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For many years he was the 鈥渕onetary architect鈥� of the 鈥淟iberty dollar,鈥� much beloved by antigovernment "Patriots." Nowadays, may be singing the lyrics of the 1970 Brewer & Shipley tune: 鈥淥ne toke over the line sweet Jesus 鈥︹��

After running afoul of federal authorities over his alternative currency scheme, von NotHaus has embarked on a more ethereal venture, the Free Marijuana Church of Honolulu, where he is the 鈥渉igh priest.鈥� Church members step into the 鈥淗igh Room鈥� for one toke of marijuana, then retire to a meditation room 鈥渋n serene bliss,鈥� according to a church press release.

Von NotHaus, 64, says he once was friends with psychedelic drug proponent Timothy Leary, but he鈥檚 best known among radical right 鈥淧atriots鈥� for creating 鈥淎merican Liberty currency鈥� in money certificate denominations of $1, $5 and $10 starting in 1998. The certificates were backed by stocks of silver and gold stored in Idaho, von NotHaus said. The currency is popular with extreme-right tax protesters and members of the radical , who maintain that the federal government has no right to tax or otherwise regulate them, as well as those who believe that the Federal Reserve, America鈥檚 central bank, is run by a private body for personal profit.

Fourteen months ago, federal agents two tons of copper coins featuring Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul and 500 pounds of silver from a Liberty Dollars warehouse, and raided the company鈥檚 Evansville, Ind., headquarters after the U.S. Mint issued a public warning to consumers and businesses that using Liberty Dollars in lieu of U.S. currency was a crime. While von NotHaus feared he might be arrested on allegations of violating federal laws prohibiting the private manufacturing of currency, he was not criminally charged. He has always insisted that Liberty Dollars are a voluntary barter currency, not 鈥渓egal tender,鈥� 鈥渃urrent money鈥� or 鈥渃oin.鈥�

Von NotHaus said he has been smoking pot for 40 years. But it was only in the past 12 years that he began smoking one toke of marijuana every Sunday morning and learned 鈥渢o listen to the God within my own mind.鈥� The idea of a church came to him 鈥渁s a means for other people to experience their higher consciousness,鈥� he wrote in a lengthy essay on the church鈥檚 website. The website lists no address for his church, however, and he wrote that there is no need to visit there to experience God, just take 鈥渙ne toke of high-grade marijuana鈥� and lie down in a dimly lit room.

Despite his professed cannabis-fueled bliss, it doesn鈥檛 appear that von NotHaus鈥� Liberty Dollar ties have completely gone up in smoke. The Liberty Dollar website, , features his photograph, front and center, along with a long message from him shilling the virtues of Liberty Dollars. 鈥淓ven though I get an enormous amount of mail, please write to me,鈥� von Not Haus writes. 鈥淚 love hearing every Success Story when you use the Liberty Dollar.鈥�

Even so, von NotHaus said in October that he was turning over the reins of the Liberty Dollar to others and retiring. He had, he said in a written statement to supporters, 鈥渄iscovered an amazing new God within my own mind.鈥�

Now von NotHaus says he hopes to publish a book on famous and not-so-famous people鈥檚 positive drug use stories. The working title: 鈥淥ne Toke to God 鈥� Two Tokes to Party.鈥�