A BURNING DESIRE TO USE THIS SACRAMENT

Joe Johnson of East Peoria said he was being "prosecuted" for his religious
practices.

Didn't he mean persecuted? I asked.

Both, he said.

Definitely prosecuted. Johnson, who lives in an apartment in Woodview
Commons at Illinois Central College, said he was pulled over for speeding
last fall near the ICC campus on Centennial Drive. As police searched his
car, he volunteered the information that the officer would probably find
something in his car, such as, well, marijuana.

But, Johnson told the officer, he's an ordained minister with a cannabis
ministry in which marijuana is used as a "sacrament."

"I run the church out of my residence," he said. He argued to the police
that his possession of pot is protected under religious freedom laws.

The arresting officer told Johnson to "take it up with the judge," which he
will do early next month in Tazewell County Circuit Court, the East Peorian
said.

Johnson's group is called the Church of Khidr, named after a legendary
figure popular in Sufism, a mystic branch of Islam. Johnson's ministerial
credentials are from the Universal Life Church, which offers free, instant
ordinations online.

Johnson, 20, said his 2-month-old church, which includes himself and two
others, uses cannabis - Johnson said the term "marijuana" is a government
word - as a ritual sacrament, not unlike the Rastafarian religion.

The method of ingestion is up to the worshippers.

"I prefer cooking with it, but that's basically open to members of the
congregation," he said. "I use it as a sacrament to bring people to the
church so we can discuss religion.

"A sacrament is something used to bring followers of similar beliefs
together in order for them to sit on down and talk religion," he said.
"That's what friars did and monks did. That's what we use herb for, to
bring people of similar interests together. We just use herb as a way to go
ahead and get people to spike their interest."

Johnson's practice has definitely spiked the interest of his landlord,
Century Development, which manages the new student apartments. The pot
preacher and a Century spokesman disagree about the reason and legality of
a recent search of Johnson's apartment by housing staff.

ICC's John Avendano, vice president for academic affairs and student
development and services, said Woodview Commons isn't owned by ICC. The
college would have something to say about Johnson's activities only if it
crossed onto school property, Avendano said.

Johnson has affiliated his organization with Hawaii Cannabis Ministry, an
activist group trying to get use of marijuana legalized for religious uses.
The group offers a "Cannabis Sanctuary Kit" and "Legal Defense Package" at
its Web site, www.thc-ministry.org.

Johnson said that while proponents of ritual cannabis usage claim support
in Jewish and Christian scriptures, his approach to religion is more along
the lines of Eastern mysticism and spiritualism, as well as agnostic and
Sufi teachings.

"I believe it brings me closer to God as it allows me to feel that
inner-personal

connection," Johnson said. "The use of cannabis brings about similar states
of mind and altered states of consciousness that can be achieved through
meditation as well."

He said he didn't establish the church as a cover for people who want to
get stoned legally. He admitted, though, that marijuana can be addictive.

"I believe anything can be addictive," he said. "It depends on the person's
mentality. People who are addicted most likely aren't using it for
spiritual purposes."

But that doesn't get in the way of his belief it should be free to use in a
ritual manner.

"By teaching responsibility and all that, we're trying to make people more
open-minded and tolerant of people's actions," Johnson said.