How do we articulate an argument against legal marijuana?

  • Thread starter Thread starter TK421
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

TK421

Guest
First I’ll start with my own thoughts on the matter. I think in 10-30 years, science - just like it did with tobacco smoking - will more abundantly prove what is already obvious through observation: that smoking marijuna, apart from its highly deletrious effects on the lungs, turns you into a stupid, dull-witted human being, including possible mid-to-long term effects. I had a friend that started smoking pot in high school and I literally could notice his keen intelligence dissipate before my eyes over the span of several months. Of course, being the sensitive subject that it is, he was immune and beyond hope in accepting any such critiques. No study, advice, or warning could penetrate the hallowed throne & altar on which his weed was placed. His weed was his Christ and his bong was his Ark to carry the sacred vessels, and that was the end of it.

While I can easily see why it wouldn’t be prudent to treat smoking marijuana as a major felony, or in investing substantial law enforcement resources into pursuing illict marijuanaI users, I cannot fathom any objective good that could come by legalizing marijuana. I see Washington and Colorada’s laws largely being motivated through greed: in addition to local users, they can get people from neighboring states to spend money there, and then these people take their objectively harmful habits home to roost in their own state. It is institutionalized parasitism which inevitably puts pressure on neighboring states to legalize it as well.

However, I have a hard time coming up with a concrete argument for why marijuana shouldn’t be legalized, and the reason being is: “How do we come up with a definitive standard for drawing the line?” Alcohol is also deletrious, even though you have to consume far larger quantities of it before it becomes a major harm to yourself and others, but even if alcohol is deletrious to a lesser degree than marijuana, how can we allow the legal sale & distribution of alcohol but not of marijuana? Or, if we take this comparison further, how can we allow the legal sale & distribution of bacon, but not of alcohol? Or, on the more woeful end, if we allow legalized marijuana, then why not legalized meth? Marijuana is deletrious to a lesser degree then even harder drugs.

There are countless substances that are deletrious, so how as Catholics, do we look at the contraversial subject of marijuana in the States, and draw a definitive, objective line to show why marijuana should remain illegal? Do we have any encyclicals or writings from Popes & theologians to better illuminate the moral aspect of this problem?
 
I know I’m going to probably catch a lot of flack for this, but I don’t think it’s much of a moral issue, at least no more than alcohol legalization, cigarettes, or trans-fats (which the FDA is already moving to ban). I don’t think any of these things are good things to do for health reasons, but unless they’re pursued to excess (marijuana, cigarettes, alcohol, trans-fats…etc.) or are taken in an irresponsible way that may inflict harm on self or others, these things don’t really affect one’s moral life. That is, simply smoking marijuana, in my opinion, shouldn’t have much more affect on a person’s soul than drinking a glass of wine or smoking a cigar on occasion. I think marijuana is different from harder drugs…

I guess the best answer I can give is that these things are fine in and of themselves unless they are pursued to unreasonable or irresponsible limits.
 
So, your argument is that marijuana should be illegal because it’s harmful to your health?
 
I don’t have any Church teachings right now, but keep in mind that marijuana kills brain cells.

The people who argue for marijuana with may have smoked the marijuana, and thus, have less brain cells. :rolleyes:
 
TK421 said:
First I’ll start with my own thoughts on the matter. I think in 10-30 years, science - just like it did with tobacco smoking - will more abundantly prove what is already obvious through observation: that smoking marijuna, apart from its highly deletrious effects on the lungs, turns you into a stupid, dull-witted human being, including possible mid-to-long term effects. I had a friend that started smoking pot in high school and I literally could notice his keen intelligence dissipate before my eyes over the span of several months. Of course, being the sensitive subject that it is, he was immune and beyond hope in accepting any such critiques. No study, advice, or warning could penetrate the hallowed throne & altar on which his weed was placed. His weed was his Christ and his bong was his Ark to carry the sacred vessels, and that was the end of it.

While I can easily see why it wouldn’t be prudent to treat smoking marijuana as a major felony, or in investing substantial law enforcement resources into pursuing illict marijuanaI users, I cannot fathom any objective good that could come by legalizing marijuana. I see Washington and Colorada’s laws largely being motivated through greed: in addition to local users, they can get people from neighboring states to spend money there, and then these people take their objectively harmful habits home to roost in their own state. It is institutionalized parasitism which inevitably puts pressure on neighboring states to legalize it as well.

However, I have a hard time coming up with a concrete argument for why marijuana shouldn’t be legalized, and the reason being is: “How do we come up with a definitive standard for drawing the line?” Alcohol is also deletrious, even though you have to consume far larger quantities of it before it becomes a major harm to yourself and others, but even if alcohol is deletrious to a lesser degree than marijuana, how can we allow the legal sale & distribution of alcohol but not of marijuana? Or, if we take this comparison further, how can we allow the legal sale & distribution of bacon, but not of alcohol? Or, on the more woeful end, if we allow legalized marijuana, then why not legalized meth? Marijuana is deletrious to a lesser degree then even harder drugs.

There are countless substances that are deletrious, so how as Catholics, do we look at the contraversial subject of marijuana in the States, and draw a definitive, objective line to show why marijuana should remain illegal? Do we have any encyclicals or writings from Popes & theologians to better illuminate the moral aspect of this problem?
Click to expand...
I understand your concerns and I was dismayed at the registration process I went thru to obtain a card in Michigan. I haven’t used it yet, as I’m being treated in a Pain Center, but there may come a time where that will be my only legal choice to treat the terrible chronic pain I live with each day. There are also alternatives to smoking cannabis - there are oils, and vape pens which are not bad for your lungs. My ‘druthers’ would be for it to be standardized by some company (which would mean a huge increase in cost) and then it would be “safer” for those who really need it.
 
Marijuana is definitely a worse animal than alchohol by quite a lot, unless youre really hammering yourself. But ultimately how can we put these into such distinct categories? A joint is much more harmful than a cigarette, but is one joint a week worse than 20 cigarettes?

I suppose there is the neurological effect it has on you. Theres definitely a huge difference between somebody that is high and somebody that has had a few beers.
 
TK421 said:
Marijuana is definitely a worse animal than alchohol by quite a lot, unless youre really hammering yourself. But ultimately how can we put these into such distinct categories? A joint is much more harmful than a cigarette, but is one joint a week worse than 20 cigarettes?

I suppose there is the neurological effect it has on you. Theres definitely a huge difference between somebody that is high and somebody that has had a few beers.
Click to expand...
How many puffs of marijuana does it take to get high? Bill Clinton said he tried it but did not get high? President Barack Obama said he used cocaine, and it did not seem to have a neurological effect on him? Isn’t cocaine more harmful than marijuana?
 
I understand that the medical community can separate the THC from the plant rendering it’s use as a recreational drug useless. In that form however, it still can be of benefit to people suffering from nausea during chemotherapy, and bring relief from other terminal diseases and disorders. This usually comes in pill form, but the drug can also be dispensed in certain cases in some states in a “smokeable” form.

Clearly someone who has no history of drug abuse, suffering from disease and cancer treatments can benefit from this therapy, making their lives more bearable, while under the guidance of a doctor. I have no problem with this.

Legalizing pot for recreational use should be frowned upon. The only benefit I see here, is robbing drug smugglers and other criminals, a very important source of revenue. I don’t know if it is worth legalizing though for this use until we see how this potent drug affects communities. My opinion? Medical use yes, recreational use, no way. :twocents:
 
I’ve actually been wondering this myself. Personally my issues with it are the weed culture and what it does to our youth, the fact that a very small dose takes away your rational capacity to think, and the ultimate nu-manageability of one’s life that awaits the person who ends up trying to flee from their problems by using drugs or alcohol. And then there’s the fact that liberal politicians tend to try and push these ballot measures in order to get more young voters to come out to the polls (and while they’re there they might as well vote for this or that candidate who, don’t you know, is an outspoken champion of women’s reproductive rights! But that’s not really a good rational answer for why it should remain illegal.)

I have a family member who shall remain nameless who used to be a regular user and just cannot abide by any suggestion that marijuana isn’t some wonder drug that’s totally harmless and safe to use, and that Colorado’s having a wonderful time with legalization. It’s gotten to where every time she mentions some latest study she read on Facebook about how cannabis killed cancerous tumors or cured male baldness or whatever I just politely smile :banghead:

[SIGN]Viva Jesus![/SIGN]
 
TK421 said:
Marijuana is definitely a worse animal than alchohol by quite a lot, unless youre really hammering yourself. But ultimately how can we put these into such distinct categories? A joint is much more harmful than a cigarette, but is one joint a week worse than 20 cigarettes?

I suppose there is the neurological effect it has on you. Theres definitely a huge difference between somebody that is high and somebody that has had a few beers.
Click to expand...
I’d rather deal with someone who is stoned than a drunk person, any day. Hand them some chips and a funny movie, they are good to go. Drunks aren’t that easy to handle. I’ve never had to hold someone’s hair back from puking after getting high off pot, done it plenty of times with a drunk person. Also, never had a stoned person ugly cry after a night of partying. Hell, I’ve ugly cried being drunk.
Prolonged use of both alcohol or pot will have negative neurological effects.
I honestly don’t know where I stand on this issue. Tons of prescribed meds can get you high. Should we ban morphine? I am prescribed amphetamines, they give me a calming effect, normal people would be “tweaking.” Really don’t know how I feel about pot, recreational or medicinal.
 
SHoJjhmou said:
I don’t have any Church teachings right now, but keep in mind that marijuana kills brain cells.

The people who argue for marijuana with may have smoked the marijuana, and thus, have less brain cells. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
And alcohol damages your liver which is one of the most important organs in your body. What’s your point?
 
freeRadical said:
And alcohol damages your liver which is one of the most important organs in your body. What’s your point?
Click to expand...
You can also get alchohol poisoning, I’ve seen it. Person had to go to the hospital, never encountered a pot head going to the hospital for overdosing. I think it is quite rare.
 
TK421 said:
Marijuana is definitely a worse animal than alchohol by quite a lot, unless youre really hammering yourself. But ultimately how can we put these into such distinct categories? A joint is much more harmful than a cigarette, but is one joint a week worse than 20 cigarettes?

I suppose there is the neurological effect it has on you. Theres definitely a huge difference between somebody that is high and somebody that has had a few beers.
Click to expand...
How often does someone under the influence of pot seek to drive, putting many innocent motorists and passengers at risk? How often do those under the influence of pot violently abuse their children? Both of these situations are common amoung users of alcohol. I disagree that pot is worse than alcohol. Alcohol is better compared to heroin or cocaine and should be treated the same way. If this were the case, and drugs were legal, we’d have less violence and more tax revenue that we could use to promote non-use of drugs, like the effective anti-smoking campaigns.
 
mek42 said:
How often does someone under the influence of pot seek to drive, putting many innocent motorists and passengers at risk? How often do those under the influence of pot violently abuse their children? Both of these situations are common amoung users of alcohol. I disagree that pot is worse than alcohol. Alcohol is better compared to heroin or cocaine and should be treated the same way. If this were the case, and drugs were legal, we’d have less violence and more tax revenue that we could use to promote non-use of drugs, like the effective anti-smoking campaigns.
Click to expand...
Ok, so Kendra hasn’t always been a Saint.;)😊 And I have ridden in a car with someone who had smoked and was high myself. We were going 35 in a 55 and I was telling the guy to slow down. So getting behind a pothead would be like getting behind a combine tractor, if everyone has the same experiences I did.
 
Banning alcohol is not for the common good. It is an established and immemorial tradition which would be almost impossible to prevent. Cannabis is a minority indulgence, far more damaging to the mental health and to the young. Most people feel unpleasantly tired and ill if they drink too much or too often, but cannabis does not cause this so easily and this makes regular abuse easier. Cannabis is more easily abused because although users become stupid and boring the smell is more easily hidden, it does not cause such noticeable disorientation and the user does not become loud. Alcohol does not cause serious psychiatric problems except when severely over-indulged in for many years, but cannabis can cause these when only small amounts are taken infrequently. Cannabis is a drug which distorts the mind whereas alcohol is merely a depressant.
 
Some suggestions:

:hypno: WHOA! Man. Are you, uh, smuggling skunks or something?

:whacky: Who needs extra brain cells anyway? :bigyikes: Dude … where’s my STASH?

:confused: Sooo … if they legalize dogfights … are you going to, like, get a pit bull (that day)?

🍿 This is better. I’m coming down after downing three burgers and a burrito!

:curtsey: Kisses from pretty miss’ :love: – or just … smoke :hey_bud: from a toke ?
 
recentrevert said:
Banning alcohol is not for the common good. It is an established and immemorial tradition which would be almost impossible to prevent. Cannabis is a minority indulgence, far more damaging to the mental health and to the young. Most people feel unpleasantly tired and ill if they drink too much or too often, but cannabis does not cause this so easily and this makes regular abuse easier. Cannabis is more easily abused because although users become stupid and boring the smell is more easily hidden, it does not cause such noticeable disorientation and the user does not become loud. Alcohol does not cause serious psychiatric problems except when severely over-indulged in for many years, but cannabis can cause these when only small amounts are taken infrequently. Cannabis is a drug which distorts the mind whereas alcohol is merely a depressant.
Click to expand...
If cannabis is harmful, why do some doctors recommend it for their patients?
 
edwest2 said:
The Vatican pharmacy will not prescribe it.

catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=18206

Ed
Click to expand...
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

… And … I used my last match to light the candles.

:ehh: that’s just tobacco I think. Although … no filter … and badly rolled. :hmmm:

:newidea: Does the Vatican Pharmacy stock Lourdes water?

More to the topic, playing the “smoking = pollution” card might be good.

There is sort of a social dispensation for yelling angrily at smokers. And fat people - for some reason (odd because that is increasingly all of us). 🤷
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top