Is smoking marijuana always a sin?

[Mrc]

I have lost family members to tobacco. I have seen the effects of alcohol. These things are legal, and morally consumed. I have never seen negative effects of marijuana, and I have never known anyone who smoked it to become dependent on it.

CCC says: “The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life.”

To me, this defines a drug. Does alcohol inflict very grave damage on human health and life? No, but when consumed in large quantities, yes. Does water inflict very grave damage on human health and life? No, but if you consume too much, you could die. In other words, a drug (to me) would be anything that is consumed in quantities which make it harmful. In other words, water is a drug if you consume too much of it.

I will say that from my experience and to my knowledge, marijuana is less harmful than wine. I believe it is up to the user to limit themselves (apply self-control).

I have not ever been drunk, and I have no intention of ever being drunk. If marijuana were legalized, I might smoke it to understand it better, but my intention wouldn’t be to get high. It isn’t addictive in comparison to legal substances such as alcohol, tobacco, sugar, caffeine.

But the pope has spoken out against marijuana. This leaves me quite confused.

Either way, if it is legalized (likely here in South Africa), I would (if I did smoke it), apply caution, and I would be sure that my judgment is in no way impaired. That would be responsible use, and I would certainly not define that as harmful or unhealthy. Wouldn’t that be logical (according to the CCC)?

 

[Dempsey1919]

God created all plants. Marijuana is a plant. Therefore, God created marijuana. Nothing that God created is bad per se. It’s only bad if misused and abused.

It’s common knowledge that many people use Marijuana as a medicine. I don’t think it’s a sin to use Marijuana responsibly as a form of medicine.

The Bible says that wine gladdens the heart of men. The intoxicating effects of alcohol is why alcohol gladdens the heart of men. Therefore, we can say that the intoxicating effects of marijuana can gladden the heart of men.

There is an argument that it’s a sin to use marijuana if it’s illegal in your locality. There is some truth in this argument. However, I would use marijuana even if it was illegal if I needed to for medical reasons. A positive law isn’t always morally correct. For example, I’d have drank wine during prohibition.

In conclusion, smoking marijuana isn’t always a sin.