Legalization of drugs leaves addicts helpless, priests in Argentina warn [CNA]

[CNA_News]

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Aug 27, 2009 / 05:39 pm (CNA).- The team of priests that assists at the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires’s Emergency Shelters has expressed its concern over a ruling yesterday by the country’s Supreme Court. The court acquitted five people of illegal marijuana use, saying that private use of the drug is protected by the Argentinean Constitution.

While the priests acknowledged “the good intentions of those who do not want addicts to be criminalized,” they warned that in the case of the most vulnerable people, legalization means “leaving the addict helpless and ignoring his right to help.”

“The very dynamic of addiction often leads a user to do anything to satisfy the urge to use drugs,” the priests pointed out, saying that the State could see an increase in the number of crimes if addiction is condoned.

Full article…

 

[sbaum]

Marijuana itself is not addicting. There are some interesting uses of medical marijuana (including relieving ocular pressure due to glaucoma) but I haven’t seen enough research or a legitimate political plan for marijuana legalization for it to be a viable option in my mind, at least yet. (Also for the record, I never have nor do I have plan to smoke marijuana).

I know too that the problems we face in the US with the drug trade almost can’t hold a candle to what Latin America has to face, so I’m more willing to cede to what the bishops there are seeing with their own eyes as far as the effects this would have.

I think we do need to re-examine how we are fighting the war on drugs, however, because right now we spend a lot of money but it seems like any dealers that are arrested are easily replaced. The niece of a close family friend was part of a heroin ring that was recently caught only because one of the members died of an overdose (it was her fourth overdose), so I’ve seen what drugs can do to a community. Is there anything the Church is doing on this already or can do to help this plague?

 

[RoncalliM]

Marijuana is more benign than alcohol by far. People get high, play video games in their basement, and order pizza. People get drunk, drive, and have unprotected sex.

Frankly I think legalizing mj would be a net social benefit. Of course, the Church doesn’t operate by these utilitarian principles, so we would have to consider the principle of harm to self.

Yes, marijuana is harmful to the self, in violation of this principle. So are twinkies. Should it be a sin to eat twinkies? Are all fat people sinners?