Indiana legislators may not want to tackle the issue of medical marijuana in the Statehouse, but one Lake County Council member is looking to gain the support of his peers for a resolution supporting the practice.

Lake County Councilman Jamal Washington, D-Merrillville, said he would like fellow council members to consider a resolution supporting the decriminalization of marijuana for medical purposes when the council meets Tuesday.

There’s no religious dogma in this church, but these marijuana missionaries are intent in on bringing ostracized stoners back into the fold.

Congregants in this church aren’t high on Jesus. In fact, the very name of the church sounds like lyrics from a rock and (ahem) roll song or the backdrop for a classic Cheech and Chong movie.

It’s true that First Cannabis Church of Logic and Reason’s sacrament might be a doobie or marijuana-infused brownie instead of the body and blood of Christ, and its dogma is steeped in giving thanks to the cannabis plant for its healing nature and the sense of well-being it gives users instead of Jesus’ sacrifices for sinners.

Jeff Staker knows the new battle that lies ahead.

The Indiana Marine veteran has registered a nonprofit with the state, Hoosier Veterans for Medical Cannabis, and said he is committed to pushing Indiana lawmakers to legalize medical marijuana.

“There needs to be an alternative,” Staker said.

It’s in part his first-hand account of prescribing practices, with doctors in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Staker said that is promoting the new action.

“For me personally, it’s because for the past 10 years I’ve been on pain medication of one sort or another,” he said. “And a majority of that I was on oxycodone.”

The marijuana business in the U.S. is growing like a weed.

Nationwide, legal sales of marijuana reached $5.7 billion in 2015, up from $4.6 billion the previous year, according to a report from ArcView Market Research. For 2016, the market is projected to grow to $7.1 billion. And by 2020, ArcView says, sales of legal marijuana in the U.S. could top $22 billion.

As it stands now, about two-thirds of America’s marijuana crop — the legal and illegal kinds — is grown outdoors, according to Mother Jones magazine.

Marijuana advocates amped up their game as the first cannabis church is starting to move forwards. The First Church of Cannabis was already had its legal recognition.

According to Plaid Zebra, The Church of Cannabis is now a recognized religion. What made the Church of Cannabis a bit peculiar is the fact that they tend to smoke weed as their holy sacrament. The church's minister and "Grand Pooba" Bill Levin sought help from the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to have The First Church of Cannabis to become a legitimate establishment.

A Hobart native has seen first hand the economic potential of the marijuana industry and wants to spark interest among Northwest Indiana investors.

The Kingery Group Chief Executive Officer Dawn Marie will prepare Region businesses for marijuana legalization and tell about opportunities at Northwest Indiana's first Cannabis Business Workshop at 10 a.m., March 5, at Ambassador Banquets in Hobart.

Medical marijuana is now legal just across the border in Illinois and Michigan. States like Colorado, Oregon and Washington have approved its recreational use. A Gallup poll in October found 58 percent of Americans supported legalizing it nationally.

Indiana State Senator Jean Liesing (R-42nd District) filed a bill last week that may successfully crack open the door to cannabis law reform in The Hoosier State.

MUNCIE, Ind. (December 4, 2015) - A Ball State student is suing the federal government and the university.

Bronson Westbrook, 24, was arrested in 2014 and charged with possession of marijuana. During that arrest, more than $14,000 in cash was confiscated. Police say that money was collected from selling drugs.

“As far as I know he’s a good guy and he comes over and cuts his mom’s yard,” said Westbrook’s neighbor Tino Edwards.

Neighbors in Westbrook’s south side Muncie neighborhood didn’t know him to be much of a trouble maker. A few blocks away though on March 2, 2014, Westbrook was involved in a car accident. Police say that’s when they found more than 24 grams of marijuana on him and more than $14,000 in cash-- some hidden under the driver’s seat.

Illinois isn’t the first state in the Midwest to allow medical marijuana. Minnesota and Michigan have active cannabis programs for patients, while other nearby states are considering legislation. Some states allow children with seizures to be treated with cannabidiol oil, or CBD, a marijuana extract.

Here’s a look at where Illinois’ neighbor states stand:

- Wisconsin: Allows possession of non-psychoactive CBD oil to treat seizure disorder. Legislation to allow adults to use marijuana for recreational or medical reasons has been introduced, but it is unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Lawmakers may crack open a door for use of medical marijuana by protecting doctors involved in drug trials from prosecution.

Earlier this week, a group of lawmakers endorsed clearing the way for medical studies of cannabis oil — a non-psychoactive extract of the marijuana plant that’s illegal in Indiana.

The measure falls far short of the acceptance advocated by some parents and lawmakers. They want state clearance to use the controversial drug for all children with seizure disorders, not just those involved in a study.