Why Is Marijuana use Immoral?

[LilyM]

onceagain:

Expanding on what I was just talking about, I really wish I had the knowledge to break it down for you on how THC reacts with your body on a chemical level but sadly I was never very good at chemistry

** "Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is generally accepted to be the principle active component- in marijuana, although other cannabinoids are likely to contribute to the physiological activity of marijuana. Tetrahydrocannabinol is rapidly absorbed by inhalation and the gastrointestinal tract . It is almost completely metabolized. The predominant metabolite is 9-carboxy-11-nor-delta-9-THC, which found in the plasma, feces and urine along with other compounds. Very low concentrations of THC may be detected in urine during the initial several hours, but tetrahydrocannabinol persists in urine at a detectable concentration for many days after smoking. **

Thanks for that prof

 

[LilyM]

Gerrygarvin:

I’m pretty sure that at after the people at the wedding in Cana drank all the wine then got a totally fresh supply they would have been pretty “impaired” driving home.

You get “impaired” if you don’t sleep all night. I don’t think a change in mood, or some functioning ability is neccessarily immoral in itself, unless it prevents you from being able to make moral decisions. I don’t think drinking enough to feel like everyone is your best buddy is neccessarily wrong. On the other hand drinking enough to cheat on your wife and beat your kids would be. I think there’s a difference. Otherwise it would be a sin to run a marathon, because in that case you certainly would fundamentally alter your mood, and change your body chemistry, and probably would have poorer motor skills at the 26th mile mark.

Well we’re lucky the good people of Cana didn’t have to drive then. And if Jesus made the wine, for all we know he may have done a little something to it to remove the usual intoxicating effect? A lot of our good Protestant buddies seem to think every reference to wine in the NT actually means grape juice instead

Again, your intent and awareness when you’re drinking (or using legal drugs for that matter) is important - if you drink aiming to get tipsy or drunk or drink past a safe level knowing you’ll be driving, then it’s immoral. If you know you’re tired because you haven’t slept or run a marathon and that it’s affecting your driving and you choose to drive anyway that’s also immoral. It may be slightly or seriously immoral depending on the circumstances.

 

[Sean.McKenzie]

Legality does not determine morals.

It absolutely does if they are genuine laws, true laws are God’s laws, if we have laws that are in accordance with almighty God, then you can be sure that they are moral. See the problem at least in our country is that there has been grave immoral legislation coming from the courts such as abortion, euthenasia (I hope I spelled that correctly) etc those are not laws those are evils, even though our Judicial system would have us think otherwise.

I apologize if I came off a bit flip at the start, but that phrase needs to be flipped around to say, “Morality determines legality”

 

[nucatholic]

Come on people, the legislation dealing with cannabis is ridiculous and unjust. Cannabis is no more harmful than alcohol/tobacco ect. There are very few cases of psychosis. The government is using puritanical tactics to demonize cannabis use. People don’t get physically addicted to it, maybe psychologically but a person can become psychologically addicted to just about anything. Personally I don’t use it anymore because its not worth it and no one knows what people put in it. If it were legal (which is should be) and regulated by the government like tobacco/alcohol I would smoke it on occasion no doubt about it. The two times I did smoke it, it only took three hits to get a large buzz and that was it for the night. This is significantly less harmful than say a normal tobacco user. In fact that is about the amount of tar of one or two cigarettes which I think we would all agree wouldn’t be a real health threat. The biggest moral issue I have with illegal cannabis use today is the type of people that are running the black market. I confessed my two cannabis experiences mainly because I felt terrible for in some way supporting the people that run the black market. If it were grown like any other crop in the U.S. I’d have to say pass it over here brother!

 

[Orionthehunter]

1. I disagree w/ Sean.Mckenzie. Legality and morality are two different things. Abortion is legal and immoral. In some nations, being Christian is illegal but we believe it moral.
2. Rob is perfectly right as his analogy points out: “Let me put it this way, marijuana is not illegal everywhere. So is it moral in those places?” Or if the government made it legal, does it now become moral? As Catholics, we are not to look to our government to define morality (rightness or wrongness).
3. Thistle is incorrect when he said, "It is not only immoral but is a mortal sin.

It is probably a grave offense. For it to be sin, there are additional requirements and requires the application of judgment of a person’s heart/intent. Specifically, it be done w/ full knowledge of it being wrong and done with intent and done freely (not under duress). For example, one could be a cocaine addict without ever sinning (despite its use being a grave offense) if the first time was without knowledge of its dangers and then one became addicted.

1. Lilly said “Smoking tobacco and getting drunk (let’s call it what it is, rather than ‘merry’) are, at least for Catholics, out and out immoral because they’re a sinful abuse of the body.” I’m not sure this is true in either case (different debate and different thread) but I do want to point out that Pope Benedict is a smoker and I’ve seen more than a few Priests have enough to qualify in my state as “drunk”.

In the end, IMHO, this is illegal. Catholics are OBLIGED (see the current thread on civil law) to disobey a law when following it would violate one’s conscience. Until someon can make an argument that I can’t imagine, I believe that noone has a compelling moral compulsion to smoke marijuana or that failure to do so would cause one to violate God’s law. For this reason, civil law prevails and using it in the US for non-legitimate medicinal purposes is an offense against God.

 

[Sean.McKenzie]

nucatholic:

Come on people, the legislation dealing with cannabis is ridiculous and unjust. Cannabis is no more harmful than alcohol/tobacco ect. There are very few cases of psychosis. The government is using puritanical tactics to demonize cannabis use. People don’t get physically addicted to it, maybe psychologically but a person can become psychologically addicted to just about anything. Personally I don’t use it anymore because its not worth it and no one knows what people put in it. If it were legal (which is should be) and regulated by the government like tobacco/alcohol I would smoke it on occasion no doubt about it. The two times I did smoke it, it only took three hits to get a large buzz and that was it for the night. This is significantly less harmful than say a normal tobacco user. In fact that is about the amount of tar of one or two cigarettes which I think we would all agree wouldn’t be a real health threat. The biggest moral issue I have with illegal cannabis use today is the type of people that are running the black market. I confessed my two cannabis experiences mainly because I felt terrible for in some way supporting the people that run the black market. If it were grown like any other crop in the U.S. I’d have to say pass it over here brother!

With all do repect and humility,
The Government is wise in barring illegal drugs such as marijuana, from the populus, it is an addictive drug, and the Church teaches that it is a mortal sin to use ILLEGEAL substances such as Marijuanas or other types of narcotics.

 

[wabrams]

Sean.McKenzie:

With all do repect and humility,
The Government is wise in barring illegal drugs such as marijuana, from the populus, it is an addictive drug, and the Church teaches that it is a mortal sin to use ILLEGEAL substances such as Marijuanas or other types of narcotics.

The Government passed the law banning marijuana out of hysteria and paranoia, not from scientific tests.

 

[nucatholic]

Its not as addictive as nicotine or even alcohol. In fact, nicotine is one of the most addictive chemicals. More so than cocain. How many people die each year from their tobacco addictions or alcoholism and how many people die from smoking cannabis? If cannabis is to stay illegal, then tobacco and alcohol should logically follow suit. Cannabis is a strong pain reliever without the fear of strong physical addiction. This is extremely helpful. Doctors all over the country are prescribing cannabis for their patients as a better alternative. Some states are legalizing the use of medicinal cannabis (just recently Rhode Island). Don’t sit there and tell me that doctors all over the country would prescribe medicinal cannabis if it were harmful. There are rare cases of people with a family history of mental disorders developing psychosis from cannabis use. If you are one of these rare people, the doctor will not prescribe it for you. Its as simple as that. In fact there is just as much of a risk of developing some kind of problem using aspirin, ibuprofen, or tylenol.

 

[LilyM]

Orionthehunter:

1. Lilly said “Smoking tobacco and getting drunk (let’s call it what it is, rather than ‘merry’) are, at least for Catholics, out and out immoral because they’re a sinful abuse of the body.” I’m not sure this is true in either case (different debate and different thread) but I do want to point out that Pope Benedict is a smoker and I’ve seen more than a few Priests have enough to qualify in my state as “drunk”.

Then the Pope and the priests (without going too far into judging the state of their souls) are quite possibly gasp sinning, as all human beings do. They aren’t sinless just because they’re the Pope or a priest or religious. Otherwise JP2 wouldn’t have gone to confession several times a week and Mother Teresa wouldn’t have gone every day as she did.

Naturally there are things such as addiction and habit and state of knowlege about the harms which lessen the degree of sin. The level of consumption of alcohol or tobacco may also play a part. These factors possibly, although very rarely, may even remove the sinfulness of the activity altogether. Just because alcohol tobacco and marijuana may be immoral doesn’t mean automatically that they’re mortal or even serious venial sins. Objectively though, they are matter for sin.

 

[Sean.McKenzie]

nucatholic:

Its not as addictive as nicotine or even alcohol. In fact, nicotine is one of the most addictive chemicals. More so than cocain. How many people die each year from their tobacco addictions or alcoholism and how many people die from smoking cannabis? If cannabis is to stay illegal, then tobacco and alcohol should logically follow suit. Cannabis is a strong pain reliever without the fear of strong physical addiction. This is extremely helpful. Doctors all over the country are prescribing cannabis for their patients as a better alternative. Some states are legalizing the use of medicinal cannabis (just recently Rhode Island). Don’t sit there and tell me that doctors all over the country would prescribe medicinal cannabis if it were harmful. There are rare cases of people with a family history of mental disorders developing psychosis from cannabis use. If you are one of these rare people, the doctor will not prescribe it for you. Its as simple as that. In fact there is just as much of a risk of developing some kind of problem using aspirin, ibuprofen, or tylenol.

This seems so ridiculous, are you not aware that cannabis has a greater effect on your brain than tobacco or alcohol, IT IS A HALUCINOGEN!!! Case closed!! and just because this is the case does not mean tobacco an alcohol follow suit, they are different.

 

[Sean.McKenzie]

wabrams:

The Government passed the law banning marijuana out of hysteria and paranoia, not from scientific tests.

Do you have hardcore fact to back this claim?!

 

[Orionthehunter]

wabrams:

The Government passed the law banning marijuana out of hysteria and paranoia, not from scientific tests.

First of all, a legitimate power of the government is to regulate and prohibit commercial activity of food and drugs that are deemed not in the public good.

Secondly, there is a broad scientific concensus that narcotics, marijuana, alcohol and tobacco all have harmful effects. Some effects are related to the addictive nature, the long-term or short-term effects on the mind or body, and others.

Thirdly, in the discretion of the body politic, it has been determined that some of these substances are of a nature that they are prohibited.

The question of this thread is: Is it immoral? Is it inherently immoral (meaning that it is immoral in the US where it is illegal and immoral in Amsterdam where it is legal)? I’m assuming that this inherent immorality is grounded in the principle that we are to not cause intentional harm to our bodies but I may be wrong. Or is it immoral only in jurisdictions where it is illegal (meaning it is immoral to break a law duly passed in the body politic).

 

[Semper_Fi_1]

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.

Alcohol use is immoral when it is abused. The same thing would go for marijuana. If a patient is subscribed marijuana for glaucoma by a licensed physician, and not abused, its use would not be immoral. The same thing goes for other prescription drugs. If a person is perscribed medicine for an illness, he is expected to take it as per the instructions of his physician. If he abuses it, then it is immoral. It is also immoral because it is currently against the law. Breaking just laws is not moral.

 

[Semper_Fi_1]

nucatholic:

Its not as addictive as nicotine or even alcohol. In fact, nicotine is one of the most addictive chemicals. More so than cocain. How many people die each year from their tobacco addictions or alcoholism and how many people die from smoking cannabis? If cannabis is to stay illegal, then tobacco and alcohol should logically follow suit. Cannabis is a strong pain reliever without the fear of strong physical addiction. This is extremely helpful. Doctors all over the country are prescribing cannabis for their patients as a better alternative. Some states are legalizing the use of medicinal cannabis (just recently Rhode Island). Don’t sit there and tell me that doctors all over the country would prescribe medicinal cannabis if it were harmful. There are rare cases of people with a family history of mental disorders developing psychosis from cannabis use. If you are one of these rare people, the doctor will not prescribe it for you. Its as simple as that. In fact there is just as much of a risk of developing some kind of problem using aspirin, ibuprofen, or tylenol.

nucatholic,

Whether or not it is helpful to some patients is up to the patient’s physician to decide. It is also not your perrogerative to disobey just laws. I, too, believe that tobacco should be outlawed. It is not now however. We are to “render unto caesar”.

By the way, you know that doctors use heroin in hospitals all the time as a pain reliever, right? Does that mean it’s not harmful? There are plenty of harmful prescription drugs on the market.

 

[Sean.McKenzie]

nucatholic:

Its not as addictive as nicotine or even alcohol. In fact, nicotine is one of the most addictive chemicals. More so than cocain. How many people die each year from their tobacco addictions or alcoholism and how many people die from smoking cannabis? If cannabis is to stay illegal, then tobacco and alcohol should logically follow suit. Cannabis is a strong pain reliever without the fear of strong physical addiction. This is extremely helpful. Doctors all over the country are prescribing cannabis for their patients as a better alternative. Some states are legalizing the use of medicinal cannabis (just recently Rhode Island). Don’t sit there and tell me that doctors all over the country would prescribe medicinal cannabis if it were harmful. There are rare cases of people with a family history of mental disorders developing psychosis from cannabis use. If you are one of these rare people, the doctor will not prescribe it for you. Its as simple as that. In fact there is just as much of a risk of developing some kind of problem using aspirin, ibuprofen, or tylenol.

Here is a question, do patients of whatever ailment, is their only solution marijuana? No.
Do you not think that, in this day and age with all of our technology, are we limited to only using marijuana to relieve pain? this is not sufficient. The truth is the truth is the truth!!

 

[wabrams]

Sean.McKenzie:

Here is a question, do patients of whatever ailment, is their only solution marijuana? No.
Do you not think that, in this day and age with all of our technology, are we limited to only using marijuana to relieve pain? this is not sufficient. The truth is the truth is the truth!!

And sometimes all the technology we have isn’t better than what mother nature can provide.

 

[cynic]

why is ok to recreationally use alcohol “in moderation” but not marijuana? A very simple question. It’s gettin annoying hearing people applying different standards to alcohol and marijuana without any explanation. They might be different but their effects are relatively mild when consumend in small amounts. Non-medical use of marijuana is abuse, but having a drink of wine isn’t? Perhaps alcohol should be restricted to medical uses only then.

 

[snoopy]

cynic:

why is ok to recreationally use alcohol “in moderation” but not marijuana? A very simple question. It’s gettin annoying hearing people applying different standards to alcohol and marijuana without any explanation. They might be different but their effects are relatively mild when consumend in small amounts. Non-medical use of marijuana is abuse, but having a drink of wine isn’t? Perhaps alcohol should be restricted to medical uses only then.

Right on!!!. As someone who has been married to a recovering alcoholic for 25 years, and is familiar with a 12 step program-- High is High. It doesn’t really matter what substance you use to get there. The problem is intent to get high. Right now someone I know has been chemical and alcohol free for 34 years and now he is struggling with an addiction to oxy-contin. He started out with using it as a painkiller, but liked the buzz that came with it a little too much. In the recovery world, it really doesn’t matter whether you use booze, pills, pot or whatever to get high.For the people who set out to get a buzz going on Friday after work, it really doesn’t matter what chemical you use.

 

[nucatholic]

I just one more thing to add. If you smoke too much marijuana you won’t get very far in life. In the words of the famous motivational speaker Matt Foley: “You’ll be living off a steady diet of government cheese and living in a VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!”

 

[Neithan]

nucatholic:

I just one more thing to add. If you smoke too much marijuana you won’t get very far in life. In the words of the famous motivational speaker Matt Foley: “You’ll be living off a steady diet of government cheese and living in a VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!”

aw man, good ole Chris Farley, R.I.P. You know he was a strong Catholic? Fitting to mention him on this thread, since he died of a drug overdose

Key phrase of yours here is “*too much.” *There are definitely moderate ‘highs’ that one really can’t condemn but condone a ‘buzz.’ If you’re against any kind of mind-altering activity then alcohol is out of the question, plain and simple. Come to think of it, so is caffeine, which is really just a much milder form of cocaine. :yup:
If you use cannabis to get stoned, then you are sinning. Likewise, if you use alcohol to get drunk, you’re sinning. But since a ‘buzz,’ is not a sin, then neither can a mild ‘high’ be. Of course, don’t use and cruise (don’t drink and drive)!

fix:

I think Pope JPII would agree with you :

Quote:
“It is true that there is a distinct difference between the use of drugs and the use of alcohol: while a moderate use of the latter as a drink does not offend moral principles, only its abuse can be condemned; instead, the use of drugs is always unlawful because it implies an unjustified and unreasonable renunciation of thinking, desiring and acting as a free person”
SHOULD ‘SOFT’ DRUGS BE LEGALIZED?Pontifical Council for the Family

If getting ‘buzzed’ is not an unlawful renunciation of rational faculties, then neither can getting mildly ‘high’ be. Everything that is said about ‘soft’ drugs and the problems of minors using it can be applied to alcohol, as well. It might be good to keep marijuana illegal, since maybe we can only handle one seriously mind-altering legal substance, but the argument that it is mortally sinful where it *is *legal–just can’t be applied given our arguments for the licit use of alcohol.