Cannabis Craze

Public opinion seems to have shifted in favor of the legalization of marijuana and state after state is moving to remove most restrictions on possession and use of the drug. That’s not such a good idea. The medical evidence increasingly shows concern with this rush to light up. The pot of today is very different from the pot of yesteryear. The concentration of THC is much greater, making it much more potent than in the past. The Journal of the American Heart Association study shows a 42% increase in strokes and a 25% increase in heart disease for those who smoked marijuana regularly for four years. The tar in the smoke is much more toxic than cigarettes. People with underlying mental health issues show an increase in psychotic episodes and violence when smoking regularly. Developmental delays in young children have been noted when their mothers smoked during pregnancy. 

All these are good reasons to avoid this substance completely. But more importantly, is it right for us to be altering our state of mind and artificially inducing feelings of pleasure? Whenever a person smokes marijuana, that is their goal. It is similar to one who starts to drink just to get drunk. Is that the sort of thing God wants us to do with our bodies and our minds? He made us in his image and likeness – to use our intellect and will to do good and achieve good things. When we spend our time in a drug-induced haze or a drunken stupor, we damage that image of God in ourselves.