For many people, being the inventor of a toaster that burns Jesus's face onto a piece of toast would be enough for one lifetime.

But not for 51-year-old Galen Dively III, who is running for Vermont State Senate in Caledonia County on the Marijuana Party ticket.

Originally of Claysburg, Pennsylvania, Dively has been a Vermont resident for 20 years. He wrote to his state senators about pot legalization, and when it didn't pan out, decided to take matters into his own hands.

"The race [for state senate] was uncontested, and I couldn't leave it that way," he tells U.S. News.

Why is the legalization of marijuana so important to Dively? "It comes down to freedom," he explains, saying that laws restricting marijuana are "based on racism and prejudice" and are "used to control people."

"It’s a plant, for God’s sake," he adds. "It's wrong to put people in jail, wrong to ruin people’s lives for that."

Dively admits that he's "not a politician."

"I just want to be there for two years and say, 'You guys messed up last year [not legalizing marijuana], let’s get this s--t together,'" he explains.

Dively made a name for himself with his novelty toaster company Burnt Impressions, which gained national attention for its Jesus Toaster. The company has gone beyond branding the image of Christ onto bread and now makes toasters that can burn any picture on toast. Selfie toasters are very popular, Dively tells U.S. News, and they're often requested for weddings.

As for national politics, Dively was a staunch Bernie Sanders supporter and is not sure who to vote for in the presidential election.