Physical Effects Of Marijuana
Drugabuse.gov gives us a list of a few physical effects of marijuana:
Breathing problems. Marijuana smoke irritates the lungs, and people who smoke marijuana frequently can have the same breathing problems as those who smoke tobacco. These problems include daily cough and phlegm, more frequent lung illness, and a higher risk of lung infections. Researchers so far havent found a higher risk for lung cancer in people who smoke marijuana.
Problems with child development during and after pregnancy. Marijuana use during pregnancy is linked to lower birth weight and increased risk of both brain and behavioral problems in babies. If a pregnant woman uses marijuana, the drug may affect certain developing parts of the fetuss brain. Children exposed to marijuana in the womb have an increased risk of problems with attention, memory, and problem-solving compared to unexposed children. Some research also suggests that moderate amounts of THC are excreted into the breastmilk of nursing mothers.
Intense nausea and vomiting. Regular, long-term marijuana use can lead to some people to develop Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome. This causes users to experience regular cycles of severe nausea, vomiting, and dehydration, sometimes requiring emergency medical attention.
Increased heart rate. Marijuana raises the heart rate for up to 3 hours after smoking. This effect may increase the chance of a heart attack. Older people and those with heart problems may be at higher risk.
What Does The Bible Teach About The Cannabis Plant
Article ID: JAP385 | By: H. Wayne House
This article first appeared in the Practical Hermeneutics column of the CHRISTIAN RESEARCH JOURNAL, volume 38, number 05 . The full text of this article in PDF format can be obtained by For further information or to subscribe to the CHRISTIAN RESEARCH JOURNAL go to:
The debate regarding the use of marijuana has heated up considerably in recent years. This has caused individual states to decriminalize the use of marijuana. There are many political, medical, and scientific responses to this change in the acceptance of pot, but the evidence is still strongly against such usage.
There are currently a plethora of websites, often quoting each other to the point of plagiarism, that seek to support the ethics of using marijuana. They even tout biblical texts, or ancient practice, to support their thesis. I will discuss these arguments.1
The Bible Recognizes the Use and Abuse of Drugs. This is an argument by association of alcoholic beverages in the New Testamentwhich is clearly discussed, both as to the benefits of moderate use and as to the disastrous impact of excessive usewith intoxicating plants.10 Usually the fact that Jesus made wine at the wedding at Cana and passages such as Proverbs 31:67 show the positive side, and Isaiah 5:10 gives the negative.
NOTES
Cannabis And Other Religions
Before we jump right into the scriptures of Christianity, it seems only right first to take a look at how cannabis is received amongst other religious groups as a whole.
Along with many well-known religions such as the aforementioned Rastafarian religion , there are now a number of religions that center massively on marijuana. These modern faith groups have come together to celebrate religion and cannabis!
Groups such as THC Ministries, Cantheism, The Cannabis Assembly, The Church of the Universe, The Free Marijuana Church of Honolulu, and The First Church of Cannabis concentrate on cannabis, just to name a few!
Among these are also other well-known religions that date back centuries who benefit from cannabis as part of their spiritual healing. Taoism, which originates back to 4th century China, uses cannabis incense as a cleansing tool while in Norse mythology the cannabis plant relates to beauty, fertility, and love.
These are merely a few examples of cannabis being implemented into the holy and ancient rituals of religion. But where does it fall with Christianity and the Bible?
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Is Marijuana Ever Okay For Christians
Use of marijuana hasnt traditionally been a gray area for Christians. The drug was illegal, so it was off-limits to those who are subject to the governing authorities . But as recreational marijuana becomes legal in more states, some Christians are having conversations about whether there could be an acceptable use.
Pastors Joshua Ryan Butler and Thomas Terry offered thoughts on how they shepherd members of their churches in this area. They agree that while the Bible never mentions marijuana, it does prohibit intoxication. If one hit of marijuana makes you high, theres no way to smoke it and obey the Bibles commands against drunkenness.
Further, the effects of marijuana work against the kind of community we should seek in the body of Christ. Butler says that getting high pulls you within yourself, causes you to become more disengaged, not only from people, but also from life in general. Terry agrees and speaks from experience: Before I was a Christian, I smoked marijuana to . . . disengage from both people and issues. By causing users to disengage from life, marijuana works against the love of neighbor Jesus commands. Christians seeking to honor God with their lives would do well to avoid it.
Listen to this episode of The Gospel Coalition podcast or watch a video.
Transcript
How Do Pastors Feel About Pot
Whats holding pastors back is more than just the misguided notion that no Christian would smoke marijuana, Miles said. They sometimes worry about questioning a drug that enjoys such widespread support.
Overall, 60% of U.S. adults say both medical and recreational marijuana use should be legal, according to Pew Research Center. An additional 31% are OK with legalizing just medical use.
From 2009 to 2019, the share of Americans saying marijuana should be legal more than doubled, Pew reported.
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Among U.S. Protestant pastors, however, marijuana legalization remains unpopular. A new LifeWay Research survey shows that just 18% of these leaders believe pot use should be legalized throughout the country for any purpose.
Additionally, nearly 4 in 5 Protestant pastors believe its morally wrong to get high smoking pot, the study found.
It is clear from their views on legalization that pastors see moral problems with getting high beyond simply disobeying government authorities, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, in a press release.
But few Christian leaders openly discuss their concerns, Miles said. Instead, they often rely on doctors and other authority figures to lead discussions on marijuana access and use.
When youve basically leaned upon federal and state governments to define what is moral and whats not, then you havent been training your congregation on how to think about it, he said.
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Final Thoughts On Marijuana And The Bible
When it comes to cannabis and the Bible, there really is no right answer. The ancient scriptures are completely open to interpretation. However, there does seem to be a strong argument for cannabis and its use in biblical times.
Just like the apostle Mark wrote in Mark 6:13, to be rubbed with the Holy Plant was to receive divine knowledge. We couldnt agree more!
Before The Fall Of Man
Genesis 1:29-30 God also said, Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This food will be for you, for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the eartheverything having the breath of life in it. I have given every green plant for food. And it was so.
For food not for smoking, not to be in a bong, not to be put in a blunt, but for food.
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Rob Mcelhenney Shares What It’s Like To Smoke Weed With Snoop Dogg At : 30am
21:02, 06 May 2021 BST| Last updated 21:03, 06 May 2021 BST
Rob McElhenney has revealed how he once got high with Snoop Dogg at 7:30am on a workday but claims that when the infamous rapper asks if you want to get high, you say ‘yes’… although it might not have been his best idea:
The 44-year-old actor appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live where he spoke about his experience with Snoop and compared it to ‘hurtling through the atmosphere at 30,000 miles per hour, directly towards Mars’.
Sounds pretty decent, doesn’t it?
Anyway, when Kimmel asked Rob whether he’d ever been under the influence at work, he explained: “This season, of Mythic Quest we had Snoop Dogg as a guest star.
“Now Snoop does not drink alcohol, he smokes marijuana as we all know… and so Snoop agreed to come on the show which was a surprise to me but we were so happy about it.
“And his call time was 7:30am and I said ‘ok well, I don’t know what time he’s going to show up but he can show up whenever he wants, he’s Snoop’.
“I’m there around 7:15 and I get a knock on my door from the wardrobe department saying ‘Hey Snoop’s wardrobe is here, do you want to take a look at it?'”
Rob went on to explain how he went to look at the mocap suit , unsure whether Snoop Dogg was going to wear it before adding: “It’s like 7:15, 7:20 and I think ok let me figure this out and all of a sudden I hear his bus rolling up, he’s early.”
The Bible’s Take On Other Mind
Is smoking weed a sin? Although the Bible does not address marijuana directly, it does discuss other mind-altering drugs. Specifically, the Bible addresses the use of drugs in the book of Galatians:
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
So, where are the drugs mentioned in this verse? Actually, the word translated “sorcery” is the Greek word pharmakeia,4from which we get the English word “pharmacy.” The primary meaning is “the use or the administering of drugs” . Since this verse comes from a list of things that, if practiced, would preclude one from heaven, this should be a reasonably strong suggestion that the Christian should not practice drug use. In addition, the book of Revelation lists drug use as one of the things for which the unrepentant will suffer the wrath of God.5
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
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What Does The Bible Say About Marijuana
Ask a Question!NewsletterQuestion:the Bible
Answer: The Bible does not mention marijuana by name. In the United States, the legal use of this drug, either for recreational or for medicinal purposes, is a hotly debated subject. This is partly because the government considers the plant a high level controlled substance. Its possession is considered a federal offense punishable by up to one year in jail. Penalties for cultivating or selling marijuana are even more severe.
In 2014, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, there were a little more than 22 million citizens using marijuana . It is estimated that 6.5 million of these individuals use it on a daily or almost daily basis. According to the agency, marijuana is considered the most widely abused illicit drug.
In spite of federal law, as of 2017, twenty-nine U.S. states plus the District of Columbia have made it legal to use marijuana for certain medical reasons. The drug is used in these places to treat or improve the symptoms brought on by approved conditions such as HIV / AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, chronic pain and several others.
The use of marijuana is not directly addressed in Scripture. That said, the fact that God brought it into existence cannot be used, of itself, as a justification for using it today. He did indeed create all plant life, but not all plants are meant to be consumed by humans in one form or another.
Does The Bible Say Anything About The Recreational Use Of Marijuana Or Other Drugs
The Bible does not mention marijuana or similar drugs by name. But it contains principles that rule out the recreational use of such addictive substances. In addition to the foregoing principles, the following also apply:
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The need to control our mental faculties. You must love Jehovah your God . . . with your whole mind. Keep your senses completely. A person cannot fully control his mind when abusing drugs, and many people even become addicted to them. Their minds focus on obtaining and using drugs rather than on upbuilding thoughts.Philippians 4:8.
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Obedience to secular laws. Be obedient to governments and authorities. In many lands, the law strictly controls the use of some drugs. If we want to please God, we should obey secular authorities.Romans 13:1.
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Tobacco Origins In Offerings To The Spirits: What The Bible Says About Smoking
Little Foxes small compromises that cause big problems
Song of Solomon 2:15 says, Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. Foxes sometime in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think are little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.
I chose to deal with the issue of smoking as a little fox because most people that indulge in this practice do not realize the toll it takes on the longivity of their lives until it is too late. I read a shocking statistic that stated the heavy smoker pays with 34.6 minutes of life for each cigarette he smokes. The pack-a-day smoker pays with 11.5 hours for each pack he smokes. This would equate to someones life span being cut almost in half due to the evil of smoking. The Lord promises us long life in the Bible but those who violate His commandments are choosing to shorten their own lives. Psalm 91:16 says, With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation. Consider also Proverbs 4:10, Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings and the years of thy life shall be many.
Origins of Tobacco
Reaping What We Sow
Bible Verses About Smoking Marijuana
Bible verses related to Smoking Marijuana from the King James Version by Relevance
Topics and verses are auto-generated from user searches. If a verse or topic does not belong, please contact us. Some scripture references/categories courtesy of Open Bible .info under CC BY 3.0
Search the King James Version for more references about Smoking Marijuana…
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What Are The Risks Of Smoking Or Vaping Marijuana
There are risks or side effects to consider when smoking or vaping marijuana.
– Negative impacts to memory and thinking capabilities
– Increased heart rate
– Aggravation of asthma issues
– Feelings of panic or fear
– Hallucinations
– Decreased interest in, or ability to complete, tasks that require coordination
The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is general prohibition against intoxicating substances. In August 1915, the LDS Church banned the use of cannabis by its members. In 2016, the church’s First Presidency urged members to oppose legalization of recreational cannabis use. The LDS Church says it has “raised no objection to SB 89” .
During the Hindu festival of Holi and Maha Shivratri, people consume bhang which contains cannabis flowers. According to one description, when the amrita was produced from the churning of the ocean by the devas and the asuras as described in the Samudra manthan, Shiva created cannabis from his own body to purify the elixir . Another account suggests that the cannabis plant sprang up when a drop of the elixir dropped on the ground. Thus, cannabis is used by sages due to association with elixir and Shiva.
In Hinduism, wise drinking of bhang , according to religious rites, is believed to cleanse sins, unite one with Shiva and avoid the miseries of hell in the future life. It is also believed to have medicinal benefits and is used in Ayurvedic medicine. In contrast, foolish drinking of bhang without rites is considered a sin.
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Is It Ok For Christians To Smoke Marijuana
Talking Points:
- God giving us every seed-bearing plant for consumption is not talking about recreational drug use, but about food. Genesis 1:29
- Alcohol is the lense the Bible uses for talking about substance abuse and recreational drug use because it was so readily available in ancient times. Ephesians 5:18
- Christians should do all things to the glory of God. This means having an attitude characterized by a desire to honor God and help others pursue him. Colossians 3:17