Occasional marijuana use?

[edwest2]

Which will only become relevant in the unlikely event that the Holy Father declares the recreational use of marijuana in violation of federal law morally acceptable, in which case a priest would indeed be out of place forbidding it to his spiritual children.

Please read the following from the Pontifical Council for the Family:

ewtn.com/library/CURIA/PCFDRUGS.HTM

Peace,
Ed

 

[edwest2]

There is no medical marijuana at the Vatican pharmacy:

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

Peace,
Ed

 

[rev_kevin]

Well, it doesn’t matter our opinion of the law. The government still takes marijuana usage as a serious offense, and it’s a lot of trouble that you don’t want if you get caught with it.

Sorry you feel that way but opinions do matter. I have read your post #47 which is your opinion on this subject. And you have the gull to say my opinion don’t matter. May I suggest that you read what you posted because you are contradicting yourself.
I have posted some of the findings. Now I don’t know if you read what is posted but I have stated that I no longer use it. In some states all you will get is a ticket for posessing it under a certain amount, other wise called “personal use.” Some of our senators want to and are trying to make marijuana legal and our government is considering it. It could be the opinion of these senators that could change the law. So yes opinions do matter. Just like its your opinion that my opinion don’t matter.
Now can you answer the question. How is getting “Mellow” a risk to our freedom?

 

[GEddie]

Now can you answer the question. How is getting “Mellow” a risk to our freedom?

Since that question was a response to something I wrote, I will answer it:

The context was not the “mellowness,” per se, but the issue of growing pot, in order to get to that mellowness without paying drug gangsters for it. Growing pot is a threat not to “our” freedom, but your personal freedom, as the Govt. would jump on you with both feet. You would lose your freedom. So, I ask you again, is getting “mellow” worth possibly losing your freedom over?

 

[rev_kevin]

Since that question was a response to something I wrote, I will answer it:

The context was not the “mellowness,” per se, but the issue of growing pot, in order to get to that mellowness without paying drug gangsters for it. Growing pot is a threat not to “our” freedom, but your personal freedom, as the Govt. would jump on you with both feet. You would lose your freedom. So, I ask you again, is getting “mellow” worth possibly losing your freedom over?

Now it depends on where you live. In some states its just a misdemeanor, nothing more than a traffic ticket and you would not lose your freedom over that. In some states it ok to grow pot if its just for personal use.again no loss of freedom. Now if one grows it in a state that does not allow it chances are you’ll only get a ticket instead of jail time, it just depends on how much you are growing. Growing a small amount of pot is not that big of deal today. They have more important things to take care of like the drug cartel and the big time dealers. They would not be so concerned with a plant or two. So I see no freedom lost unless you are a big time dealer or in the drug cartel.

 

[kbwall]

Sorry you feel that way but opinions do matter. I have read your post #47 which is your opinion on this subject. And you have the gull to say my opinion don’t matter. May I suggest that you read what you posted because you are contradicting yourself.
I have posted some of the findings. Now I don’t know if you read what is posted but I have stated that I no longer use it. In some states all you will get is a ticket for posessing it under a certain amount, other wise called “personal use.” Some of our senators want to and are trying to make marijuana legal and our government is considering it. It could be the opinion of these senators that could change the law. So yes opinions do matter. Just like its your opinion that my opinion don’t matter.
Now can you answer the question. How is getting “Mellow” a risk to our freedom?

My apologies, I did not mean to say that your opinion is insignifcant per se. My fault for poor wording.

What I meant was that our opinion of the law doesn’t change the fact that the law is the law, and getting busted with pot is very bad. I meant that your opinion of the law won’t change the law, unless it is put up for a popular vote, and you would still get busted for it if you did it (general ‘you’, not implying you do it). I didn’t mean to imply that your opinion doesn’t matter at all.

Also, in states where it’s decriminalized, can’t you still be busted by feds?

 

[rev_kevin]

My apologies, I did not mean to say that your opinion is insignifcant per se. My fault for poor wording.

What I meant was that our opinion of the law doesn’t change the fact that the law is the law, and getting busted with pot is very bad. I meant that your opinion of the law won’t change the law, unless it is put up for a popular vote, and you would still get busted for it if you did it (general ‘you’, not implying you do it). I didn’t mean to imply that your opinion doesn’t matter at all.

Also, in states where it’s decriminalized, can’t you still be busted by feds?

Yes you can but they have really lightened up on those states. They did it just to show that they still are incharge, the did it to show that they can. The last I heard of the feds busting people in those states was a couple of years ago, they made their point and backed off. If I’m not mistaken, and I could be, they were told to back off by homeland security.

Oh you are correct the law is the law. Its up to our senators and congressmen to change the fedreal law on it and there are several who are pushing to legalize it and it is up for consideration. by congress. When I don’t know, that is what I heard on the news.

 

[GEddie]

It would be totally irresponsible to legalize marijuana. I would vote against it. Peace, Ed

While I agree with you, one day it will probably be made legal in USA; and then only moral persuasion will head off a likely snowstorm of new users.

Happy Holidays and ICXC NIKA

 

[edwest2]

While I agree with you, one day it will probably be made legal in USA; and then only moral persuasion will head off a likely snowstorm of new users.

Happy Holidays and ICXC NIKA

I’d like to address the organized crime fallacy and the tax fallacy surrounding this. Organized crime is bad but they are not stupid. If it were ever legalized, they would be the first to profit by opening legal dope houses. They already have the product. But would this cut off street suppliers? No way. First, no one who wants his face on camera will enter a legal dope house. Second, once the tax is imposed, they will simply make street dope cheaper. That way, they profit from legal and illegal sales. After all, price is always the issue, plus the street supplier also has all those other illegal drugs for one stop shopping: some marijuana, a little crack, some regular coke and so on. This is not an end run around people who have been in “business” long before anyone here was born.

Peace,
Ed

 

[GEddie]

I’d like to address the organized crime fallacy and the tax fallacy surrounding this. Organized crime is bad but they are not stupid. If it were ever legalized, they would be the first to profit by opening legal dope houses. They already have the product. But would this cut off street suppliers? No way. First, no one who wants his face on camera will enter a legal dope house.

If by this you mean the media-celebrity crowd, I’m not sure that’s right. Many members of that crowd are known drug users already and no one in their fan base is put off by it. The comedy shows even joke about it.

If it were legal, I imagine celebrity users taking photo-ops in front of the new pot cafes, saying “Thanks Congress! – Use responsibly, everybody”.

Second, once the tax is imposed, they will simply make street dope cheaper. That way, they profit from legal and illegal sales. After all, price is always the issue, plus the street supplier also has all those other illegal drugs for one stop shopping: some marijuana, a little crack, some regular coke and so on. This is not an end run around people who have been in “business” long before anyone here was born.

I agree that it won’t go away, but I doubt the street price will become much cheaper. If it is licensed and taxed, the clandestine market will still be hunted down, and that will keep the price up.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Thoughtfulone]

I’d like to address the organized crime fallacy and the tax fallacy surrounding this. Organized crime is bad but they are not stupid. If it were ever legalized, they would be the first to profit by opening legal dope houses. They already have the product. But would this cut off street suppliers? No way. First, no one who wants his face on camera will enter a legal dope house. Second, once the tax is imposed, they will simply make street dope cheaper. That way, they profit from legal and illegal sales. After all, price is always the issue, plus the street supplier also has all those other illegal drugs for one stop shopping: some marijuana, a little crack, some regular coke and so on. This is not an end run around people who have been in “business” long before anyone here was born.

Peace,
Ed

That’s silly. How many people do you know who make their own moonshine and sell it on the black market for less money than it costs in the liquor store? 99% of pot smokers would buy it legally if they could and comparing marijuana to crack and cocaine is absurd.

 

[GEddie]

That’s silly. How many people do you know who make their own moonshine and sell it on the black market for less money than it costs in the liquor store?

Because they physically can’t. To sell booze, you need to bottle it and store it, etc, and no small op could beat the economy of scale of the big operators. Pot has no such overheads.

And now it’s legal again, nobody sane will buy bootleg booze when the real thing is so cheap derelicts can get it. Prohibition booze was a human-health nightmare. Google jake-leg syndrome. Whereas, street pot and legal pot will be physically the same.

99% of pot smokers would buy it legally if they could and comparing marijuana to crack and cocaine is absurd.

ICXC NIKA

 

[LCMS_No_More]

Because they physically can’t. To sell booze, you need to bottle it and store it, etc, and no small op could beat the economy of scale of the big operators. Pot has no such overheads.

And now it’s legal again, nobody sane will buy bootleg booze when the real thing is so cheap derelicts can get it. Prohibition booze was a human-health nightmare. Google jake-leg syndrome. Whereas, street pot and legal pot will be physically the same.

ICXC NIKA

Oh, really?

My experience has shown this not to be true. Before I got my doctor’s recommendation, I could only get the “street pot” (why do we call it pot? It’s a weed.) and believe me, it’s nothing like the “legal pot” that I buy from dispensaries. The “street” weed is usually what’s called shake (loose material), is brown in color, doesn’t smell like much of anything and tastes terrible. In order to get any effect, one has to take at least 4-5 good bong rips and the effects aren’t reliable. On the other hand, the “legal” weed is usually sold in nice solid buds, full of color (usually green and red/orange), comes in a plethora of smells and flavors and the effects usually start after the first or second bong rip and are pretty reliable based on what one buys.

 

[Thoughtfulone]

Because they physically can’t. To sell booze, you need to bottle it and store it, etc, and no small op could beat the economy of scale of the big operators. Pot has no such overheads.

And now it’s legal again, nobody sane will buy bootleg booze when the real thing is so cheap derelicts can get it. Prohibition booze was a human-health nightmare. Google jake-leg syndrome. Whereas, street pot and legal pot will be physically the same.

ICXC NIKA

Actually, a good grow operation (especially a clandestine one) is VERY expensive. It is almost always done indoors to keep it from being discovered, which means that a huge space equipped with high-priced grow lamps set on timers to maximize photosynthesis are necessary. Hydroponic is the best, so there is also quite a bit of special equipment that is involved there. In order to even come CLOSE to competing with the major distributors of legal marijuana, all of this would be absolutely necessary. People don’t just throw a couple of seeds in their back yard and sell what grows.

 

[Altruist]

I do not believe that your confession was valid as you must have a contrite (truly sorry) heart to the fullest extent that you can. You must also have the intention to not commit the sin again.

Smoking marijuana is a sin, just accept it. I feel sorry for you. I really do. I’ll be praying for you. Smoking marijuana is illegal and drinking is not, partially due to the fact that marijuana use (even in moderation) is worse than drinking (in moderation). It’s illegal for a reason. Our country was founded under God, as we are “One nation under God”. The laws that the government has established are just loose versions of the laws of God. Therefore, if it’s illegal (against the government), it’s most likely against God as well.

I can barely understand why even a little drink isn’t considered harmful by people. It is a fact that alcohol consumption, however little, immediately impairs one’s judgment by depriving one’s brain of oxygen. It is also a fact that today’s alcohol is far more potent than that in Jesus’ day.

Either way, God loves us very much, and we must allow Him to love us. This means that we mustn’t allow other things to take His place. One cannot pit oneself against God. You’re too small to box with God, as Father John Corapi once said.

I really feel sorry for you. It’s a psychological fact that when people, deep in their consciences, know that something is wrong with what they’re doing, they try with all they can to either hide it or justify it. I, myself, have been addicted to a few sinful habits that I’m still trying to deal with; particularly those associated with lust. I used to be in a hopeless, despairing spiral thinking that I was never gonna get out, and I was even trying to deny that there was anything wrong with it at times. Believe me, you should just admit that you’ve got a problem, as it’s the first step to healing. I’m gonna be praying that you come to rid yourself of your habit and repent.

 

[Cecilianus]

I can barely understand why even a little drink isn’t considered harmful by people. It is a fact that alcohol consumption, however little, immediately impairs one’s judgment by depriving one’s brain of oxygen. It is also a fact that today’s alcohol is far more potent than that in Jesus’ day.

It’s not considered harmful because it ISN’T. I’ve never had my judgment impaired by alcohol to the point where I ever did or said anything I wouldn’t have when I was completely dry, and I like a good drink every now and then. It is also a fact that today’s alcohol is far LESS potent than it was in Our Savior’s day; that’s why they watered down wine before drinking it back then. And I don’t think that people were only sipping the exquisitely delicious wine Our Savior miraculously created at Cana; they would have been drinking freely as people do at wedding parties. I also do not think that Our Savior considered that wine - “however little” it may have been regarding potency or volume (only six huge pots full of wine that you had to water down to make it even DRINKABLE!) - to be harmful, so why do you?

I really feel sorry for you. It’s a psychological fact that when people, deep in their consciences, know that something is wrong with what they’re doing, they try with all they can to either hide it or justify it. I, myself, have been addicted to a few sinful habits that I’m still trying to deal with; particularly those associated with lust. I used to be in a hopeless, despairing spiral thinking that I was never gonna get out, and I was even trying to deny that there was anything wrong with it at times. Believe me, you should just admit that you’ve got a problem, as it’s the first step to healing. I’m gonna be praying that you come to rid yourself of your habit and repent.

You are being really quite judgmental here, and it is you who need to (a) led God judge someone’s heart, and (b) get down of your pedestal. Just as not everybody who drinks is an alcoholic and not everybody who eats is a glutton, not everybody who consumes anything is addicted to it, and this kind of pharisaism is really a much bigger spiritual problem than an occasional joint.

Just because someone denies having a problem doesn’t mean they actually do have it. They could be denying having a problem because they really don’t have one. You can’t be screwed either way, no matter whether you say you have a problem or that you don’t.

 

[BlueShadow123]

It depends on where you live. I don’t recommend using it if its against the law where you live. And I believe that is the exact advice Jesus would give you too.

 

[rev_kevin]

It depends on where you live. I don’t recommend using it if its against the law where you live. And I believe that is the exact advice Jesus would give you too.

No matter where you live its against the law, at least against federal law and they override state law. Well it wasn’t illegal in the time of Jesus.

 

[Cecilianus]

It depends on where you live. I don’t recommend using it if its against the law where you live. And I believe that is the exact advice Jesus would give you too.

Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. Even if you don’t like the laws against drug use, it just looks silly to call them unjust in the Thomistic sense when you compare them to the Roman laws Jesus was commanding his disciples to obey.

 

[Thoughtfulone]

I do not believe that your confession was valid as you must have a contrite (truly sorry) heart to the fullest extent that you can. You must also have the intention to not commit the sin again.

Smoking marijuana is a sin, just accept it. I feel sorry for you. I really do. I’ll be praying for you. Smoking marijuana is illegal and drinking is not, partially due to the fact that marijuana use (even in moderation) is worse than drinking (in moderation). It’s illegal for a reason. Our country was founded under God, as we are “One nation under God”. The laws that the government has established are just loose versions of the laws of God. Therefore, if it’s illegal (against the government), it’s most likely against God as well.

I can barely understand why even a little drink isn’t considered harmful by people. It is a fact that alcohol consumption, however little, immediately impairs one’s judgment by depriving one’s brain of oxygen. It is also a fact that today’s alcohol is far more potent than that in Jesus’ day.

Either way, God loves us very much, and we must allow Him to love us. This means that we mustn’t allow other things to take His place. One cannot pit oneself against God. You’re too small to box with God, as Father John Corapi once said.

I really feel sorry for you. It’s a psychological fact that when people, deep in their consciences, know that something is wrong with what they’re doing, they try with all they can to either hide it or justify it. I, myself, have been addicted to a few sinful habits that I’m still trying to deal with; particularly those associated with lust. I used to be in a hopeless, despairing spiral thinking that I was never gonna get out, and I was even trying to deny that there was anything wrong with it at times. Believe me, you should just admit that you’ve got a problem, as it’s the first step to healing. I’m gonna be praying that you come to rid yourself of your habit and repent.

I do appreciate the prayers, but there is nothing intrinsically sinful about marijuana use, and responsible use in moderation is certainly not mortally sinful. All I said in my confession was that I have made poor decisions due to drinking and marijuana use (only when drinking heavily and smoking pot did I do these things, and these things that I did were not mortally sinful in and of themselves, just irresponsible).

My main concern was that almost everybody drinks too much at some point. For me to say that I’ll never do it again is unrealistic, so I have a problem with the RESOLVE aspect of the confession, I guess. I have never committed a mortal sin as a result of drinking or smoking marijuana or anything else, and I definitely ALWAYS know the difference between right and wrong.

I also do not believe that getting a little drunk or smoking a little pot is a mortal sin. Keep in mind that I tend to confess certain venial sins as well, so if I feel I’ve been over-doing it, I will mention it to the priest.

So I am supposed to resolve not to commit any more mortal sins, but I guess my question is this: If some members of the Church look at something as a mortal sin (such as pot smoking or getting a bit drunk) and I know that they teach this (or think I know it) but do not myself believe it and so have no firm resolve to never do it again, then does THAT invalidate my confession even though my belief that these things aren’t mortally sinful do not go against Church dogma?