Marijuana

[Bonnie]

What fries someone’s brain more - chronic pain or cannabis? That’s a good question, I think.

Having had both, I’d rather have marijuana. When I was in extreme pain, it never occurred to me to ask for marijuana. Tho I’m not sure if medical marijuana was legal here at that time.

 

[Bonnie]

I can only respond that I’ve personally known dozens of (name removed by moderator)atients at mental hospitals (who I’ve encountered through my job, a job that I was required to take a drug test to get), all suffering from psychoses, and for whom their doctors have testified in court that the psychoses uniformly stemmed from cannabis use.

The question here is: are the mental problems caused by marijuana or do the mental problems prompt some to resort to marijuana to self-medicate? It’s difficult - probably impossible - to test.

 

[Bonnie]

By “NA” I simply meant “in North America”,

I get mixed up when I see news articles from “WA.” I assume Washington (the state), but often find it is Western Australia.

 

[PolarGuy]

Folks, the problem with the whole “what’s worse, pain or pot?” question is that everyone will chose “no pain” over “pain,” yet not worry about the long term effects of pot use on themselves (such as psychosis) or on society (as witnessed by, say, Colorado’s recent spike in “driving while impaired” crimes). Long term, I think it’s a very hard sell that society is any better off when it’s members become pot users.

Furthermore, I think it’s true that the vast majority of pot users are not using due to pain, they’re just using to use; escape reality; get high; or whatever.

 

[Lormar]

Cannabis a gift from God?

Please. A gift for stoners who want to pickle their brains so their only ambition is to get cookies? That I’d agree to.

I suffer from a medical condition that pot would help. That said, I would never use that junk under any circumstances. God has better uses for me than frying my own brain, even if it would alleviate my own pain.

Please is right.

That’s as bad as the musician that said if God invented anything better than heroin, he didn’t know about it.

 

[Little_Sheep]

Oops.

No demons, here, thank God.

By “NA” I simply meant “in North America”, given that everybody in the society seems to have experience with weed.

My apologies for any confusion and ICXC NIKA.

Whoops, mea culpa - an honest mistake on my part as I thought you meant Narcotics Anonymous. I will try to read more carefully!

 

[Little_Sheep]

Little Sheep, I’m sorry to know that so many doctors and lawyers you know are also potheads.

I can only respond that I’ve personally known dozens of (name removed by moderator)atients at mental hospitals (who I’ve encountered through my job, a job that I was required to take a drug test to get), all suffering from psychoses, and for whom their doctors have testified in court that the psychoses uniformly stemmed from cannabis use.

Pot is disgusting and I regard pot users poorly.

I certainly get that from your posted opinions on the issue.

In any event, I will continue to pray that you will find pain relief for yourself that you do not find disgusting. For me, and some others, pain relief from a non-physically addictive plant seems to make more sense than pain relief from (dear God, these things really are the devil) pharmaceutical opiates or aniti-flammatories that eat your liver for breakfast, lunch and dinner or (insert-your favorite pill here). This is not to say that you take any such medicines, friend, but just to point out that so many that suffer do…and then they suffer some more.

Alas, surely, we have all digressed. I think the original question is what is the Catholic Church’s teaching on legal medicinal cannabis use. I do not believe the Catholic Church has any official teaching on the matter, but I am sure the body of Christ has a range of opinions.

God Bless!

 

[tawny]

+1.

I might be the last person in NA to have never used, tried or been curious about marijuana. I like my mind and have no interest in fuddling it!

ICXC NIKA.

Me too. No thanks, I like my brain just the way God gave it to me.

 

[PolarGuy]

Bonnie, I can only tell you that the doctors all unilaterally testified that the cannabis use caused the psychosis, not the other way around. I know because I was the one asking the questions of these doctors when they were on the witness stand.

 

[ClearWater]

Amen. I cannot tell you how many people I know who live with lupus, chronic pain, cancer, debilitating insomnia, depression, anxiety, etc… (truly, the list is endless) who are able to function in this world and have a real life because they use cannabis instead of endless plastic bottles of addictive pills.

Cannabis is a gift from God.

As far as recreational use goes, it is a billion times better and safer for both individuals and for society than alcohol that it makes my head spin. We are deeply backwards on the marijuana issue, but that is all changing. Thank you, God.

People with depression shouldn’t use marijuana, because it’s a depressant.

As to medication, it is possible to have many drugs now that aren’t addictive, and marijuana is addictive.

 

[ClearWater]

I don’t think people are so opposed to medical marijuana, just promoting it without a medical reason.

 

[nick347]

I heard it said in regards to drinking alcohol, that we should drink to remember, not to forget. I suppose the same could be said for marijuana, and I find it hard to justify recreational smoking marijuana to celebrate something.
Although no doubt someone could find a reason.

On the hand I would say that cannabis certainly could be used for medicinal purposes. After all, many prescription drugs that are taken legally can also be abused, same goes for cannabis.

 

[Bonnie]

Bonnie, I can only tell you that the doctors all unilaterally testified that the cannabis use caused the psychosis, not the other way around. I know because I was the one asking the questions of these doctors when they were on the witness stand.

Doctors can be wrong - I know from sad experience. I don’t think there has been any real research on the subject, but there are a heck of a lot of anecdotes. As we all know, the plural of anecdote is not data.

 

[Bonnie]

I just thought of another plus for recreational marijuana. I’m diabetic so can’t drink - alcohol doesn’t mix with diabetes. But marijuana doesn’t raise blood sugar, so it’s much safer for diabetics.

Unless, of course, if I were dumb enough to eat it in a brownie.

 

[GEddie]

I just thought of another plus for recreational marijuana. I’m diabetic so can’t drink - alcohol doesn’t mix with diabetes. But marijuana doesn’t raise blood sugar, so it’s much safer for diabetics.

Unless, of course, if I were dumb enough to eat it in a brownie.

Wouldn’t it be better to do without mind-altering stuff full stop?

 

[Bonnie]

Wouldn’t it be better to do without mind-altering stuff full stop?

Alcohol is “mind altering,” but it’s OK with both the Church & society. So why not marijuana? If the Church does not allow drinking alcohol, then our parish Mardi Gras party better go dry. So far, no priest has objected to alcohol being served or people getting silly.

It’s funny, I had only considered using it for anxiety, but the over-the-top objections to marijuana, even tho it’s legal, are making me interested in trying it for fun. I guess this is the same affect Reefer Madness had on an earlier generation.

 

[PolarGuy]

Unfortunately, the response, “doctors could be wrong,” isn’t persuasive because then again it’s more than likely that they’re correct, particularly when they swear to it under penalty of perjury.

I’ve observed these patients with my own eyes, and they’re uniformly severely psychotic. Is this an anecdote? I suppose so, but so is “I know people who are in pain and pot helps them.”

Are we to just take these doctors’ opinions and throw them in the trash?

Furthermore, really the only legitimate use of pot is to help alleviate pain – but either a) most users aren’t using it for pain, they’re using to get high; and/or b) recall that there is absolutely no objective medical test for pain, and we just have to take it for the patient’s word that they really are in pain at all, let alone in the degree they claim.

 

[Little_Sheep]

People with depression shouldn’t use marijuana, because it’s a depressant.

As to medication, it is possible to have many drugs now that aren’t addictive, and marijuana is addictive.

Your first statement needs better testing and remains to be clinically tested. Not all strains of cannabis are depressant. Some strains offer great relief to that condition.

Cannabis is not meaningfully physically addictive to the human person. Opiates and benzos are always physically addictive to the human person…

If a drug is physically addictive it is, ipso facte, psychologically addictive.

Marijuana can be psychologically addictive. Opiates and benzos are always psychologically addictive because they are physically addictive.

Your choice.

 

[Little_Sheep]

I just thought of another plus for recreational marijuana. I’m diabetic so can’t drink - alcohol doesn’t mix with diabetes. But marijuana doesn’t raise blood sugar, so it’s much safer for diabetics.

Unless, of course, if I were dumb enough to eat it in a brownie.

 

[Little_Sheep]

Wouldn’t it be better to do without mind-altering stuff full stop?

With rare exception, drugs that treat chronic painful conditions are mind-altering. Full stop. Your mind needs to be altered to treat pain, anxiety, debilitating nausea, etc… it’s a medical issue not a moral issue.