The official catholic stance on marijuana

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i don’t need to know why or how or any personal views on the subject. all i need to know is, venial or mortal? officially.

thanks in advance!
 
Michelle Arnold, a staff apologist here at CAF, had this to say on the matter, citing the Catechism:
Michelle Arnold:
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense. Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs are scandalous practices. They constitute direct cooperation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law (CCC 2291
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).
For there to be mortal sin, there must also be full knowledge and full and free consent to the grave action.
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forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=15353
 
So basically, if you are in California and have a prescription for medical marijuana, you’re good to go. 😛
 
what if its on theraputic grounds but not prescribed? what if your conscience tells you that it is an unjust law? and what if scientifically it were to pose little to no health risks?

i’m not trying to argue these points, i’m just saying “what if”…

i know that we are obligated to some extent to follow the laws. so if it were based solely on the law, would that make it venial or mortal, being that it is a misdemeanor or a ticketable offense in some cases?

it seems that for the most part, mortal sins are more often felonies than misdemeanors, i could be wrong.

i’m really just curious!
 
The Catechism need to tell us more. What if the drugs don’t really “gravely damage human health and life?”, or at least not anymore than legal drugs like alcohol. Also, what if the drugs are legal in a particular state or country and don’t involve a criminal enterprise? Are there other doucments out there that help clarify Catholic teaching?
 
You need to talk to your priest about this. If it’s prescribed as a medicine, I don’t see how it’s a problem, but I have absolutely no authority to say whether it’s a sin or not. Talk to a priest.
 
Since the human body is the temple of the soul anything that harms that temple is a sin…if a bus driver is high on ‘weed’,‘joint’,‘grass’ or the clever name ‘pot’ and has an accident obviously the cause of that accident is bad…anything bad is a sin…thats why the attacks on the RCC by hollyweird etc that have so endorsed this type of behavior…a healthy mind in a healthy body is a credo we should all endorse…
 
i asked a very excellent and knowlegable priest, and i hope he wouldn’t mind me quoting him anonymously. but this is what he said. i feel that it makes alot of sense, also, it leaves room for circumstance.

Drugs in general are forbidden by moral law because they lower our human aptitudes. As humans we are to act as humans…. Meaning in possession of our intelligence and our free will (that make the difference between us and animal kingdom). If the drug is intended to separate an individual from the reality, the person deny the gift received from God and that is offensive. If the drug is used in medical purpose (to lower the level of pain, or whatever…) it is permissible.

An other sinful aspect of drug is the addiction. People arrive to a point where they become slave of the drug and are not any more able to get rid of it.

The last point is the damage caused to the physiology of the one who use it.
 
When it’s illegal it’s gravely sinful. If it were legal then it would be gravely sinful if getting stoned (non medicinal purposes), but I’m not sure if you just had a few puffs if it would be or not, though it’s ill-advised.
 
Intemperance is a sin. Jesus drank wine. He did not get drunk.
Can anyone imagine Him taking drugs, or any of the saints?
 
alt101 said:
Drugs in general are forbidden by moral law because they lower our human aptitudes. As humans we are to act as humans…. Meaning in possession of our intelligence and our free will (that make the difference between us and animal kingdom). If the drug is intended to separate an individual from the reality, the person deny the gift received from God and that is offensive. If the drug is used in medical purpose (to lower the level of pain, or whatever…) it is permissible.
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I think this is a very good point. Anyone who feels the need to get ‘out of their mind’ on any drugs, including alcohol, has a problem either of the psyche or the soul that needs to be dealt with, not ignored.

What’s really sad, and I’ve seen it so many times among intelligent young people, is they get so deep into the experiences their intoxicated mind produces during drug use, that they start thinking the chemical induced ‘reality’ is more real than the sober reality of their minds seeing God’s world as God intended.
 
DL82 said:
I think this is a very good point. Anyone who feels the need to get ‘out of their mind’ on any drugs, including alcohol, has a problem either of the psyche or the soul that needs to be dealt with, not ignored.

What’s really sad, and I’ve seen it so many times among intelligent young people, is they get so deep into the experiences their intoxicated mind produces during drug use, that they start thinking the chemical induced ‘reality’ is more real than the sober reality of their minds seeing God’s world as God intended.
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The idea that marijuana is harmless is a fallacy. It damages memory, is definitely addictive, creates paranoia and delusion. I know people who have smoked it all their lives and the long term damage is visible, undeniable.
 
i wiki’d this topic and if you read all the way through, there seems to be alot of evidence that it’s not as harmful as alot of people think. even beneficial in alot of ways.

here’s what i read in case anyone is interested.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_issues_and_the_effects_of_cannabis

on the other hand, it is illegal. after thinking about it more, i wonder how “healthy” it is that i or other people would be attached enough to something to do it even if it’s illegal. because that poses a whole other risk and it’s a threat to your family if it could land you in jail. no matter how we personally feel about it.

my conscience is telling me that the probably only real bad aspect of this drug is that it’s illegal, and that if it were legal, moderate use would be alright. alot like alcohol.

any thoughts?
 
alt101 said:
i

any thoughts?
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There are many proponents of this drug, fans, advocating for its acceptance and promoting its use, claiming that it is harmless. I know personally a number of people, either directly or through their family members whose lives have been destroyed by using marijuana. Wikipedia is not a scientific journal. Anyone can post anything there. I am sorry, but I do not have time to search for all the negative reports and convince you to avoid this drug. All drugs have some benefit and some side effects. They are for people who are sick, where the benefit outweighs the side effects. Which of the saints do you suppose gained holiness and sanctity from using drugs? On the other hand look at all the losers who use marijuana. The fact that someone wants to use a drug to change the way they feel, says they do not like the way they feel. If you want to increase your awareness, relax, change your consciousness, try prayer.
 
alt101 said:
what if its on theraputic grounds but not prescribed? what if your conscience tells you that it is an unjust law? and what if scientifically it were to pose little to no health risks?

i’m not trying to argue these points, i’m just saying “what if”…

i know that we are obligated to some extent to follow the laws. so if it were based solely on the law, would that make it venial or mortal, being that it is a misdemeanor or a ticketable offense in some cases?

it seems that for the most part, mortal sins are more often felonies than misdemeanors, i could be wrong.

i’m really just curious!
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I just want to address the “unjust law” part. An unjust law isn’t just a law that is unfair, it is a law that creates an injustice. For example, most Catholics would say that the law that said slavery was legal was unjust because slavery unjustly deprives someone of liberty and other human rights Your conscience doesn’t tell you if a law is just or unjust. Your conscience tells you what to do about it. If you follow the law and refrain from marijuana use, is there an injustice committed? Probably not, so you are bound to follow the law. But if you were suffering from the effects of chemotherapy, for example, your properly formed conscience might lead you to break the law rather than continue to suffer. That wouldn’t mean the law was unjust, just that your culpability (morally, but not necessarily legally) was decreased.
 
i do agree with you on many levels… but it seems like we can justify some crazy things in moments of weakness, and may at times have a hard time discerning what is from our conscience and what isn’t. well, at least for me!😊

msnbc.msn.com/id/24430630/

this is unjust, and there’s alot of other occasions where injustices have occured because of the “war on drugs”

i tend to lean towards it as being a public health issue more than a criminal offense, or in this case, a death sentence.
 
people who believe that marijuana is harmful to the body are wrong.
in recent scientific study’s it was proven that it does not cause long-term damage to the brain, lungs, or immune system. Therefore what is the stance now that it is proven to not cause damage.
drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/
 
jdavem said:
people who believe that marijuana is harmful to the body are wrong.
in recent scientific study’s it was proven that it does not cause long-term damage to the brain, lungs, or immune system. Therefore what is the stance now that it is proven to not cause damage.
drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/
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That’s actually a pretty good site. I researched some of sources and found they are well done. I found it especially interesting to find out how inaccurate the Dr. Heath study on Rhesus Monkeys tried to find out if marijuana killed brain cells. I can’t agree with your statement though. The site indicates long term damage can occur, it’s just mostly confined to heavy, chronic usage.
 
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