Marijuana is usually maligned by the conservative members of society. It is believed that it is not good for those who use it. Perhaps, at least for the time being, in part, they are right. It does, for now, have adverse psychological effects, sometimes, on its users. This, I propose, is due to the fact that it is presently listed among illicit drugs. There is, however, a truth at play that, simply stated, would remove the adverse psychological effects from the marijuana experience. That would simply be to legalize it. Of course, there would be a backlash of resistance due to ignorance on the part of its opponents. Let us look to no less than the New Testament writings of St. Paul to show what is happening and make manifest the nature of the law. Because, as the following Scripture will Illustrate, marijuana is presently illegal, arguably the use of it is sin in the sight of God. Paul writes:
7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."[b] 8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
(ref. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=52&chapter=7&version=31)
The law, as Paul writes, is good, but I am not good. Even the fact that marijuana is included in the law is good, even if, unfortunately, illegal for now. The law, by its very nature is spiritual, but I am, by my very nature, am unspiritual, and therefore I rebel against even the thought of what the law dictates. If that thing that the law condemns, even though God created it for his glory, that thing I want, if I use or do that thing the law prohibits, I then am sinning, not necessarily in the sight of God, but against the law itself, rendering me, apart from God's will, sinful and, resultantly unspiritual and foolish. I become sluggish because authorities oppose me because I have transgressed the law when I have indulged in that which the law does not permit me to do. That is the nature of sin in regards to the law. If, however, the law permits me to do a certain thing, then I am not sinning, and sin does not live.
Marijuana, because it is, for now, illegal, is criminalized if used. But, if the law were amended, as it was twice before in America where alcohol was concerned, once in the establishment of prohibition and the subsequent criminalization of alcohol and its use, and in the repealing of prohibition some ten years later. Prohibition was not having the effect it was believed it would have, and it was having disastrous legal effects because people simply rebelled, and the conservative community's "victory" was short lived. True, there still is a small percentage of the population that abuse alcohol, but it is now known, as it always really was, for instance, that moderate consumption of alcohol is beneficial. I offer that the same thing would happen at the reform of the law in regards to marijuana: there would be beneficial findings if marijuana were to be ratified as legal. True, there would always be those who abuse the freedom. But prohibition is a failing theory here, with marijuana as with alcohol. There are those who use alcohol responsibly from every walk of life, and there are those who use it irresponsibly. So it goes with marijuana, or at least would. I personally deny myself the use of marijuana for now, and have since the year 2001, but I believe it is good and beneficial, and there are nations where marijuana and stronger drugs have found ratified acceptance. Not everyone who drinks wine is a wino, and not everyone who uses marijuana is a pothead. Many prefer the organic nature of marijuana to the nature of alcohol, either fermented or distilled, and I believe that if the laws prohibiting and criminalizing marijuana and its use were repealed, that viewpoint would gain popularity, and I believe there are many who agree.
True, there is some paranoia on the part of those who use and possess marijuana, but if the law were reformed and the prohibition were repealed, marijuana would carry with it different effects and affects. I believe the repealing of the prohibition on legalized marijuana is an idea whose time has come, and the conservative sect who, through ignorance, all the while having the truth right there in front of them, condemns the use of marijuana, ought to revise their thinking. where money is concerned, they wholeheartedly preach, "He who sow liberally will reap liberally; he who sows conservatively will reap conservatively." If this proverb were to gain a greater socio-political acceptance among conservatives, we would have a greater social awareness of freedom as it was intended to be. Right now, America, because of right wing conservativism, is experiencing a recession, reaping conservatively. But, if right-wing America would re-examine their beliefs, they would see that, even if initially frightening, a liberality in mores in regards to social standards and practices and politics in general would bring about a new school of thought that would be most liberating.
America is called the sweet land of liberty by them who are conservatives. Well, Liberty is freedom, and liberty and liberalism have the same etymological root, and it is through moderate liberalism that true freedom will be attained. Keeping extremism in check is necessary, and there needs be balance to temper it.Where extremism is concerned, conservatives are not alone guilty. There is the lunatic fringe on both sides of the fence, but if we could have a drawing toward socio-political balance to things being balanced and centered with a new type of thinking, ignorance would be alleviated, not only where such trivial things as legalized marijuana is concerned, but greater social awareness in general. Our words and the way governmental dogma is worded both need revision, and we live in the age of informational proliferation. Do we want a liberal harvest? Let us not sow our seed conservatively. Let us sow it liberally, and cultivate it wisely. Then and only then will we realize the new freedoms all men long for.
I realize that this transmuted into something of a battle cry for freedom, and progressed into something unforeseen, but, I believe I have said some things that need to be heard and that deserve to be heard. This became more than an apologetic for the reform of marijuana laws, but an appeal to people to rethink their beliefs, and for that I do not apologize. Thank you.
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