Is smoking weed wrong?

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Tomdstone said:
Nicotine is a drug, is it not? Is smoking cigarettes, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, a grave offense? Caffeine is also a drug. Is drinking coffee, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, a grave offense? Caffeine, theobromine and theophylline are drugs, would drinking green tea, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, be a grave offense, since tea contains all three? Mormons abstain from drinking tea or coffee and one of the reasons is to abstain from these drugs which they contain.
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I just wanted to record your justification.
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
I’ve yet to find a credible Catholic source that argues for the holy use of drugs.
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I don’t think anyone is arguing that the use of a particular drug is holy/meritorious. The question is whether it is not sinful. It’s not like everything is good or bad. Some things are just neutral.

I should note for the record that I don’t smoke weed: I’m in the military and I get drug tested regularly. And I don’t have any burning (no pun intended) desire to, really. But I’ve never heard the alcohol argument rebutted well, at least from a religious perspective. People just go, “Well, that’s different.” and move on. Or they make arguments as to why drug legalization may be a bad idea politically. Which is fine, but that’s different than making a moral argument.
Rosebud77 said:
Oh indeed! You were not in a position to judge that. Every drunk driver is sure he is safe to drive…

And as for it being legal or not?In many lands abortion and same sex marriage are legal but so what?

I have to take eg codeine for pain relief but there is no way i would drive within at least 12 hours of taking it
,If you are on any meds you are not capable of making an accurate assessment of your abiliities
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I don’t think this is accurate at all. It’s very possible assess your own intoxication (at least, in the early stages.) Do you really think that someone who has had a glass of wine with dinner is completely out of their right mind? We have to acknowledge that there are degrees here. The fact that some people may be wrong about how intoxicated they are (drunk drivers, in your example) doesn’t mean that making a determination is impossible.

Of course, the responsible thing to do is, if you’re going to go out and have a few drinks, take a cab home just to be on the safe side. But we do need to acknowledge that there is a difference between “I had a drink with dinner” and “I’ve been doing shots of tequila for the last six hours and I think I’m Napoleon.”
 
BoomBoomMancini said:
I don’t think anyone is arguing that the use of a particular drug is holy/meritorious. The question is whether it is not sinful. It’s not like everything is good or bad. Some things are just neutral.

I should note for the record that I don’t smoke weed: I’m in the military and I get drug tested regularly. And I don’t have any burning (no pun intended) desire to, really. But I’ve never heard the alcohol argument rebutted well, at least from a religious perspective. People just go, “Well, that’s different.” and move on. Or they make arguments as to why drug legalization may be a bad idea politically. Which is fine, but that’s different than making a moral argument.
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If you are struggling to recieve information on why pot is wrong one need not bring alchohol into it. Though it will end up there.:rolleyes:

I don’t have time to offer all the links but if you search these forums for pot or marajuana you will find many threads that deal with the subject quite nicely.

You will also notice a pattern, and an agenda quite quickly from posters who have no intent on a theological discussion and only post about one thing
 
Why do people come here asking others to condone their drug use and hoping that somewhere in the catechism their going to stumble on some slippery rule that justifies their drug use. Drugs and alcohol use has destroyed billions of peoples lives over the century’s - do I need to list all the damage its done? What makes you think you are above all those who have become addicted? No one needs to come here for the answer it is plain to see all over the entire world.

Drugs are being legalized not because it ok , but to stop wasting money on something they can’t stop - a failed war because its based on punishment rather that treatment - many countries have legalized all drugs in an attempt to help people and educate them rather then throw them in jail were they become professional criminals and come out even worse that when they went in.

Marijuana is being legalized because they can’t stop it and the governments now want a piece of the action - there are some actual legitimate uses for diseases where it should be available - it doesn’t make it right. Abortion and euthanasia are legal in my country does that make it right? I have heard the argument well it natural - opium is natural too. That argument is dead too I can list lots of natural substances that are highly addictive - it does not condone their use. The morality of this world is changing also - away from God law and to mans idea of law and morality.

This argument can’t be about one particular drug - its about drug use in general. Life is about crossing lines some time - if you cross the line to drug use it becomes easier and easier to cross that line to use other drugs - best not to cross the line at all.

Anyone who thinks what I have said is wrong - then go out and use your drugs - no one is going to be able to talk you out of it - you didn’t come here to learn you came here to condone your drug use and you will find many fellow users here that will agree with you. Go out and learn the lesson you need to learn - I hope you survive and comeback - millions of people never make it back. One thing I can guarantee is it will eat a little piece of you soul everyday you use it - it makes the soul sick and kills it. So go on learn your lesson you have already decide on the answer I can’t change your mind. No need to come here and ask.
 
hu324b said:
Why do people come here asking others to condone their drug use and hoping that somewhere in the catechism their going to stumble on some slippery rule that justifies their drug use. Drugs and alcohol use has destroyed billions of peoples lives over the century’s - do I need to list all the damage its done? What makes you think you are above all those who have become addicted? No one needs to come here for the answer it is plain to see all over the entire world.
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It’s a more interesting question than you’re acknowledging. Think of the wedding at Cana. Christ’s first public miracle was turning water into wine: not at the beginning of the feast, but at the end, when the wine had run out…meaning people had already been drinking it. Not only did Christ fail to condemn the drinking of wine, He enabled people to drink more of it.

I’m not trying to be flippant here or paint Jesus as some kind of heavenly frat brother who just wants us all to get loaded whenever possible, but I do think it provides some direction on the basic question of “Should we sometimes eat, drink, and be merry?” Yes, because He did. St. Thomas Aquinas allowed that drinking “to the point of hilarity” was alright.

The idea that Christianity always and everywhere condemns even mild intoxication is, in my opinion, wrong. And I can see how someone could take that logic and apply it to the occasional, moderate use of marijuana. Now, maybe they’re wrong. But dismissing it as just Cheech and Chong looking for someone to help them rationalize their drug use is too easy, I think.

Again, I have no dog in this fight. I don’t smoke weed. But some of the condemnations here are just overwrought. There are many people who use weed on occasion and live healthy, productive, normal lives. (And yes, there are many people who abuse it and fry their brains.)

As a final note, talking about “drugs” in a conversation like this is way too broad to be helpful. As people have noted, weed is a drug. Heroin is a drug. Aspirin is a drug. Antihistamines are drugs. We need to look at them individually.
 
Qoeleth said:
It is not a sin itself to use a substance as a mild relaxant (alcohol, etc.), or mild stimulant (caffeine). We know Christ took a little wine, and was even called a ‘drunkard’ by His detractors. He converted the water into wine at Cana- and a LOT of wine that was. There’s nothing to say the occasional intoxication is bad, since God made it for the enjoyment and relief of man.
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Yes - and we are not discussing such.

Wrong topic.
 
Tomdstone said:
When the catechism says “drugs” what are they talking about? For example, aspirin is a drug and so is motrin.
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What we mean when discussing the war on drugs…and drugs smuggled into the country.

That kind of drug.
 
emankcin said:
By basically legal, I mean that in Canada, possessing or smoking weed is illegal, but in practice you will never be fined or prosecuted for it.
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Hence it is* illegal *not basically legal.

And of course legal or not yes can effect the morality of an action - the fact that something is legal does not make an immoral action into a moral one.
 
Thorolfr said:
I would smoke weed in the presence of Jesus. After all, God created weed and give it those mind altering qualities. 😉
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And do cocaine…etc…etc…?

The fact of the a drug being “natural” does not make it good to use as recreation.
 
Another voice

ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=2012

"According to Fr. Coleman, there is “substantial evidence” that habitual and heavy marijuana smoking may cause chronic bronchitis, damage the pulmonary system and produce cancers in the mouth, throat and lungs though short-term effects seem to be no more harmful than moderate alcohol consumption.

The priest also cited the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, whose pastoral handbook “ Church, Drugs, and Drug Addiction” teaches that cannabis use is “incompatible with Christian morality” because it is an intoxicant that dims reason and potentially is damaging to the integrity of one’s body and soul."
 
Also from that article:

"Fr. Juan R. Velez, an Opus Dei priest in the San Francisco area, spoke about the proposal with CNA.

“As a former physician and presently a Catholic priest I can affirm that both medicine and moral thinking argue against the legalization of marijuana.”

Marijuana “alters brain function” and for the most part has “harmful effects” on mood, consciousness and behavior.

“It poses a physical and mental danger to its users and to those exposed to the lives and actions of users. Marijuana causes addiction and opens the way to addiction to many other drugs. For any citizen this should be sufficient to advise against legalization of marijuana,” he commented."
 
I personally think it should be legal, as it is in Canada and other places. Illegality of this particular drug breeds gang/mob behavior, which is more harmful than the drug itself.

As to whether it’s a sin - does it interfere with your relationships? Does it stop you from attending Mass and saying prayers? Does it make you paranoid – this is an important one, because it’s a common side affect and paranoia is a mental disorder, not something that should be deliberately created by oneself. Also – smoking, do you smoke it or ingest in a physically less harmful manner? One could argue that smoking it is sinful as smoking harms one’s body, whereas eating it may not.
 
emankcin said:
The main reason I’m asking is so I know whether this is worth going to confession for. By basically legal, I mean that in Canada, possessing or smoking weed is illegal, but in practice you will never be fined or prosecuted for it. It’s similar to how every business here is required to provide a place for people to tie up a horse, but no one does. Or how you can’t pay for anything over 25c exclusively with pennies. Both of these are illegal, but they are, in practice, legal.
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I would add if an individual feels guilt then it is sinful for them.
 
Herculees said:
I would add if an individual feels guilt then it is sinful for them.
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There are those out there who feel guilty in a false way. So no that does not necessarily follow.

This is not a comment on my part on the subject here (see above) but rather just on the notion of guilt and feelings and sin.
 
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