Is Smoking Marijuana a Sin?

[stovebolts]

I don't think that drowning your sorrows in a dime bag is good if that is what you are referring to.

For clarification, because I see that it might be misunderstood, I have been referring to a smoke after work to aid in relaxing much like someone having a beer or two after work.

Also, I don't smoke.

Now your describing my BIL. He even has his own small company and is doing well. He's a real nice guy, good morals and values and a pleasure to be around and no, weed has never been a gateway drug for him. That being said, he doesn't know how to function without it. We wanted to go on a cruise with him twice now, and he won't go because he can't go a week without getting high. Again, he contributes to society in a positive way and isn't "hurting" anyone else and it hasn't led to heavier drugs. But it kinda sucked that it limits the things he can do... oh, and we call that an addiction.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Fedusenko]

My thoughts are that he made a god out of it. It controls his life. It is a habitual intoxication that I do not condone. Drunkenness does not mean drunk for a 6 hour period, but to make a habit of being drunk. Habitual behaviors like this are destructive, even if they don't seem so outwardly.

 

[Fedusenko]

How about a little dog poop mixed in your dinner? It won't hurt you and you won't even know its there. Moderation, that's the key word.

As I said, which your quote from me included, "There are some universal 'things' that should remain moderated at zero and we would agree on most of them." I think that we agree that poop is one of them. For some people weed is moderated down to zero. It can be different for people thus your response being:

Your line and my line may be at different points. With weed, the line is drawn very early.

You have life experiences that have influenced you a certain way and you come to a specific conclusion. You either can't get past or choose not to get past the secondary and tertiary effects weed has on some of the population. For you, the road isn't worth risks so you avoid it. Knowing yourself and risk assessment is incredibly valuable and I respect you for both.

Substance abuse is a real issue. Amalgamating it with other issues only muddles the issue.

I am glad that we both agree that it is an important issue. Amalgamation only muddles the issue if the context is lost. I might not have been clear on my context. I am suggesting that addiction to marijuana is destructive just like addiction to other lifestyles. We both agree that alcoholism is destructive, but as many in this thread would agree, a beer or few is not destructive if handled respectably. I would condemn alcohol because some people have issue with moderation. I also don't condemn Marijuana because some people can't moderate their usage of it. Substance abuse in any form is destructive. There are different levels of substance abuse, but I place weed addiction below an unhealthy diet. Addiction is addiction and addiction is bad. I hope you don't still think my argument is childish.

Weed is a gateway drug for many. Perhaps not all, but many. BTW, I would have never tried LSD or Angel Dust if it had not been for weed. Same with lots of people I know. Actually, I had a smoking buddy that got into LSD and he started doing it on a daily bases. Turned him into a zombie. Really messed him up for life.
When you say "just a tool", what I hear is a minimization and justification to smoke week with total disregard for those that will take their drug use to the next level.
Now they, you can say, "Not all pot smokers take their drug addiction to the next level, thus pot is not a gateway drug for them". But you can't say that those who have transitioned into the heavier drugs havn't used weed as a gateway drug. Nor can you minimize weed as a gateway drug.

Just as racing to a parking spot precedes racing from the cops. There is the argument that everyone (generalization) that does LSD started with pot. That may be true, but you are only looking at the issue through a narrow perspective. Availability is the reason. If you make another intoxicant that is fairly mild easily available to the public then that will defacto starting line. "Everyone that has done LSD started with this [insert name of mild intoxicant that is readily available in their community]."

"It is just a tool". There are many instances that catch phrases are used in good intent, but they can also be used to associate 'this' with 'that'. 'Marijuana is a gateway drug' immediately associates marijuana to hard drugs that creates physical dependancies and destroy your body. I am reminded of my grandmother telling me not to put my feet in the water because that action will lead me to swim on the Sabbath and swimming is work. Regardless of your beliefs, she believed working (which included swimming) on the Sabbath is wrong. As a safety measure, she forbid being ankle deep in water. For the longest time I thought that being in water on the Sabbath was wrong. It is incorrect to associate PCP to Marijuana. They are not similar in any reasonable stretch.

But putting yourself at risk or harm is ok?

If used responsibly you aren't putting yourself at risk.

 

[farouk]

.. As far as marijuana being used in moderation for medical purposes, I know of people who have used it for such, and have gotten great relief.

Thirstyone:

So if its use to get relief were legalized, you mean that you'd sympathize with your friends that need and get relief from it to the extent of supporting its availability?

Blessings.

 

[Fedusenko]

The sin is not smoking, but disobeying the country's law. Yes smoking is how you break the law, but smoking isn't the sin, breaking the law is. Subtle but significant differences.