The official catholic stance on marijuana

[Mimi]

I recall that I read (not quoting anyone here); if a drug (such as marijuana) is psychoactive in some way, then it is altering our normal consciousness and therefore, use of it is sinful.
Since one cannot take “one” puff and not be affected, that would also qualify.

It’s different than alcohol, since most people can have one glass of wine (maybe even 2 or 3), and feel a pleasant warmth, but not be impaired.

I suppose some folks would say it is the only thing that really helps them relax, so therefore it’s justified.

I know someone (doesn’t live anywhere near me…) who has a degenerative disease and grows his own for his own use. He isn’t part of any drug cartel or link to those who traffic in drugs (as far as I know anyway).

If I had bad cancer, and mj helped my appetite or deal with side effects of chemo, I think that could be justified. I think medicinal usage could be (maybe should be) okay. I suppose that at least one could be fairly assured of a quality product, not like junk one might find on the street. It’s just that the stuff is so easy to get, it would be difficult to control.

My $0.02
Mimi

 

[jdavem]

the real reasons for its criminalization are outlandish, so i don’t know what the church would say after knowing the reasons. Marijuana was first criminalized when an influx of Mexicans began to cross the border looking for work in the early 1900’s. the white Americans living in the south didn’t want the Mexicans there so they criminalized marijuana in an effort to drive them out and arrest them. then an ultraconservative leader of the DEA came to power (cant remember his name) he hated all types of drugs (especially marijuana) and came out with a campaign to change people minds form liking it to hating it. he started to say that “IT WILL KILL YOU” “YOU WILL USE HEROIN” “YOU WILL MURDER PEOPLE” etc… from then on people kept thinking that it will do this and voted to criminalize it, and when the a major of NY wanted to conduct scientific studies on marijuana. the chief of the DEA destroyed much of the studies and didn’t allow them to be published. one reason its still not legalized is because the corporations cant put a patent on the plant and therefore cant make money off the plant and if money can be made by the big cooperation they will fight to keep it criminalized.

 

[MiguelPr0]

I understand that legality of the act is influential on whether or not said act is sinful. There is a substance known as K2 however that is legal. K2 is a combination of plants and herbs that is sprayed with a chemical. It’s conventional use is to be burned as a therapeutic incense, but when lit and smoked it produces similar effects to that of marijauna. Actually inhaling K2 is said to be 3 times more potent than inhaling marijauna. The use of K2 does create a “high” for the user and hallucinations are also sometimes experienced (though I’ve never experienced a hallucination).

Now that I have presented this background, my question is, if a substance is legal and not used in mass amounts, but still when used produces some form of “high” is the act sinful?

 

[jdavem]

i don’t think you know who dangerous K2 is like you said “K2 is a combination of plants and herbs that is sprayed with a chemical.” those sprayed chemicals cause many side effects, its legal because i doesn’t effect the paper and clothing industry in the USA and around the world… just because something is legal doesn’t mean its a sin that K2 has side effects that can, harm or even kill you if smoked too much it, therefore your harming your body and doing anything that harms your body is a sin… marijuana has non of these “harmful” side effects…

 

[Via_Dolorosa]

I google searched Reefer Madness on the internet. It was a praproganda film made in 1936 to demonize the effects of marijuana. It was so absurd that it now has a cult following.
I’m not committed to taking a stance on legalizing it. I have noticed that checking for the substance has become a cottage industry in my county. Kids are pulled over and threatened with a choice of letting the police look for drugs or having a dog sniffing out the car when they take you in.
If anyone has ever had to deal with the drugs one must take in dealing with cancer, marijuana seems to be the least of them. When my mom was dying I wanted her to toke up to get away from the pain, but because of the of the “dope” designation she wouldn’t. Instead we had to rely on the morphine patch which is a much stronger drug. Go figure.

 

[jdavem]

im sorry for mom, but many people ignore the natural remedies that god gave us and instead use man made drugs that ruin the liver and cause hundreds of side effects

 

[edwest2]

im sorry for mom, but many people ignore the natural remedies that god gave us and instead use man made drugs that ruin the liver and cause hundreds of side effects

That statement is an exagerration. Herbs were used first but safe synthetic substitutes became available. They have helped many people.

God bless,
Ed

 

[stringbeanduck]

That statement is an exagerration. Herbs were used first but safe synthetic substitutes became available. They have helped many people.

God bless,
Ed

It’s still true though. Chemical drugs do a lot of damage to health. There’s nothing immoral or wrong with a person’s choice to use a drug found in it’s natural state.

“If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.”-
Thomas Jefferson

 

[Thyme]

Hi,

I believe that marijuana is a sin. First, it’s not healthy.

People say you can’t become addicted to it, but I had a few friends who were. Eventually they stopped having it and replaced it with alcohol, but one of them went on to worse drugs and he ended up committing suicide.

I admit that I have tried marijuana. It seemed harmless the first few times. I was reassured by everyone that it was healthier than tobacco and that warnings of psychological problems caused by it were myths.

However, I ended up having a panic attack- this was caused by a chemical it contains called TLC. It was the worst experience of my life and I felt 100% certain I was dying. It’s now five years later and I am still having panic attacks every now and then. Recently, I have become too scared to pray the rosary because one time I prayed it before having a panic attack, so must have subconsciously linked it to fear. I have missed Mass alot recently due to having no sleep.

This isn’t meant to be a sob story, but I want people to realise that marijuana isn’t okay. I do believe that God sees it as sinful because what good comes from it? After trying it, I’ve only learnt how horrible it is.

 

[tjm190]

Hi,

I believe that marijuana is a sin. First, it’s not healthy.

People say you can’t become addicted to it, but I had a few friends who were. Eventually they stopped having it and replaced it with alcohol, but one of them went on to worse drugs and he ended up committing suicide.

I admit that I have tried marijuana. It seemed harmless the first few times. I was reassured by everyone that it was healthier than tobacco and that warnings of psychological problems caused by it were myths.

However, I ended up having a panic attack- this was caused by a chemical it contains called TLC. It was the worst experience of my life and I felt 100% certain I was dying. It’s now five years later and I am still having panic attacks every now and then. Recently, I have become too scared to pray the rosary because one time I prayed it before having a panic attack, so must have subconsciously linked it to fear. I have missed Mass alot recently due to having no sleep.

This isn’t meant to be a sob story, but I want people to realise that marijuana isn’t okay. I do believe that God sees it as sinful because what good comes from it? After trying it, I’ve only learnt how horrible it is.

In spite of your personal experience, studies have found while mild addiction is possible after extremely prolonged use, withdrawal symptoms generally subside within 1-2 weeks. If you’ve ever known someone who tried to quit smoking or a ‘recovered’ alcoholic you should know that’s an insignificant amount of time relatively speaking.

And your personal negative experience is not indicative- every substance will cause problems with some people. A friend of mine nearly died from a penicillin injection, but that doesn’t make it dangerous in general

 

[Thyme]

In spite of your personal experience, studies have found while mild addiction is possible after extremely prolonged use, withdrawal symptoms generally subside within 1-2 weeks. If you’ve ever known someone who tried to quit smoking or a ‘recovered’ alcoholic you should know that’s an insignificant amount of time relatively speaking.

And your personal negative experience is not indicative- every substance will cause problems with some people. A friend of mine nearly died from a penicillin injection, but that doesn’t make it dangerous in general

I agree that every substance will cause problems for some people, but your friend’s case was due to an allergic reaction- the intent of taking the penicillin was for a medical reason.

I think it’s down to the intent of smoking or eating marijuana. In my case, it was to get intoxicated so I could know what it felt like. I don’t know anyone who would smoke marijuana without the intent of being intoxicated.

 

[tjm190]

I agree that every substance will cause problems for some people, but your friend’s case was due to an allergic reaction- the intent of taking the penicillin was for a medical reason.

I think it’s down to the intent of smoking or eating marijuana. In my case, it was to get intoxicated so I could know what it felt like. I don’t know anyone who would smoke marijuana without the intent of being intoxicated.

But what I’m saying is sure, marijuana had a negative effect on you. That does not make it bad for everyone. You’re claim was that everyone should know the negative effects, based on your experience- I claim that your claim is invalid.

 

[Thyme]

But what I’m saying is sure, marijuana had a negative effect on you. That does not make it bad for everyone. You’re claim was that everyone should know the negative effects, based on your experience- I claim that your claim is invalid.

Then, we need a definite line drawn because you can say that about all drugs.

At the moment, I can’t see any benefits of marijuana. Even before I had the bad experience, I was just wasting my money on something that did not benefit me or anyone else in anyway- only put toxins into my body.

I suppose you could say that about alcohol as well, but you could have a drink without the intention of getting drunk. I still don’t believe that people would go through the difficulty of finding someone who they can buy marijuana from, just to smoke it without getting intoxicated.

 

[stringbeanduck]

Then, we need a definite line drawn because you can say that about all drugs.

At the moment, I can’t see any benefits of marijuana. Even before I had the bad experience, I was just wasting my money on something that did not benefit me or anyone else in anyway- only put toxins into my body.

I suppose you could say that about alcohol as well, but you could have a drink without the intention of getting drunk. I still don’t believe that people would go through the difficulty of finding someone who they can buy marijuana from, just to smoke it without getting intoxicated.

You should understand that drunk doesn’t equal the effect that a person experiences from marijuana use. True most people smoke marijuana for its effects, but the same is said for coffee or cigarettes. It’s just different effects.

 

[Thyme]

You should understand that drunk doesn’t equal the effect that a person experiences from marijuana use

. True most people smoke marijuana for its effects, but the same is said for coffee or cigarettes. It’s just different effects.

I suppose the rare few may have marijuana without wanting to be intoxicated. I don’t believe that cigarettes are sinful, but is smoking them regularly greed? Is it sinful to be addicted to something harmful or to consume something that you know can be very damaging and addictive?

I haven’t read the Catechism yet, but am off to bed now as it is 6 am (All thanks goes to the panic attacks that marijuana gave me five years ago).

 

[stringbeanduck]

I suppose the rare few may have marijuana without wanting to be intoxicated. I don’t believe that cigarettes are sinful, but is smoking them regularly greed?** Is it sinful to be addicted to something harmful or to consume something that you know can be very damaging and addictive? **.

Perhaps it’s your lack of sleep, but that doesn’t make any sense. To me, harmful and damaging mean the same thing.

 

[duffyk4]

One could be addicted to absolutely anything. Marijuana, when not used excessively, is widely considered to not be addictive. But when someone uses anything regularly for a long period of time, they will likely form some kind of addiction to it.

Thyme, while your experience was unfortunate, it doesn’t reflect the main population. Some children shows and video games are shown to give some kids seizures. Should we ban cartoons outright? Of course not, but they do post warnings before it begins.

There is a way to use marijuana responsibly and moderately, just as there is a way to drink alcohol. If you can do that, and it is legal, I don’t believe it is a sin.

 

[OraLabora]

We are to follow the legitimate laws of the legally constituted authorities of our country. From the CCC:

2240 Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one’s country:

Pay to all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.45

[Christians] reside in their own nations, but as resident aliens. They participate in all things as citizens and endure all things as foreigners… They obey the established laws and their way of life surpasses the laws… So noble is the position to which God has assigned them that they are not allowed to desert it…

The Church does allow for dissent for unjust laws:

2242 The citizen is obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel. Refusing obedience to civil authorities, when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience, finds its justification in the distinction between serving God and serving the political community. "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s."48 “We must obey God rather than men”:49

When citizens are under the oppression of a public authority which oversteps its competence, they should still not refuse to give or to do what is objectively demanded of them by the common good; but it is legitimate for them to defend their own rights and those of their fellow citizens against the abuse of this authority within the limits of the natural law and the Law of the Gospel.

With the possible exception of medicinal marijuana (whose benefits or lack thereof incidentally, are keenly debated in the medical community), I fail to see how one’s conscience can justify the breaking of the law, as the law concerning marijuana is not contrary to the “moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel”.

On the contrary, the State wishes to control the use of narcotics precisely to preserve the moral order, and has deemed that alcohol and tobacco are the only two permissible addictive/mind-altering substances for non-medicinal use.

One certainly does not have a fundamental right to non-medicinal marijuana, unlike alcohol which is necessary at least for the celebration of the Eucharist, a fundamental human freedom (freedom to worship). Marijuana has nothing to do with the basic human needs of shelter, food, clothing, work, clean water, religious freedom, and democratic rights.

So in short, with the possible exception of the hotly debated use of medicinal marijuana where one may follow the dictates of one’s conscience, in the North American context marijuana use is sinful.

I suppose that one may draw the parallel with Prohibition. Since there was an exception allowing use of wine for the Eucharist, Prohibition did not infringe on any basic human right. As such it was a perfectly legitimate law and one which a good Catholic was bound to follow.

That did not make it a good law; it was in fact a stupid law. But it remained the legitimate law of the land. One may argue that similar laws against marijuana are stupid (I personally disagree, I think they are justified; for example how do you control suspected impaired drivers at roadside for marijuana?), but that does not make them illegitimate, only ill-considered.

 

[OraLabora]

Perhaps it’s your lack of sleep, but that doesn’t make any sense. To me, harmful and damaging mean the same thing.

There’s a subtle difference. Damaging could mean damaging to your own health, such as cigarettes inducing cancer or heart disease.

Harmful might mean that while under the influence you may harm yourself or others, such as if you’re operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, but that the substance does not do any permanent damage. That would be the case, for instance, of moderate alcohol consumption which may in fact be beneficial and not damaging, but which may be harmful if, say you intend to pilot an aircraft after two glasses of wine (I’m a pilot and trust me, even two glasses of wine can impair your abilities especially at altitude; flying especially on instruments is a complex task; I tried it, and I know… but no worries I tried it on a flight simulator, not the real thing! )

 

[edwest2]

Doubt is the real product being sold here. The bottom line is that smoking marijuana is the least effective way to get any assumed benefit. Marinol is legal medical marijuana but it’s more expensive than marijuana so it is not available to those who might need it.

I have yet to see one negative reader response in the Detroit News about marijuana, medical or otherwise. The old, “Hey. What’s the big deal?” concept is at work here again. People should choose, we’re told. As I understand it, a lot of people are choosing right now.

Do people really need one more drug to add to the current stockpile?

treatment-center.com/drug-alcohol-info/marijuana.php

God bless,
Ed