Is it a sin or sinful to smoke marijuana?

[Dannyd1]

Actually, what is ridiculous is the notion that legalizing pot will reduce crime. Currently, Amsterdam is having to revisit their own laws because the legalization of it had the opposite effect of what they had expected…based on the same misguided notion.

And the idea that no one has ever died from pot is also misguided.

sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123104017.htm

First off, the newspaper article is talking about organized crime coming into Amsterdam and ‘exporting’ the bud obviously to places where it is illegal. The main thesis of this story is about organized crime not the casual users themselves so let’s at least be honest in what is being reported.

As to the science article, the issue is about a smoking date with Mary Jane. Of course smoking anything produces health risks, as with tobacco, should tobacco be made illegal? I don’t think so.

 

[iamme]

Actually, what is ridiculous is the notion that legalizing pot will reduce crime. Currently, Amsterdam is having to revisit their own laws because the legalization of it had the opposite effect of what they had expected…based on the same misguided notion.

And the idea that no one has ever died from pot is also misguided.

sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123104017.htm

incorrect.
amsterdams never been truly legal with marijuana, only decriminalized. also, their problems are with E, and heroin being prevalent, because of the lax stance on pot. they dont bother cleaning up pot, and dont bother stopping anything else either.
to argue that legalzing marijuana in this country wouldnt lower the crime rate, is just being willfiully ignorant.

 

[Will8503]

French fries and cigarettes are harmful too. So what?
The sin would come from the fact that civil autorities have declared it illegal.

I don’t think french fries are a mind-altering drug. I could be wrong, though.

 

[fbl9]

as someone whos driven after smoking, i can definitely say that while reactions times are decresed, youre in no way driving drunk, not even close. and while im not saying it cant be a factor, because of course it can, to say that “pot kills” is hyperbole at least…

What are you saying here?
From how your post reads it says that you are IMPAIRED,when driving after smoking.

 

[Rleng616]

I would guess that because it is illegal, marijuana smoking is probably a venial sin. Do do it with children around, it’s possibly a mortal sin.

Good topic.
I believe smoking weed is as sinful as drinking alchohol. (Personally, I do not like either of them).
Weed however has to be more harmful because of cancer risks. On the other hand, cirrohsis is a danger with alcohol.

(IMHO) Weed should be legal. I believe it is a trivial offense, at worst. I am incredulous that an officer would have to risk his/her life for someone smoking a joint.

My general overview is that I don’t like anything that preys on a person’s weakness, whether it be weed, alcohol or gambling.

I am 63 years old and my position today is the total opposite of what it was when I was 30 years old.

Bob

 

[janw]

Concerning driving, I don’t know the why or how but its been my experience that lots of people say they do not feel anything the first few times they smoke. Maybe their looking so hard for this big high?? When they finally do feel it, they do not need to drive as it seems to hit them hard.

It may be something to do with their expectations. Regular smokers don’t think anything about driving while stoned, or at least not any of the ones I’ve known. If anything, they are more slow and careful

When(not if as I’m sure it will happen) it is legal, I’m not sure how that can be handled. Maybe a hair test will tell how long it been since they smoked.

For myself, smoking can be a sin as I would want to do it too often. I wish they would make the medical marijuana altered to take the high away, legal. I have had awful anxiety most of my life and it is the best thing ever for anxiety and depression. The fact that it makes me high makes me feel guilty to use very often or at all.

God’s word says if we feel in our heart something is wrong then it is a sin so for me its a sin until they can take away the high.

I don’t think its anymore dangerous driving than taking a very low dose of valium or other such drugs.

 

[iamme]

Concerning driving, I don’t know the why or how but its been my experience that lots of people say they do not feel anything the first few times they smoke. Maybe their looking so hard for this big high?? When they finally do feel it, they do not need to drive as it seems to hit them hard.

It may be something to do with their expectations. Regular smokers don’t think anything about driving while stoned, or at least not any of the ones I’ve known. If anything, they are more slow and careful

When(not if as I’m sure it will happen) it is legal, I’m not sure how that can be handled. Maybe a hair test will tell how long it been since they smoked.
.

youre extremely spot-on until that last part.
ive never noticed any drastic difference between driving sober, or driving after smoking, its been negligible at best, tho they might be more careful to avoid getting pulled over
but the hair follicle test doesnt tell when you last smoked, it tells if you smoked or not for a longer range of time, depending on how you treat your hair and the last time you cut it was…

 

[LegoGE1947]

My neighbor did, but the cops were flying real low one day in the chopper. Next thing ya know my neighbor got some free jewerly:tsktsk: :sad_bye: Yes. Never saw him again.:crying: He got a new place to stay now, he always kinda liked bars, but don’t think he likes this new one too much.

So the great state of PA is payin’ his rent?

 

[Attam]

I can’t help to shake my head as I read through this. Especially, the ones who use the scriptures to justify or put drug use in the gray area. Marijuana is a mind/mood altering drug. It is illegal, period. You can be arrested and charged with DWI while driving and smoking this junk. You can risk injuring yourself or hurting someone else if you are driving around high. There is no good in that.

There are so many paths, options and choices you have in this life. Just because something is available to you to use doesn’t necessarily make it good or justifiable. What has happened to morality in this world?

 

[jkiernan56]

I can’t help to shake my head as I read through this. Especially, the ones who use the scriptures to justify or put drug use in the gray area. Marijuana is a mind/mood altering drug. It is illegal, period. You can be arrested and charged with DWI while driving and smoking this junk. You can risk injuring yourself or hurting someone else if you are driving around high. There is no good in that.

There are so many paths, options and choices you have in this life. Just because something is available to you to use doesn’t necessarily make it good or justifiable. What has happened to morality in this world?

Attam - would you please honestly answer a question for me? Do you drink alcohol? Let’s make it even more simple than that … do you drink coffee or tea?

 

[Dannyd1]

I can’t help to shake my head as I read through this. Especially, the ones who use the scriptures to justify or put drug use in the gray area. Marijuana is a mind/mood altering drug. It is illegal, period. You can be arrested and charged with DWI while driving and smoking this junk. You can risk injuring yourself or hurting someone else if you are driving around high. There is no good in that.

There are so many paths, options and choices you have in this life. Just because something is available to you to use doesn’t necessarily make it good or justifiable. What has happened to morality in this world?

While I do not advocate “smoking” Marijuana, I do advocate the powerful uses of THC in the healing of very many different deceases that through much testing and application have shown to do many great things in the area of mental health, cancer, pain management and the like, without the side affects of pharmaceutical drugs that do more harm than good and cost a ridiculous amount of money for those who really need help.

Just because the government has made something illegal does not make it evil, this reasoning can very quickly be shown to be flawed. Hemp oil in very small amounts (which will not get you high) have shown to help cancer patients (cured), those with panic disorders (healed) and those who have other types of ailments that the medical community refuse to not only accept, but push deadly man made drugs to the masses all for the sake of filthy lucre.

Just go to youtube and see for yourself by typing in “run from the cure” and take an honest look at who these people who were told by the medical community that they have no hope, were cured by using hemp oil.

It is time for Christians to stop living in the emotional fundamentalist past of everything is evil, long hair on men, drinking any type of alcoholic beverage, music that does not meet their fundamentalist rule of “sacred” etc.

God did not give us herbs and natural plants just to sit there and not be used because some man made law (which by the way is lobbied by the big drug companies) that makes illegal that which at one time was legal in the country.

 

[jkiernan56]

God did not give us herbs and natural plants just to sit there and not be used because some man made law (which by the way is lobbied by the big drug companies) that makes illegal that which at one time was legal in the country.

I would like to add to these statements that it is my understanding that cannabis was an ingredient of the “holy oil” mentioned in the Old Testament:

"Anthropologist Sula Benet claimed historical evidence and etymological comparison show that the Holy anointing oil used by the Hebrews contained cannabis extracts, “kaneh bosm,” and that it is also listed as an incense tree in the original Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the Old Testament.

According to Aryeh Kaplan, [13] cannabis was an ingredient in the Holy anointing oil mentioned in various sacred Hebrew texts. The herb of interest is most commonly known as kaneh-bosem (קְנֵה-בֹשֶׂם; the singular form of which would be kaneh-bos[14]) which is mentioned several times in the Old Testament as a bartering material, incense, and an ingredient in Holy anointing oil used by the high priest of the temple.

The Septuagint (300AD) translates kaneh-bosem as calamus, and this translation has been propagated unchanged to most later translations of the Torah (1500BC+). However, Polish anthropologist Sula Benet published etymological arguments that the Aramaic word for hemp can be read as kannabos and appears to be a cognate to the modern word ‘cannabis’,[15] with the root kan meaning reed or hemp and bosm meaning fragrant. Both cannabis and calamus are fragrant, reedlike plants containing psychotropic compounds. While Benet’s conclusion regarding the psychoactive use of cannabis is not universally accepted among Jewish scholars, there is general agreement that cannabis is used in talmudic sources to refer to hemp fibers, as hemp was a vital commodity before linen replaced it."

Taken from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_use_of_cannabis

 

[LegoGE1947]

It really depends on the person, I don’t think you can make a blanket statement of “two drinks” for every person.

There is a huge difference between a 95 pound female and a 300 pound male consuming two drinks.

as i said another time for some people moderate drinking means “not a drop”

 

[RobertMcD]

The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air. CCC 2290

According to the catechism the sin comes from excessive use of a substance, or by endangering your own life or someone else by using a substance. Just like with alcohol responsibility is a must.

 

[LegoGE1947]

I would just like to throw this question out there to see what people have to say on the matter.

For those who want to respond by saying that it is sinful because it is illegal (in most places in the US) and therefor breaking the law makes it sinful, please don’t go there. It does not hold water with me that breaking the law is always a sinful act.

You and I know that the law is not always right in this country - taking for example legalizion of abortion. Just because something is legal in this country does not mean it is morally right. Taking the converse, just because the law says something is illegal today (in most States) does make it sinful in my opinion.

Remember that alcohol also used to be illegal in this country and then later became legal. It wasn’t the change in the law that makes the use of something sinful or not sinful.

Your thoughts?

Good thought Legal doesn’t necessarily mean ethical or moral!

 

[LegoGE1947]

I would like to add to these statements that it is my understanding that cannabis was an ingredient of the “holy oil” mentioned in the Old Testament:

"Anthropologist Sula Benet claimed historical evidence and etymological comparison show that the Holy anointing oil used by the Hebrews contained cannabis extracts, “kaneh bosm,” and that it is also listed as an incense tree in the original Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the Old Testament.

According to Aryeh Kaplan, [13] cannabis was an ingredient in the Holy anointing oil mentioned in various sacred Hebrew texts. The herb of interest is most commonly known as kaneh-bosem (קְנֵה-בֹשֶׂם; the singular form of which would be kaneh-bos[14]) which is mentioned several times in the Old Testament as a bartering material, incense, and an ingredient in Holy anointing oil used by the high priest of the temple.

The Septuagint (300AD) translates kaneh-bosem as calamus, and this translation has been propagated unchanged to most later translations of the Torah (1500BC+). However, Polish anthropologist Sula Benet published etymological arguments that the Aramaic word for hemp can be read as kannabos and appears to be a cognate to the modern word ‘cannabis’,[15] with the root kan meaning reed or hemp and bosm meaning fragrant. Both cannabis and calamus are fragrant, reedlike plants containing psychotropic compounds. While Benet’s conclusion regarding the psychoactive use of cannabis is not universally accepted among Jewish scholars, there is general agreement that cannabis is used in talmudic sources to refer to hemp fibers, as hemp was a vital commodity before linen replaced it."

Taken from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_use_of_cannabis

Might that be the reason for some of the visions guys in the Bible had?

 

[LegoGE1947]

I would guess that because it is illegal, marijuana smoking is probably a venial sin. Do do it with children around, it’s possibly a mortal sin.

Because then it would create a scandal Right?

 

[jkiernan56]

The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air. CCC 2290

According to the catechism the sin comes from excessive use of a substance, or by endangering your own life or someone else by using a substance. Just like with alcohol responsibility is a must.

I think you expressed it very well and succinctly.
excess … abuse … irresponsibility … a sinful act whether that be marijuana or alcohol … or listening to Madonna and abusing others by turning up the volume too loud … LOL

 

[LegoGE1947]

Alcohol causes lung cancer???

Too much of it can cause liver cancer!

 

[iamme]

Your link would’ve been amusing if it wan’t about a serious illness. I don’t think doctors would allow patients with Alzheimers to treat themselves. And I don’t think anyone who smokes marijuana wants to smoke it to cure a similar medical problem.

If you’re just here to push pot, please stop. I’ll vote against any type of legalization.

Peace,
Ed

ive had severe depression and anxiety disorder sense i was 5. doctors prescribed meover 100 different medications over the last 15 years. i spent that time alone, and sad, and basically wanting to die for being a freak, until i was about seventeen, when i made my first friend, and we started smoking pot. since then, i was able to make more friends (not all of whom smoked pot, either) get a job, and basically function as a normal human being. then, 2 years ago, i was hit by a drunk driver, who killed my best friend, and destroyed my uninsured car. he died as well. i survived, in a manner of speaking, but have lost all my lines to the outside world and have lost my job, due to the depression and panic attacks coming back, making me unable to work. ive moved back home, and have no way of getting any source of medicine that works properly, again, and i dont smoke pot. it kinda sucks a lot, being totally alone, with othing you can do about, and not being allowed to use the one thing that i have noticed to hepl me get through some of the more difficult things that life offers.

but yeah, i just love getting stoned, because its much more preferable to having a life.
if youre here to just poo poo away something youre not capable of understanding, then just stop.
and thank god if legislation ever came, your “vote” wouldnt count for anything.l