Why Is Marijuana use Immoral?

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My sister has just informed me that she see’s no problem with marijuana use. She said it is the same as alcohol. But I think that it is immoral but would like to know if anyone could explain the morality to me, so I can understand it better.
 
It is immoral on a few levels. For one, it is illegal. Also you give up your willpower to the drug when you use it. Your reactions and your thoughts are not sound, so your judgement is impaired. For the record and thinking in advance to what you might say about alcohol to me- getting drunk is also immoral. Many people on drugs and alcohol do things that they would never do when sober or straight.
 
Bottom line here: it is illegal. my son tries the same “alcohol” arguement on me. I can only say that for me, I wouldn’t do it.
Kathy
 
Legality does not determine morals.

**Pot, in and of itself, is not immoral. It’s just a plant or a drug, no different than a 1000 other plants and drugs that may be legal or not. **However, as mentioned with alcohol, it may be used in an immoral manner.
Let me put it this way, marijuana is not illegal everywhere. So is it moral in those places?
A moral issue does not sudden become right or wrong based on the legality of it.
 
What you can say is that there are reasons why all illegal drugs are illegal rather than just being restricted as alcohol and tobacco are. The main one being that there simply is no safe level of use of these drugs. The second being that even after use they remain in your system - cannabis being one of the worst. For up to 90 days after consumption you have THC in your system just building and building with each additional puff you take. What does she think the results of this are? Certainly not ‘safe’.

My sister could tell her that. She is a doctor, used to work in the Emergency section of her local hospital (small town, lots of bored teenagers, high rate of drug use). The stories she used to tell of the poor teens who even from quite small levels of marijuana used infrequently would develop psychosis, not to mention physical problems, were truly hair-raising.
 
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Jasny:
My sister has just informed me that she see’s no problem with marijuana use. She said it is the same as alcohol. But I think that it is immoral but would like to know if anyone could explain the morality to me, so I can understand it better.
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It is not only immoral but is a mortal sin.

CCC 2291 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 co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.
 
I think that marijuana is a more dangerous drug than has been commonly thought; also it is also a gateway to further use of harder drugs.

That said, I have also more and more been coming to the conclusion that the “war on drugs” possibly has become counterproductive, producing entire new criminal industries, and funneling obscene profits to drug kingpins and corrupting law enforcement. With alcohol, we have regulated and taxed it. It’s a lot better situation than under prohibition.
 
Rob’s Wife said:
Legality does not determine morals.
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You are absolutely correct. Take abortion as the easiest visible example. But remember, we are required by the Church to observe all just laws. Since this law does not go against the faith, we must adhere to the law. If there were something in the law that made it unjust, then no we wouldn’t need to follow the law. Just my .02.
 
When I first read the question presented by this thread my immediate reaction was it is immoral because it violates a law that is reasonably a just law.

Then I becan to read the post to this thread and saw Tedsters post and I would have to agree with him.

I think it is important, however, to also discuss what makes a law just or not. In Western Society, we have been greatly influenced by the writings of St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas (isn’t this a shocker) on what makes a law just or not.

I may forget a few points, probably the really important ones, but Thomas basiclly says a law is just if it is: (a) reasonable (b) made by the proper authority (c) promotes the common good - is in effect for the entire society - not targeted for a specific group (equal protection under the law) and (d) is enforceable.

Having said this I am sure there a those who would question the reasonableness of the marijuana laws. But that would be matter for another thread because I think most would agree there are sound arguments for the prohibitions on this drug thus the law itself is not unreasonable.

Inconclusio, I would answer the question posted by saying that the use of marijuana is immoral if for no other reason because it is a violation of a Just Law and we have a moral obligation to obey just laws.
 
Rob’s Wife said:
Legality does not determine morals.

**Pot, in and of itself, is not immoral. It’s just a plant or a drug, no different than a 1000 other plants and drugs that may be legal or not. **However, as mentioned with alcohol, it may be used in an immoral manner.
Let me put it this way, marijuana is not illegal everywhere. So is it moral in those places?
A moral issue does not sudden become right or wrong based on the legality of it.
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I disagree… Definition - “Moral adj: relating to, dealing with, or capable of making the distinction between right and wrong in conduct. Derivation - Mores n: folkways that are considered conducive to the welfare of society and so, through general observance, develop the force of law, often becoming part of the formal legal code.” Therefore knowing the harm it will do to you and that is is against the law. Legality does come into play because breaking the law is immoral. This also means that in a country where it is legal is not necessarily immoral for marijuana use.
 
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thistle:
CCC 2291 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 co-operation in evil, since they encourage people to practices gravely contrary to the moral law.
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You’ll notice that this is a blanket statement about drugs in general, which condemns their (mis)use when they endanger health or contribute to scandal. Marijuana does not *necessarily *do either of these. I think that this paragraph has in mind drugs such as cocaine or heroin–both of which are dangerously addictive and comprise trade substance for the most heinous crime syndicates in the world, built on greed, lust and murder.
For example, recreational use of cannabis has not been shown to damage health to any greater degree than common drugs such as nicotine, caffeine or alcohol; and cannabis-trafficking is not scandalous in countries where it is perfectly legal (e.g. Netherlands).
This is not even to say that cocaine or heroin are *in themselves *sinful. Heroin was actually a painkilling medicine used which led to the development of morphine, and cocaine is an energy-boosting narcotic that was popular in the 19th century before its addictive qualities were found detrimental to the public good. Heck, Pope Leo XIII was particularly fond of a popular cocaine-wine called Vin Mariani. He even gave his ‘official approval’ in a newspaper ad!

In any case, is the weekend pot smoker in Amsterdam committing a grave sin? That would be a hard judgement to justify, and not condemn all the Americans who ‘social drink’.

I hope I’m not too far out of line when I say that the current CCC is a little light on this subject, and should be revised for greater clarification.
 
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Dlramount:
I disagree… Definition - “Moral adj: relating to, dealing with, or capable of making the distinction between right and wrong in conduct. Derivation - Mores n: folkways that are considered conducive to the welfare of society and so, through general observance, develop the force of law, often becoming part of the formal legal code.” Therefore knowing the harm it will do to you and that is is against the law. Legality does come into play because breaking the law is immoral. This also means that in a country where it is legal is not necessarily immoral for marijuana use.
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Hear hear - breaking the law of the land without serious reason is in itself at least a minor sin. And using marijuana for medicinal reasons is of course way different from using it recreationally.

No more harm than caffeine? Really? When was the last time you heard of someone having a full-blown psychotic episode after drinking too much of Starbucks’ finest? No more harm than alcohol? Why isn’t there a legal amount of THC permitted to be in the blood before you can drive then? No more harmful than tobacco? You seen the massive amounts of money tobacco companies have had to pay out to people killed by cancer and other diseases because of their product? Cannabis causes exactly the same types of damage as tobacco and more.
 
If you are Catholic & you smoke marijuana & others know this about you, it could cause them to stumble. The Bible says we should always be mindful of that. It is illegal and I would venture a guess that most people think it’s wrong… so how will smoking it reflect on you and your Church?? Not so good.

I can just imagine… “Is she a Christian?”

“No… she’s a big pot-head.”

“Actually she’s Catholic.”

“Yeah… so what? She’s still a big pot head.”

Doesn’t make for a good witness does it?
 
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LilyM:
No more harm than caffeine? Really? When was the last time you heard of someone having a full-blown psychotic episode after drinking too much of Starbucks’ finest? No more harm than alcohol? Why isn’t there a legal amount of THC permitted to be in the blood before you can drive then? No more harmful than tobacco? You seen the massive amounts of money tobacco companies have had to pay out to people killed by cancer and other diseases because of their product? Cannabis causes exactly the same types of damage as tobacco and more.
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These are all examples of the misuse i.e. overuse of drugs. Of course misusing marijuana is sinful and consequently has ill effects on health. Getting drunk is sinful. Chain-smoking is sinful. Drinking too much coffee is sinful. Eating too many doughnuts is sinful. Watching too much TV is sinful. Spending too much time on the Internet is sinful etc. etc. etc.
Overindulging in anything is sinful.

But the *casual *use of Marijuana where it is perfectly legal is sinful? There’s just no sound argument for that.
carol marie:
I can just imagine… “Is she a Christian?”

“No… she’s a big pot-head.”

“Actually she’s Catholic.”

“Yeah… so what? She’s still a big pot head.”

Doesn’t make for a good witness does it?
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:rotfl:

This is relative, though. Moral scandal isn’t based on personal opinion, nor on human laws. We should certainly strive to ‘be all things to all people,’ and if smoking pot is going to be an obstacle in one’s efforts to win souls and strengthen faith, then by all means it should be given up. In the puritan American culture, that is probably a good idea, much like giving up alcohol if one were ministering to Mormons or Muslims, right?
On the other hand, when ministering to the more hedonic American culture, it’s probably a good idea not to demonise something which isn’t inherently sinful. Lots of people are turned away from sound moral teaching because of unneccessary extremes on peripheral matters.
 
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Neithan:
These are all examples of the misuse i.e. overuse of drugs. Of course misusing marijuana is sinful and consequently has ill effects on health. Getting drunk is sinful. Chain-smoking is sinful. Drinking too much coffee is sinful. Eating too many doughnuts is sinful. Watching too much TV is sinful. Spending too much time on the Internet is sinful etc. etc. etc.
Overindulging in anything is sinful.

But the *casual *use of Marijuana where it is perfectly legal is sinful? There’s just no sound argument for that.

:rotfl:
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So is adultery legal - and there’s no ‘safe level’ or ‘safety net’ with that. As I said, marijuana has ALL the exact same health problems as smoking, since that is exactly what you’re doing, as well as additional psychological and physical effects.

There IS no such thing as a ‘safe’ or ‘morally neutral’ level of smoking - marijuana or tobacco - in non-medical cases. Trust me, I have a family full of doctors (and some family members who have indulged to varying degrees) so I believe them when they tell me this because I have seen first hand the effects of even low levels of usage.

In non-medical cases there are absolutely no health or other benefits to it that outweigh the significant deleterious effects of smoking at any level. This is in contrast to caffeine and alcohol, which in moderate amounts are not only not harmful but may be beneficial health-wise.

Of course if I smoke half a dozen cigarettes of a weekend the harm is much less and the level of sinfulness is much less than if I’m going through a pack a day. And there are questions of habit and addiction that can reduce my culpability if I indulge. Likewise with marijuana. But to repeat, objectively there is NO such thing as morally appropriate ‘recreational’ use of marijuana or tobacco.

Don’t be fooled into thinking marijuana is harmless - it absolutely is NOT.
 
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LilyM:
As I said, marijuana has ALL the exact same health problems as smoking, since that is exactly what you’re doing, .
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Only if you smoke it. Some people eat it or some drink it in a form of tea.
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LilyM:
There IS no such thing as a ‘safe’ or ‘morally neutral’ level of smoking - marijuana or tobacco - .
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Concerning tobacco the CCC says otherwise.
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LilyM:
Of course if I smoke half a dozen cigarettes of a weekend the harm is much less and the level of sinfulness is much less than if I’m going through a pack a day…
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Again the CCC says otherwise.
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LilyM:
Don’t be fooled into thinking marijuana is harmless - it absolutely is NOT.
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You’re an expert because you are not a doctor yourself, but you are RELATED to some.:rolleyes: … And you know some people who indulged. VERY impressive credentials.😉

This was answered by a CA apologist. I am more impressed by their credentials (and they don’t contradict the CCC.)
 
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