Medical Marijuana a Threat to Nation's Well-Being and Health
By Barrett Duke
The decision by the Obama administration to surrender to bad state policies on
so-called medicinal marijuana will have disastrous effects.
Medicinal marijuana is the Trojan horse of the marijuana
decriminalization movement. The movement sees it as the means to appeal to
people's compassion in order to change public opinion about marijuana and ease
the way toward decriminalization of marijuana. The Obama administration's
decision to cave on enforcement of federal drug laws against marijuana
distribution represents the dropping of the first shoe on decriminalization of
marijuana and signals the next one is coming.
With the federal
government out of the way, we can expect to see a rapid rise in marijuana
distributors and marijuana demand in states that have fallen victim to the
medical marijuana scam. None of this escalation will prove especially helpful to
the sick or to society. Those who use medicinal marijuana will pay the price
first, and then everyone else will. Marijuana is not a necessary or particularly
effective pain-relieving aid.
For years, the pain-relieving ingredient
in marijuana has been available by prescription. So, one cannot make the
argument that medicinal marijuana is a new addition to the pain-relief arsenal.
In fact, it isn't even that useful for pain relief. Most people who use
marijuana to help them cope with severe pain take other stronger pain relief
drugs in combination with marijuana because the pain relieving properties of
marijuana are not that potent.
On the other hand, smoking marijuana
threatens to make bad situations worse for many users. Marijuana introduces
multiple toxic chemicals into the systems of people whose bodies are already
weakened from their ailments. Not only might these toxic chemicals hinder
people's ability to fend off the cause of their pain by weakening their
defenses, but users risk developing additional problems related to their use of
marijuana, including respiratory ailments and addiction.
In addition,
the public's acceptance of marijuana as a medicinal aid will weaken resistance
to its recreational use. As it becomes more entrenched in our society, it will
be perceived as less dangerous. This will likely lead to more experimentation
with marijuana by our nation's young people. Since marijuana is undoubtedly a
gateway drug, we can expect to see even more of our nation's youth lose their
lives and their futures to drug addiction.
The last shoe to drop will be
the legalization of marijuana distribution for recreational purposes. As
marijuana use becomes part of the culture, we can expect to see a movement
toward decriminalization of all marijuana use and distribution. If marijuana is
decriminalized, we will see the rise of every kind of drug related problem, from
performance impairment to family disruption to addiction to crime to premature
death. This is not the kind of change America needs. What we need is the
enforcement of laws that protect the vulnerable and that help all Americans
achieve their greatest potential. What we don't need are more threats to that
goal.
Medicinal marijuana is a threat to our nation's wellbeing and
health, not a prescription for a better life. The Obama administration has just
made life more difficult for many of our fellow citizens and threatened the
future of many millions more. (Barrett Duke is vice president for public policy and research for the Southern
Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.)
Click here to read former Director of Drug Free America David E. Krahl's opposing view.
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What, you say? Don't most people claiming to be fundamentalist Christians favor laws against people using marijuana ? Many do, but those who do are not following what the Bible says about God.
First of all, the Bible says nothing against using marijuana, although the plant was certainly around during Biblical times.
But even if the Bible said that using marijuana is considered a sin , which it does not, passing or supporting human laws against its use would be un-Christian! In fact, using the law to take away a person's life, liberty, or property for using marijuana is itself a sin!
Here's why. According to the Bible, the following is true:
God gave mankind free will. God has the power to force human beings to follow his commandments if he wanted to, but he does not do that, because he wants human beings to *freely choose* to love and obey him. God cares about what is in our hearts, not just what we outwardly do. And he knows that human laws cannot change what is in peoples' hearts. Therefore, even if human laws could successfully control our behavior (which they cannot, as the failure of the "War on Drugs" shows), this still would not result in humans being "saved" by God.
There is much evidence throughout the Bible for this, but it is stated perhaps most clearly in Galatians. For instance:
Galations 2:16 - "A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
"By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" - in other words, no one will be saved as a result of human laws. Jesus repeatedly exhorted his followers to go out and preach the word of God.
Nowhere in the Bible is it recorded that he told people to go out and try to change human laws in order to force people not to sin! Jesus did not want people to interfere with God's gift to human's of free will! Quite the contrary - we all know his familiar words (paraphrased here), "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone," (John 8:7) and "Judge not, lest ye be judged." (Matthew 7:1)
Of course this does not mean the Bible tells Christians to ignore sin, or regard it as okay. The Bible clearly tells us that God wants Christians to preach against sin. After shaming those who were to stone her into putting down their stones and departing, Jesus tells the woman who was to be stoned, "Go and sin no more." (John 8:11) He was not saying that what she did was *okay* with God; what he was saying is that humans do not have the right to punish people for sinning.
In Galatians 2:21, the apostle Paul, who the Bible says Jesus raised from the dead, preaches to the Ephesians - "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
In other words, trying to use human laws to force people to be righteous is interfering with God's grace, his gift of free will, as expressed by Christ coming to earth and asking people to *choose* to follow him.
Therefore the only Christian laws are those which prohibit people from harming others, since to initiate force or fraud against someone else is to interfere with his or her ability to choose of his or her own free will, to follow God or not follow God. In everything else, Christians are instructed by the Bible to let people be free to choose. Including to choose to use marijuana, which the Bible does not condemn.
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5:1)
P.S. - Don't bother clicking on any of the links in my previous post. I did not put them in. It appears that if you use certain words in your post, the operators of this website will automatically make them into hyperlinks leading who knows where, without your knowledge or consent. Kind of a sneaky practice.
Sorry for any confusion... we implemented a feature to create links between text in articles and other articles/debates in the website. They don't go anywhere outside.
We're working to tune this feature, it's supposed to focus on multi-word combination, but it seems to be linking single words as well right now.
It's not meant to be sneaky... it's meant to point you to more information about what you are discussing.
Russell Fine
Founder
Opposing Views
I am 60 retired a Vietnam vet (volunteered to serve) due to a anonymous call my home was raided by a drug task force. They found nothing but left me feeling violated.
I have done extensive research on the war on drugs for many years since this happened. Every fact I have read indicates this war is a scam. It was started for greed and racism mainly targeting and enslaving people of color. Also protecting the oil and pulp industry. Cannabis could replace oil and wood pulp products. It also is four times more efficient at producing bio fuel than corn. Today more greed is involved to ensure we have no freedom of choice. The major liquor, drug, private jail, drug testing industry and drug rehab, also sad but true the people that work in the jails advocated jailing more to insure they have a job. This is all very sad putting money ahead of human lives.
Now the ones that should be working to help these people the church . Are advocating we put more poor powerless and mainly people of color in jail. I do not find that passage in my bible. If you would please point out the section of the bible that says you should work to do damage to fellow humans?
You sir are a hypocrite you push your religion but use it against the poor powerless and people of color And probably receive money from the major drug companies to help ensure we have no freedom of choice.
Cherokee Fred Hussein Jesus
You claim to be a man of God but you advocate enslaving the poor and powerless. Destroying one million non-violent children yearly. Jailed their lives destroyed. Is it the fact that they are mainly people of color and you feel they are not important?
Could you point out in your bible where it says you should do or advocate this destruction on you fellow humans?
The war on drugs does much more harm to Americans than any of the drugs. The church should fight to stop this war and help the people that need help.
Cherokee Fred Hussein Jesus
"Since marijuana is undoubtedly a gateway drug ..."
Um, except that it's not. Next specious claim?
Others have done fine work debunking this crap, so I won't waste my time. Prohibition did not work then and it's not working now, just like " abstinence only" education increases the rates of teen pregnancy, STDs and abortions. I suppose looking at actual science and statistics comes not one whit into Mr. Duke's thoughts for social change, so perhaps truth and logic have no place here.
You bible thumping types don't even read your own bible.. If you did you would help your fellow man in need not throw them in jail and destroy their lives.
I am so tired of the preaching and Hippocratic actions of the christian religion . If you have a religion and a bible to follow why do you preach to enslave mainly poor powerless people? There are a few that may need help with drugs just like the legal drugs you support. But most cannabis users just want to be left alone stop the tyranny. I would not claim a religion that does not even follow its own teachings. How can you advocate support for the war on drugs? Is it because mainly blacks pay the price for the war on drugs are you racist? The one without sin can cast the first stone and it ain't you...
Cherokee Fred Hussein Jesus
...addicted to ideology and drunk as a skunk.
You got yourselves collectively into this mess. Your forefathers had a measure of pragmatism, and understood the real world, whereas all you do recently is come up with biblical dictates to enforce status quo and contrived conformity.
I suggest face the fact that people can and will use narcotics . And they will use cannabis . Personally I do not use it, but I do live in a country where many do. Cannabis impresses me less than alcohol. I'd rather sit in a bar where people smoke Cannabis, having a conversation, that in a place where people drink beer.
But, many conservative (read: Iwantitmyway-) Americans are incapable of listening, adapting, compromising. It's that lovely little culture war you have been having. Well I know for sure this will turn into a bloody civil war for long. I know which side I will be sending money and arms shipments to.
As a 44 year Consumer & Advocate for the Legalization of Hemp & Cannabis, I am neither Addicted nor have I had even 1 day of Illness in my Adult Life. You are typical of those who speak & write in opposition without having a clue as the the real realities of this issue. First let me say I've been a Devoted Servant of Jesus Christ & Student of His Word for this entire 44 years. & 1) At the End of Creation Week God Looked Down on All He'd Made and Pronounced it was ALL VERY GOOD including Hemp & Cannabis. 2) Stated through His Prophet's that He had Given Man EVERY SEED BEARING HERB FOR THE HEALING OF THE NATIONS. (Most of today's Pharmaceutical's are derived from Plant's found in God's Botanical Kingdom).
Hemp & Cannabis are 2 of the most Amazing Plants in God's Botanical Kingdom with more than 225 know uses including Clothing, Paper, Food, Rope, Building Materials, Bio Fuels, Medicine & Lubricant's & too many others to name here & can also be grown anywhere even on Land of no use for anything else. I fully realize that Men ALWAYS think they know better than God but in this case You & They are Totally Wrong. The real reason that Cannabis remains Illegal is The Fact that the Cotton, Chemical, Timber, Big Oil & Petro Chemical Industries would be soon put out of business should Common Sense & Sanity prevail on this Issue, because Cannabis & Hemp could take the place of all of these Industries without polluting the Land, the Rivers, the Air, the Oceans or Poisoning America's Citizenry. These Industries have a lot to Lose & their Lobbies are some of the Strongest in America. Our Forefather's Knew What They Were Doing When They Included The Right's To Privacy For Adult's In All Matter's & All Things Being Sacrosanct. Stop This Madness as the use of Cannabis is 1000 times safer than the Consumption of Alcohol Which God Did Warn Humanity About: Be SOBER & VIGILANT & To Avoid STRONG DRINK/Whiskey's. Respectfully Submitted By a Man Who Has Chosen To Obey God's Laws Rather Than Man's, as God's Ways Are HIGHER Than Man's. (Isa.55:9).
Barrett Duke do you live in the sate of denial or are you another servant of tyranny and oppression?
The tobacco, alcohol and prescription drug gangs cause more death annually than all illicit drugs .
Current drug policy disregards science and punishes families of citizens,confiscating their property for making a safer health choice in a social or medicinal drug; that is policy bordering on insanity.
The debate over medical marijuana or cannabis is really a scandalous controversy over whether this very easy-to-grow herb should be allowed to compete with pharmaceuticals for pennies on the dollar.
Adult legal social use could cause less alcohol consumption. That would be a good thing for public safety as studies have show alcohol increases violent, aggressive behavior marijuana does not. Maybe it would mean less people driving under the influence of alcohol.
Across America paramilitary drug raids trigger violence rather than lessen the risk. It is called, "Overkill" to use such force on a nonviolent health problem. http://www.cato.org/raidmap /
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6476
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is having hearings on the violence in Mexico. Please send them a REPEAL the new prohibition message. It is really misleading to call it a drug war or drug fueled violence. The horrific carnage is triggered by the new prohibition and fueled by official lawlessness. http://oversight.house.gov/contact /
Take away the main tool of servants of tyranny, gun control freaks and racists use these days to extend their agenda, the
new prohibition.