Just *why* is marijuana use wrong?

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I’m kind of weighing in just to say that I LOVE what an earlier poster said and I think it bears repeating.

When you drink alochol or smoke a cigarette you do not necessarily do so with the intent to become intoxicated.

However, that is weeds sole purpose… to get one high.

And that in itself is a problem.

I do believe Scripture does command us not to drink until we are intoxicated and I think that can be applied to all substances that we ingest. Do not ingest them with the purpose of becoming intoxicated because in our intoxication/high we are more easily swayed into actions that are not befitting God-fearing individuals.

So, that’s my take on things. 🙂

On a personal note my brother is a weed addict, as is my cousin. I haven’t seen them sober in YEARS and it’s truly a sad, sad thing.
 
LeafByNiggle said:
It seems to be a matter of prudential judgment as to whether or not smoking weed is wrong in any given circumstance. Likewise it could be a matter of prudential judgement as to whether a particular law forbidding its use is unjust.
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Absolutely agreed!

I believe marijuana should be decriminalized and regulated in a similar way that alcohol is treated. Isn’t it easier for a school age kid to get marijuana than it is alcohol?
 
LCMS_No_More said:
Absolutely agreed!

I believe marijuana should be decriminalized and regulated in a similar way that alcohol is treated. Isn’t it easier for a school age kid to get marijuana than it is alcohol?
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Stats show that, while all weed users do not go on to use Crack, almost all crack users started on Pot. This can not be shown with wine or tobacco
A point that needs to be remembered
 
Someone once told me regarding marijuana “I don’t think that God is a drug-pusher”.

That makes sense to me, and I can’t think of any way to refute that statement.

If anything I have said is against the Catholic Church, let it be anathema.
 
the_7th_one said:
Stats show that, while all weed users do not go on to use Crack, almost all crack users started on Pot.
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Can you cite the study that confirms your assertion?
This can not be shown with wine or tobacco
A point that needs to be remembered
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Have you ever been to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting? They are almost unanimously in agreement that alcohol is a gateway to other drugs.

If anything I have said is against the Catholic Church, let it be anathema.
 
the_7th_one said:
Stats show that, while all weed users do not go on to use Crack, almost all crack users started on Pot. This can not be shown with wine or tobacco
A point that needs to be remembered
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Well, it would need to be remembered if one accepted the fallacy that correlation is the same as causation.

I do not.
 
Los_Angeles said:
Can you cite the study that confirms your assertion?

Have you ever been to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting? They are almost unanimously in agreement that alcohol is a gateway to other drugs.

If anything I have said is against the Catholic Church, let it be anathema.
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Interestingly, even D.A.R.E. admits that alcohol and tobacco are gateway drugs.
 
oneGODoneCHURCH said:
The amount of Tar in one marijuana cigarette is equal to 5 tobacco cigarettes so I would not say that it less harmful.
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Maybe, but medical studies have also turned up that weed does not cause cancer or emphezema (sp?) like tobacco does. In fact, it can even lower cancer.

Also, I never said it was completely harmless. It’s just the lesser of the three, and the other two are legal.
 
the_7th_one said:
Stats show that, while all weed users do not go on to use Crack, almost all crack users started on Pot. This can not be shown with wine or tobacco
A point that needs to be remembered
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And you know that because…?

…Actually, studies have indicated otherwise. Most people who have tried marijuana and/or hard drugs usually try legal drugs first.

Let me say real quickly that this source, as a whole, is “anti marijuana”.
1.2.5 Sequencing of Substance Use Initiation
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Marijuana has been hypothesized to be a gateway drug for other illicit drug use. Studies by Kandel and other investigators have identified a developmental sequence of drug involvement among youths (Ellickson, Hays, & Bell, 1992; Kandel, Yamaguchi, & Chen, 1992; Yamaguchi & Kandel, 1984). Specifically, the initial use of alcohol and/or cigarettes typically precedes the use of marijuana, which then is followed by the involvement of other illicit drugs. By studying a sample of rural youths, Donnermeyer (1993) also found that early use of alcohol predicted early use of marijuana, which in turn was predictive of early use of other illicit drugs. Studies of age at initiation of drug use confirmed that initiation of alcohol or tobacco typically occurred before marijuana initiation (Costello, Erkanli, Federman, & Angold, 1999; Kosterman, Hawkins, Guo, Catalano, & Abbott, 2000).
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oas.samhsa.gov/mjinitiation/chapter1.htm
 
I also believe that using alcohol and marijuana in moderation are pretty much equal to each other. They are both depressants and affect our brain activity in the same ways. The difference , clearly is that one is legal and the other is illegal. Participating in any ilicit activity, is in fact being involved in the criminal aspect of human beings being murdered and yes, blood money is on your hands if you are involving yourself in the direct or indirect act of buying / selling marijuana.

For a teen, any substance use is wrong because you are not mentally equipped to make a responsible decision about trying any substance that could be addictive and/or life threatening.

For adults, it is sinful to use any substance in a way which brings harm and/or risk to ourselves and others. Most of us have children, or other little ones we influence or risk. We are responsible to protect those around us that can not protect themselves. If we are not thinking right for any reason (including alcohol or marijuana); we are not fully equipped to be responsible. We also bring risk to ourselves from using substances in a way that harm our health… hence not being able to care for those around us. On the cross, Jesus clearly refused wine to “ease his pain”, his physical, mental, emotional and spiritual suffering, he made it clear that we are to do the same. A majority of the substance use that goes on is to ease our pain, to alter our reality, to make it easier to cope with our suffering. Jesus clearly does not agree with this way.
 
susanlperez said:
I also believe that using alcohol and marijuana in moderation are pretty much equal to each other. They are both depressants and affect our brain activity in the same ways. The difference , clearly is that one is legal and the other is illegal. Participating in any ilicit activity, is in fact being involved in the criminal aspect of human beings being murdered and yes, blood money is on your hands if you are involving yourself in the direct or indirect act of buying / selling marijuana.
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There is a black market for diamonds too. So do we stop buying diamonds entirely? No, we establish formal certification procedures to avoid supporting the blood diamond trade. If it can be done for diamonds, then it can be done for marijuana too. But it won’t be as long as marijuana is illegal. Saying that marijuana is bad because it is illegal and it should be illegal because it is bad is circular reasoning. Finally, you can avoid the whole crime syndicate aspect by just growing your own and using your own.
For a teen, any substance use is wrong because you are not mentally equipped to make a responsible decision about trying any substance that could be addictive and/or life threatening.
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Agreed. Marijuana and tobacco should both be illegal for teens to buy.
For adults, it is sinful to use any substance in a way which brings harm and/or risk to ourselves and others.
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Agreed. It is sinful to smoke tobacco for the same reason.
On the cross, Jesus clearly refused wine to “ease his pain”, his physical, mental, emotional and spiritual suffering, he made it clear that we are to do the same.
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That does not follow at all. If you believe that, then you have to believe that we should not take aspirin when we have a headache, or let the dentist give us novacaine when filling our teeth. But you probably meant just that the use of wine for this purpose is wrong. That is probably true, but only because wine does not do a very good job at serving that purpose.
 
You know what makes me sick? Is how people say that marijuana is a gateway drug. Thatlike the above post, " not all pot heads smoke crack, but most crack heads have smoked weed.". Ok let’s expand on that. Let say that most all drug users have drunken alcohol. But not every one who has had alcohol uses another drug. Or everyone who drinks smokes. Where does it it really start?? We could say tabaco starts it all, because if little johnny smoked his first Cigaret* at 12, that led to alcohol at 14, then some weed at 15, then he went to a party at 16 and tried some LSD or ecstasy. Come on people and wake up. It all didn’t start with weed. It starts with tabaco or alcohol.

And for me. I never really used tabaco, it makes me sick. Btw I’m 30 now. And you know what I don’t even like alcohol that much either, yeah I might have a drink socially, and the few times I do drink, most of them time I drink a little mOre then I should, and then have to drive. But you know what, I can smoke weed all day, but I dont, but even if I did, I am never even close to the way alcohol makes me. Yeah I might get a little head rush but I have had worse just by standing up too quick, if you know what I mean. I have never been scared to drive because I was soo messed up as I have been with alcohol.
Back to the point I was making, I can’t speek for everyone but drone what I have seen, alcohol and/or tabaco is the first drug used my most people who moved on to other drugs. I also know people that use harder drugs like coke and even crack (I don’t use these) but they don’t smoke weed. I bet almost all who use othe drugs other than weed drink alcohol and/or smoke Cigarets.

So how do you like them apples???
 
stringbeanduck said:
And you know that because…?

…Actually, studies have indicated otherwise. Most people who have tried marijuana and/or hard drugs usually try legal drugs first.

Let me say real quickly that this source, as a whole, is “anti marijuana”.

oas.samhsa.gov/mjinitiation/chapter1.htm
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I bet if this study included alcohol and tabaco as part of the study it would show them ad that gateway drug. These studies are backed by big government who is backed by alcohol and tabaco, so the leave out this information in the study.
 
edwest2 said:
Please see fact 4 from this Drug Enforcement Agency list:

justice.gov/dea/demand/speakout/index.html

What I’m claiming is that “dispensaries” are not needed. If marijuana has medical benefits then sell it in a drug store like all other drugs.

Peace,
Ed
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These statements stem back for the 60 or earlier when marijuana was taboo and outlawed for the main reason to get rid of the mexiacn population.
People need to do some research on ther own and not just from one source. The federal government is a bad place to get legit information from in the first place. They lie about everything and will randomly make up facts to support there views. The rules change every day for them, or atleast they bend, but only on there behalf!!!
 
Jw_mahoney81 said:
These statements stem back for the 60 or earlier when marijuana was taboo and outlawed for the main reason to get rid of the mexiacn population.
People need to do some research on ther own and not just from one source. The federal government is a bad place to get legit information from in the first place. They lie about everything and will randomly make up facts to support there views. The rules change every day for them, or atleast they bend, but only on there behalf!!!
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So, the vast government conspiracy keeps marijuana illegal? I did not know getting rid of Mexicans was ever a goal. And what about those that grow their own? Are they all Mexicans?

Contact your local drug rehab center and ask them how many patients are there for marijuana use.

The Vatican pharmacy does not have medical marijuana.

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

Peace,
Ed
 
The only reason it is wrong for American Catholics to smoke marijuana is because it is against the law here. If we were Dutch, it wouldn’t be a problem.
Smoking marijuana is no big deal. For crying out loud, do you really think God created it just for no reason? Surely He would think, “Okay, now smoking this stuff will make people feel pretty good.” I mean, He created the plant! He knows what properties it has. What’s the difference between this and aspirin?
And I disagree with the government-sponsored studies on marijuana use that show it leads to psychosis, and that it is a gateway drug, etc., etc., etc. All of these arguments simply do not hold up logically.
Marijuana is a miracle plant. God gave it to us to use in moderation. To outlaw it is unbelievably stupid and petty.
 
Jw_mahoney81 said:
I bet if this study included alcohol and tabaco as part of the study it would show them ad that gateway drug. These studies are backed by big government who is backed by alcohol and tabaco, so the leave out this information in the study.
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:o Well actually it did include alcohol and tobacco and linked their use, especially at an early age, to marijuana and then hard drugs. The study indicates, however, that marijuana is just a simple stop on the train for people who end up using hard drugs, not the boarding station as many people claim.
 
Erich said:
He also created hemlock, deadly nightshade, aconitum (i.e. the stuff they use the juice from to coat poisonous darts) and scores of other poisonous plants. That doesn’t make it ok to ingest them.
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Exactly what I was going to say.

There is strong evidence that the long-term effects of its usage leads to psychosis and paranoia, the same way smoking tobacco will eventually lead to cancer. However, tobacco has no link with changing the personality of those who smoke it.

However in the UK, some drug advisers to the government were fired after they publicly said that marijuana (cannabis in the UK) was not as dangerous as the government were claiming.
 
Musician said:
The only reason it is wrong for American Catholics to smoke marijuana is because it is against the law here. If we were Dutch, it wouldn’t be a problem.
Smoking marijuana is no big deal. For crying out loud, do you really think God created it just for no reason? Surely He would think, “Okay, now smoking this stuff will make people feel pretty good.” I mean, He created the plant! He knows what properties it has. What’s the difference between this and aspirin?
And I disagree with the government-sponsored studies on marijuana use that show it leads to psychosis, and that it is a gateway drug, etc., etc., etc. All of these arguments simply do not hold up logically.
Marijuana is a miracle plant. God gave it to us to use in moderation. To outlaw it is unbelievably stupid and petty.
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A message from the Pontifical Council for the Family:

ewtn.com/library/CURIA/PCFDRUGS.HTM

Peace,
Ed
 
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