Marijuana

[LilyM]

Numerous Priests have told me {in the Confessional} that marijuana smoking is not a Grave Sin. Here in Massachusetts possession of an ounce or less has been decrimalized.

Yes, and people have been told in the confessional (wrongly) that masturbation is never a grave sin too. Some (God have mercy on the priests who’ve taught this) have been told that artificial contraception is OK. Or that it’s OK to skip Mass on a Sunday if you don’t feel like going.

Priests are human and fallible. Sometimes they get things wrong. Very wrong.

 

[Thoughtfulone]

The very idea that smoking cannabis is a grave sin is absurd.

 

[edwest2]

This is something I’ve thought about for a long time. I consider myself a completely orthodox, practicing Catholic: I believe artificial contraception to be gravely sinful, I go to Mass at least a few times a week and I even try to volunteer as a sidewalk counselor at the local abortuary when I can. I don’t mention these qualities to boast of my own holiness (God knows I’ve got a lot to work to work on), but to indicate that I’m not an ‘anything goes’ cafeteria Catholic. That said, I don’t think the use of marijuana is in and of itself sinful. I don’t use Cannabis, because it is illegal in the United States and it is quite clear in the Catechism that the use of illegal drugs is sinful in that it contributes to “clandestine trafficking and production” of said drugs (CCC#2291). The same verse indicates that the use of “drugs” is immoral unless used for purely therapeutic reasons. To believe that the term ‘drugs’ is all-encompassing is dishonest in that it is clear that the use of tobacco, alcohol (even ‘strong drink,’ see Deut. 14:26.) and caffeine are licit (as long as they aren’t abused, of course). Moreover, the recreational (albeit temperate) use of wine (indisputably a ‘drug’) is quite licit: Neh. 8:10 - Nehemiah commands the faithful to drink sweet wine to celebrate the Lord and His holy day; Psalm 104:15 - the Psalmist writes that “wine gladdens the heart of a man.” God gave us the fruit of the vine to enjoy; Ecclesiastes 9:7 - "drink your wine with a merry heart, for God approves what you do; Wisdom 2:7 - “Let us take our fill of costly wine and perfumes!”; Sir. 31:25-28 - “Wine is like life if drunk in moderation.”; Sir. 40:20 - “Wine gladdens the heart.” (these quotes are from: scripturecatholic.com/drinking.html). I know from experience (before my ‘reversion’) that the moderate use of marijuana is possible and can be used in the same way as an ice cold brew after a long day’s work. I can’t help but come to the conclusion that should marijuana laws change in the United States, the moderate use of it could be morally acceptable.

Current attempts to legalize marijuana are based on deception:

justice.gov/dea/ongoing/legalization.html

It is not moral to harm your own body.

God bless,
Ed

 

[NewsTheMan]

As a former big time toker…

Well, I used to get high every day, twice to three times a day for about 6 months of my life. I was a cafeteria Catholic at the time…

Anyway, a few observations:

Smoking weed does not make you stupid. It does however lower your drive to work, and it does start making you think everything is better when high (including work).

Smoking weed is not addictive; but it is habitual. I was able to quit smoking easily (same with cigarettes and alcohol a few months after I quit smoking weed)… but a friend of mine dropped out of university because he became too involved in the habit of smoking to get high just for the sake of being high.

I do not believe marijuana is all that harmful. But I do submit to the Church. This is one of, if not the only, thing that I am not certain of in our Catholic teaching. Marijuana use. I don’t believe it should be gravely sinful (if getting tipsy as a result of imbibing alcohol isn’t, why should getting happy and laughy be?) if done in certain ways. But the Church teaches that it is gravely sinful - and so, I submit my will and God gives me the grace to do so. And I am happier for it. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind the odd high now and then, but I am glad to be rid of it in my life (alcohol and tabacco included).

 

[stringbeanduck]

Current attempts to legalize marijuana are based on deception:

justice.gov/dea/ongoing/legalization.html

It is not moral to harm your own body.

God bless,
Ed

Deception? Actually that’s how it became illegal. The longer it stays illegal, the more money goes into the pockets of drug dealers and the DEA.

 

[edwest2]

Deception? Actually that’s how it became illegal. The longer it stays illegal, the more money goes into the pockets of drug dealers and the DEA.

Uh huh. If it’s legalized, the Mob will open legal marijuana businesses. And people will still buy it from their regular dope dealer (Hey man, have I ever sold you any bad weed?) to get out from paying taxes on it, or they they will grow their own to get out from paying any taxes on it.

God bless,
Ed

 

[BobObob]

edwest2;6857198:

Current attempts to legalize marijuana are based on deception:

justice.gov/dea/ongoing/legalization.html

It is not moral to harm your own body.

Deception? Actually that’s how it became illegal. The longer it stays illegal, the more money goes into the pockets of drug dealers and the DEA.

A few things to consider:

One must be careful to avoid relying exclusively on sources that have some special interest on the matter. For example, the DEA would be bias in favor of keeping marijuana illegal because if it was legalized, they would lose jobs (and save tax dollars).

Marijuana was made illegal in part because members of Congress were told that marijuana was what made Mexicans crazy. In fact, a Texas Senator said, on the floor of the Senate, “All Mexicans are crazy, and this stuff [marijuana] is what makes them crazy.” (drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/) (druglibrary.org/olsen/dpf/whitebread05.html)

Also, marijuana was also made illegal in part because DuPont lobbied Congress to make it illegal. This was because DuPont couldn’t compete with hemp, so instead they used Congress to artificially crush the competition.(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_history_of_cannabis_in_the_United_States#Marijuana_Tax_Act_.281937.29)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DuPont(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DuPont))

Regarding the dangers of marijuana use, Lester Grinspoon MD, professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, said, “Marijuana is remarkably non toxic. In all the years that marijuana has been used, there’s not been one single documented death from it. I don’t know that you can say the same thing about any other drug.” (abc.net.au/quantum/poison/marijuan/lester.htm ) Alcohol is a LOT more harmful to one’s body than marijuana.

In case it is brought up, Marinol is a lot more dangerous than marijuana, a lot less effective, and doesn’t do many of the things that people using marijuana for medicinal purposes needs it to. Also, it’s a LOT more expensive.

Even if marijuana is as dangerous as alcohol, we all know how well alcohol prohibition worked last century! It’s debatable how alcohol prohibition effected alcohol use, but we know it certainly didn’t eliminate it (my history professor said it went down 1/3, while some sources indicated that it went up).

 

[edwest2]

Sad that you decided to miss the obvious noneconomic benefits. The Mob will continue to supply their own drug dealers and their own legal marijuana businesses. After all, transport will not be the problem it once was, making it far less expensive to obtain.

The DEA will still have plenty of enforcement work to do regarding the many drugs that will remain illegal.

And of course, some will simply grow their own because they don’t want to pay taxes.

So, in summary:

Tax revenues from legal marijuana will be a fraction of that expected.

Organized crime will open legal dope houses.

Organized crime will continue to sell marijuana through its illegal drug network at “better” prices since they can avoid paying taxes.

Some people will grow their own to avoid paying taxes, and to avoid any stigma from being seen walking into the dope store to buy a pack of joints.

God bless,
Ed

 

[BobObob]

Sad that you decided to miss the obvious noneconomic benefits. The Mob will continue to supply their own drug dealers and their own legal marijuana businesses. After all, transport will not be the problem it once was, making it far less expensive to obtain.

This isn’t what happened when alcohol prohibition was repealed.

Prohibition made the Mob and Al Capone rich. After it was repealed, the Mob couldn’t compete with legitimate businesses. How much alcohol is served by the Mob now? Probably just as much as there would be marijuana sold by the Mob in a decade if marijuana was legalized.

And of course, some will simply grow their own because they don’t want to pay taxes.

The same can be done for alcohol (although taxes on alcohol probably aren’t as high as the proposed taxes in California). However, most people pay the taxes on liquor.

Organized crime will continue to sell marijuana through its illegal drug network at “better” prices since they can avoid paying taxes.

I don’t think that’s very likely because organized crime has other costs that legal businesses don’t, and because most consumers would probably much rather pay more to get it at a store, where they would probably feel much safer.

Even if organized crime survived the legalization of marijuana, it would hurt them a lot.