Legalized marijuana

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LaSainte

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I went to confession today and was asking a priest about legalized marijuana and whether or not it would be a mortal sin to smoke it in moderation as long as one didn’t smoke it to the point of sacrificing reason (like we do wih alcohol). He seemed to be leaning toward “yes”, but wasn’t absolutely definitive and said he Church has no OFFICIAL position. His advice was to stay away.

I was absolved, but left unsure as to whether I would ever partake in a legal setting.

What do you think? Is it ok do smoke a small amount to relax in a legal setting, like we do with alcohol (it IS possible to do so without getting totally blasted, of course)?

And is my absolution affected because I didn’t leave the confessional totally resolved never to do this in a legal setting? I wouldn’t think so, since I don’t personally think it would be a mortal sin, but it WOULD be going against the advice of a priest who clearly thinks it may be a mortal sin, so…maybe part of me wasn’t fully resolved not to commit a mortal sin? Basically I left thinking that I would probably do it in a legal setting but that I would do more research on it. Now, obviously if the Church came out and specifically addressed marijuana as mortally sinful and I was determined to do it anyway, that would be a clear problem, but otherwise, is it just up to my own conscience? My absolution is good, right? 🙂 sorry-I scruple sometimes in the confessional.
 
The Catechism states that recreational drug use is gravely sinful.
 
It has nothing to do with absolution if you were only asking advice.

I would guess that the priest is correct that the Church has no official teaching on the sinfulness of moderate use of legal drugs. He is also correct that the prudent thing to do is to abstain from marijuana use. Smoking anything is a health risk. The use of any psychotropic drug can be an occasion of sin for many people.
 
The bible also states to keep a sober mind and that your body is a temple of The Holy Spirit
 
devoutchristian said:
The Catechism states that recreational drug use is gravely sinful.
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The CCC also says “The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life,” which does not sound to me like a description of marijuana. I am no expert, nor am I a drug user, but it seems to me the CCC is talking about hard drugs. Alcohol is a drug and its use in moderation is allowed. But I could be wrong.
 
I was actually thinking about this issue earlier today. For me, the fact that marijuana may soon be legal (keep in mind that it is still prohibited under federal law) does not mean that it would be okay for me to start getting high on the weekends. Speaking from the standpoint of a former stoner, I can tell you that drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana are entirely different experiences, especially concerning the way it affects the brain. With alcohol, the cognitive and emotional effects are generally limited to the time it takes your body to metabolize whatever you’re drinking. Marijuana on the other hand can effect the way your brain works for 3-4 weeks, and possibly even longer with heavy use.
 
PaulfromIowa said:
It has nothing to do with absolution if you were only asking advice.

I would guess that the priest is correct that the Church has no official teaching on the sinfulness of moderate use of legal drugs. He is also correct that the prudent thing to do is to abstain from marijuana use. Smoking anything is a health risk. The use of any psychotropic drug can be an occasion of sin for many people.
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Thanks, I was asking advice, but also confessing having used it in a legal setting before. The priest’s opinion was that it MAY be mortally sinful and to stay away, and I finished the confession disagreeing in my mind about the sinfulness and thinking that I would probably do it again, of course in moderation, but that I needed to research it more. I just know you have to be resolved to never commit a mortal sin again for absolution, but if a person disagrees with a priest on the sinfulness of something like that,and there is no definitive Church teaching, and so doesn’t think it is a mortal sin and might do it in the future, does that mean that the person was not resolved not to commit a mortal sin again? I wouldn’t think so, but again, I scruple over confessions, so…
 
JamesCaruso said:
The CCC also says “The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life,” which does not sound to me like a description of marijuana. I am no expert, nor am I a drug user, but it seems to me the CCC is talking about hard drugs. Alcohol is a drug and its use in moderation is allowed. But I could be wrong.
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This was my interpretation as well.
 
I think it would be a sin. The issue with using marijuana for medicinal purposes to relax is that it takes more and more over time to reach that same level of relaxation. This can easily send you down a slippery slope. While you may have good intentions behind it’s use, the end result could be worse than the original cause. While it may or may not be an official standing of the Church, I would think it would be a sin as there are other ways to treat symptoms that would not cause any danger to your conscience. For example, if you are only needing it to relax, you might try some more natural relaxation techniques that would work. Exercise, praying, listening to music, hot shower/bath, massage, visualization techniques, etc. These are all ways that you can relax without actually altering your state of mind.
 
renee123 said:
I think it would be a sin. The issue with using marijuana for medicinal purposes to relax is that it takes more and more over time to reach that same level of relaxation. This can easily send you down a slippery slope. While you may have good intentions behind it’s use, the end result could be worse than the original cause. While it may or may not be an official standing of the Church, I would think it would be a sin as there are other ways to treat symptoms that would not cause any danger to your conscience. For example, if you are only needing it to relax, you might try some more natural relaxation techniques that would work. Exercise, praying, listening to music, hot shower/bath, massage, visualization techniques, etc. These are all ways that you can relax without actually altering your state of mind.
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True, but people take alcohol to relax and it’s not a sin. Wouldn’t it be the same thing? It’s not a sin to feel the effects of alcohol or cigarettes or caffeine or even coca leaves from which we get cocaine (Pope JP2 chewed them with the natives), so why not this? And it IS possible to use just enough that you are relaxed and feel good without losing your reason or self-control.
 
LaSainte said:
True, but people take alcohol to relax and it’s not a sin. Wouldn’t it be the same thing? It’s not a sin to feel the effects of alcohol or cigarettes or caffeine or even coca leaves from which we get cocaine (Pope JP2 chewed them with the natives), so why not this? And it IS possible to use just enough that you are relaxed and feel good without losing your reason or self-control.
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Years ago, I smoked marijuana to manage my anxiety and depression. I can only tell you what the priest at my parish told me as I understood it. Drinking alcohol is not a sin unless you do it in excess (get drunk or become dependent on it). Same as with cigarettes and caffeine. Smoking weed, however, goes against federal law which makes it a sin as we must honor the just laws of the lands in which we live. Yes, it is possible to smoke just enough to feel good without losing your reason or self-control. However, you can build up a tolerance to it resulting in the need to use more often in order to obtain that same level of relaxation. This is not to say you would lose your reason, but would increase the amounts needed.
 
I struggled with this issue heavily, because I used to smoke every day all day pretty much for over 3 years. It wasn’t until my wife became pregnant that I just totally stopped. It took me weeks to get over, I went through heavy withdrawal. My thoughts were also very evil and I couldn’t stop them. As soon as I stopped I got attacked, and everything was hitting me at once, again this took months to get over and I still struggle with it. Society today is very bad, you can no longer base something being ok on if it’s legal or not, look at abortion for example. The devil is present in drugs, and for me I’m too afraid to go back down that slope. Life is way too precious to be wasted on drugs.
 
Do we need one more thing in society to worry about who’s on brain fry and who’s not or soon to be there? I have enough problems with the legal, hypertensive cokeheads.
 
brendenseth said:
I struggled with this issue heavily, because I used to smoke every day all day pretty much for over 3 years. It wasn’t until my wife became pregnant that I just totally stopped. It took me weeks to get over, I went through heavy withdrawal. My thoughts were also very evil and I couldn’t stop them. As soon as I stopped I got attacked, and everything was hitting me at once, again this took months to get over and I still struggle with it. Society today is very bad, you can no longer base something being ok on if it’s legal or not, look at abortion for example. The devil is present in drugs, and for me I’m too afraid to go back down that slope. Life is way too precious to be wasted on drugs.
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Good for you for speaking the truth as you’ve experienced it. My son was addicted to marijuana for 2 years (at least) and has only now overcome it with a lot of therapy, medication and family perseverance. He went from a happy go lucky livewire to a brooding, depressed, detached shell of himself all due to marijuana use. He is now back to himself almost (thank the Lord). You are right. The devil is present in drugs and especially marijuana as it is the wolf in sheep’s clothing.
 
LongingSoul said:
Good for you for speaking the truth as you’ve experienced it. My son was addicted to marijuana for 2 years (at least) and has only now overcome it with a lot of therapy, medication and family perseverance. He went from a happy go lucky livewire to a brooding, depressed, detached shell of himself all due to marijuana use. He is now back to himself almost (thank the Lord). You are right. The devil is present in drugs and especially marijuana as it is the wolf in sheep’s clothing.
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I’m glad your son is back to normal. I think that as with alcohol, some people become dependent on marijuana and it can change the way they behave. Others can use a small amount once a month or once a week and be totally fine. I still have never heard a good reason why alcohol is permissable but marijuana is not, besides if course that alcohol is used. In the Bible. Every argument that can be used to promote alcohol can also be used to promote marijuana.
 
I live in California, and I use medical marijuana as a sleep aid (small amounts). It’s legal under California state law. I actually feel more spiritual while on it! My doctor and psychologist have no problem with me smoking it as a sleep aid because it’s much safer than sleeping pills.

I also have no withdraw symptoms whatsoever when I need to quite.

This has not happened (yet), but what if two priests tell me different things about my pot use being a mortal sin?
 
Robert_Sock said:
I actually feel more spiritual while on it!
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This is a dangerous path to walk. I used to smoke heavily, and used to think this thought also. If you are smoking to relax or ease stress than I can not give any response on its sinfulness or lack thereof, it is above my lay status. However, be careful with the spiritual stuff while on it. If there is one thing marijuana does do negative, it’s that it makes discerning spirits becomes absolutely impossible. You do become more spiritual, but that isn’t always a good thing… the New Age movement is very spiritual…
 
GospodiPomiluj said:
This is a dangerous path to walk. I used to smoke heavily, and used to think this thought also. If you are smoking to relax or ease stress than I can not give any response on its sinfulness or lack thereof, it is above my lay status. However, be careful with the spiritual stuff while on it. If there is one thing marijuana does do negative, it’s that it makes discerning spirits becomes absolutely impossible. You do become more spiritual, but that isn’t always a good thing… the New Age movement is very spiritual…
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Thanks for the advice, but it allows me to focus my entire attention on God and holy things.
 
LaSainte said:
I’m glad your son is back to normal. I think that as with alcohol, some people become dependent on marijuana and it can change the way they behave. Others can use a small amount once a month or once a week and be totally fine. I still have never heard a good reason why alcohol is permissable but marijuana is not, besides if course that alcohol is used. In the Bible. Every argument that can be used to promote alcohol can also be used to promote marijuana.
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Let us see…

alcohol is the product of fermentation.
Cannabis is not

Ethyl Alcohol is an alcohol -OH
THC is a Terpenoid derived from isoprene

Alcohol is used for cooking, drinking, disinfection, as a solvent
THC is not an essential element for cooking, is not a disinfectant or solvent

Alcohol is legal on the state and Federal level
THC is not legal for social consumption at the Federal level
 
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