Ivy League Player of the Year award at Yale University. After sustaining a career-ending injury on the professional tennis tour, Berke turned to medical marijuana as a pain reliever and became a cannabis activist. Moving from stand-up comedy to YouTube, he made several viral videos, most prominently "Pot Shop", a rap parody of "Thrift Shop," which garnered over 15 million views. He was a candidate for mayor of Miami Beach on two occasions, in 2011 and 2013, attracting international media attention with his unorthodox campaigns. He founded Bang Holdings, a digital media company that specializes in cannabis advertising. In 2017, Berke was one of the founders of the International Church of Cannabis, a religious organization that regards cannabis as a sacrament. (en)
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