Marijuana & the Bible
What is the Word of God on the Cannabis plant?
The hemp plant (scientific name: cannabis, slang:
marijuana) is one of the many useful herbs "yielding
seed after its kind" created and blessed by God on
the third day of creation, "and God saw that it was
good." (Genesis 1:12) He gave hemp for people to use
with our free will.
God said, "Behold, I have given you every herb
bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth.…To
you it will be for meat." … And God saw everything
that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. (Genesis
1:29-31) The Bible predicts some herb's prohibition.
"Now the Spirit speaketh
expressly, that in the latter times, some shall … speak
lies in hypocrisy … commanding to abstain from meats
which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of
them which believe and know the truth. (Paul: 1 Timothy
4:1-3)
The Bible speaks of a special plant. "I will raise
up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more
consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear
the shame of the heathen any more." (Ezekiel 34:29) A
healing plant. On either side of the river, was there the
tree of life, which bare 12 manner of fruits, and yielding
her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for
the healing of the nations. (Revelations 22:1-2) A gift
from God.
How was cannabis used in Biblical times and lands?
Cannabis was used 12 ways: clothing, paper, cord,
sails, fishnet, oil, sealant, incense, food, and in
ceremony, relaxation and medicine. For so the Lord said
unto me, "I will take my rest and I will consider in
my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs. For afore
harvest, when the bud is perfect and the sour grape is
ripening in the flower, he shall cut off the sprigs with
pruning hooks and take away and cut down the
branches." (Isaiah 18:4-5)
What about cannabis today?
Hemp today has thousands of uses. Modern technology has
devised many new uses for the hemp plant&emdash;like
biomass energy, building materials, fuel, plastic and so
on. Hemp is ecological and its seed is among the best food
crops on Earth. Selected varieties produce flowers that
provide an herbal relaxant and a spiritual tool. Its herb
is used globally as medicine.
Does the Bible discuss drugs?
Alcohol is the only drug openly discussed in the Bible,
so it must serve as our reference. Wine is drunk during
religious occasions such as Passover &emdash;
the Last Supper of Jesus and His disciples. It remains a
sacrament in modern church services.
Jesus began his public life by miraculously turning
water into wine at the Wedding at
Cana
(John 2:1-10) when the reception ran out. The Bible
distinguishes between use and misuse. It says, Give strong
drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those
that be of heavy hearts. (Proverbs 31:6-7) but Woe unto
them that … follow strong drink; that continue until
night, till wine inflame them! (Isaiah 5:10)
Yet the simple joys of drinking were also sung. He causeth
the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service
of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And
wine that maketh glad the
heart of man and oil to make his face to shineth.
(Psalm 104:14-15)
Did Jesus speak about choice?
He said not to criticize other people for their habits.
"Not that which goeth
into the mouth defileth a man;
that which cometh out of the mouth defileth
a man." (Mat. 15:11) The apostle Paul wrote, I know,
and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing
unclean of itself: but to him
that esteemeth anything to be
unclean, to him it is unclean. … For the
kingdom
of
God
is not meat and drink; but
righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
(Paul: Romans 14:14,17)
Did He speak of government?
Jesus said to keep church and state apart. "Render
therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's and
unto God the things which be God's." (Luke 20:25) As
we have seen, it was God, not government, who gave man the
herbs to use. And it was government that put Jesus to
death.
Property forfeiture laws?
He warned us about seizure and forfeiture laws.
"Beware of the scribes which …devour widows' houses….
The same shall receive greater damnation." (Luke
20:46-47) Jesus, too, was a victim. The soldiers, when
they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four
parts, to every soldier a part. (John. 19:33)
What about the Drug War?
Blessed are the peacemakers. (Matthew 5:9)
It was God who created cannabis hemp and told mankind
to use "every green herb" on Earth. The Bible
speaks of mercy, healing and a persecution of God's
children. They persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.
(Psalms 119:86) Prisons and drug wars do not save souls.
The Lord… hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the
prison to them that are bound. (Isaiah 61:1)
What should the ministry do?
Teach God's truth. Warn your congregation that the war
on marijuana is unchristian and must be ended. My people
are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have
rejected knowledge, I will also reject you,
that you will be no priest to Me … for I desired
mercy and not sacrifice. (Hosea 4:6, 6:6)
Remember: Every creature of God is good, and nothing to
be refused if it be received with thanksgiving…. If thou
put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt
be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the
words of faith and of good doctrine. (Paul: 1 Timothy
4:4-6)
Summary analysis of the foregoing discussion
What does the Bible say about marijuana? The Bible says
that God created hemp for people to use "as
meat," (ie, to consume),
that its seed oil is to be used as an ointment, and that
cannabis is "to be received with thanks-giving of
them which believe and know the truth." Paul also
warned that some people would "speak lies in
hypocrisy" and prohibit us from using it.
It also says that we "shall not bear false
witness" about people who use cannabis, nor judge
them because that judgement is
reserved to the Lord. The Lord hates those who speak lies
and sow discord among brethern.
For those people harrassed and
imprisoned for using cannabis rightfuly,
Jesus offers these words of comfort, "Blessed are
those persecuted for righteousness's
sake: For theirs is the
Kingdom
of
Heaven
."
What would Jesus do regarding
medical marijuana?
Despite common knowledge and widespread scientific
support, the federal government has for nearly 30 years
kept cannabis in schedule 1 as a deliberate way to deny
patients access to medical marijuana. This includes people
suffering from asthma, cancer, migraine headache, chronic
pain, spasticity, glaucoma,
arthritis, and provides relief for many other conditions.
As a result, people at various locations across the
USA
have had to risk and suffer years in prison for providing
medical marijuana to patients as an act of compassion and
personal conscience. What would Jesus do? He chose to
break the law in order to heal the sick.
"At that time Jesus went on the sabbath
day through the corn, and his disciples were hungered, and
began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2) But when
the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy
disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath
day 3) But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David
did, when he was hungered, and they that were with him?
… 10) And, behold, there was a man which had his hand
withered, And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal
on the sabbath days? that
they might accuse him. 11) And he said unto them, What man
shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and
if it fall into a pit on the sabbath
day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? 12) How
much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is
lawful to do well on the sabbath
days. 13) Then saith he to the
man, Stretch forth thine hand.
And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like
as the other. 14) Then the Pharisees went out, and held a
council against him, how they might destroy him. 15) But
when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence, and
great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; 16)
And charged them that they should not make him
known." (Matthew 12: 1-2, 10-16) (also see Mark 3,
Luke 13, John 9)
Should people give blind obedience to government?
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of
Jerusalem
, saying, 2) Why do thy disciple transgress the tradition
of the elders? for they wash
not their hands when they eat bread." 3) But he
answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the
commandment of God by your tradition? … 7) Ye
hypocrites! … 12) Then came his disciples, and said unto
him, Knowest thou that the
Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13)
But he answered and said, Every
plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be
rooted up. 14) Let them alone: they be
blind leaders of the blind, And if the blind lead the
blind, both shall fall into the ditch. (Matthew 15:1-3, 7,
12-14)
Passages from the King James
Bible that are relevant
to the legal and moral status of Cannabis sativa, L.
And the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding
seed after its kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose
seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:12)
God said, "Behold, I have given you every herb
bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and
every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed;
to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the
earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything
that creepeth upon the earth,
wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for
meat: and it was so." And God saw everything that he
had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening
and the morning were the sixth day. (Gen. 1:29-31)
(No prohibition of cannabis or any other drug is made
in the Ten Commandments: See Ex. 20:1-17)
(Cannabis is mentioned in Ex. 30:23 but King James
mistranslated it as 'sweet calamus')
:
Moreover, the Lord spake unto
Moses, saying, 23 Take thou also unto thee principal
spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet
cinnamon half so much, even 250 shekels, and of qaneh-bosm
[cannabis] 250 shekels, 24 And of cassia 500
shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil
olive an hin: 25 And thou shalt
make it an oil of holy anointment, an ointment compound
after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy
anointing oil. 26 And thous shalt
anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and
the ark of the testimony, 27 And the table and all his
vessels, and the candlestick ahd
his vessels, and the altar of incense, 28 And the altar of
burnt offerings with all his vessels, and the laver and
his foot. 29 And thou shalt
sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth
them shall be holy. (Exodus 30:22-29)
* As one shekel equals approximately
16.37 grams, this means that the THC from over 9 pounds of
flowering cannabis tops were extracted into a hind, about
6.5 litres of oil. The entheogenic
effects of such a solution -- even when applied topically
-would undoubtedly have been intense.
He causeth the grass to
grow for the cattle and herb for the service of man: that
he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh
glad the heart of man and oil to make his face to shineth.
(Psalm 104:14-15)
The Lord said unto me, "I will take my rest and I
will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon
herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. For
afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect and the sour
grape is ripening in the flower, he shall cut off the
sprigs with pruning hooks and take away and cut down the
branches. (Is. 18:4-5)
And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and
they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land,
neither bear the shame of the
heathen any more. (Ezekiel 34:29)
(Jesus:) "Not that
which goeth into the mouth defileth
a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth
a man." (Matt. 15:11)
One believeth that he may eat all things. Another…eateth
herbs. … Let us not, therefore judge one another any
more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling
block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know,
and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing
unclean of itself: but to him
that esteemeth anything to be
unclean, to him it is unclean. For the
kingdom
of
God
is not meat and drink; but
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
(Epistle of
St. Paul
: Romans 14: 2,3,13,14,17)
Now the Spirit speaketh
expressly, that in the latter times, some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having
their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to
marry, and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath
created to be received with thanksgiving of them which
believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is
good, and nothing to be refused if it be received with
thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and
prayer. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these
things, thou shalt be a good
minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of
faith and of good doctrine, whereupon thou hast attained.
(Paul: 1 Timothy 4:1-6)
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear
as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the
Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side
of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare
twelve manner of fruits, and
yielding her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree
were for the healing of the nations. (Rev. 22:1-2)
Other relevant quotes:
Intoxication:
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and
whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. (Prov.
20:1)
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to
perish and wine unto those of heavy hearts. Let
him drink and forget his poverty, and remember
his misery no more. (Prov.
31:6-7)
"Woe unto them that rise up early in the
morning, that they may follow strong drink; that
continue until night, till wine
inflame them! (Isaiah 5:10)
(Jesus' first miracle was turning water into
wine at the wedding at
Cana
: See John 1-10. He also served wine at the Last
Supper.)
|
Prohibition:
(Jesus:) He said
unto them, "Render therefore unto Caesar
the things which be Caesar's and unto God the
things which be God's." (Luke 20:25)
"Then came Peter to him and said,
"Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against
me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus saith
unto him, "I say not unto thee until seven
times: But until seventy times seven."
(Matt. 18:21-22)
(Jesus:) "If
a kingdom be divided against itself, that
kingdom cannot stand." (Mark
3:24
)
(Jesus:) He saith
unto them, "Are ye so without understanding
also? Do ye not perceive that whatsoever thing
from without entereth
into the man, it cannot defile him.... That
which cometh out of the man, that defileth
the man." (Mark 7:18-20)
|
Forfeiture:
As troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company
of priests commit murder in the way by
consent. (Hos. 6:9)
(Jesus:)
"Beware the scribes which desire to walk in
long robes and … the highest seats in the
synagogues and the chief rooms at feasts; Which
devour widows' houses, and for a show make long
prayers: They shall receive greater
damnation." (Luke 20:46-47)
Then the soldiers, when they had crucified
Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts,
to every soldier a part. (John 19:33)
|
Persecution:
Thy commandments are faithful: They persecute
me wrongfully; help thou me. (Ps. 119:86)
(Jesus:)
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they
shall be called the children of God. Blessed are
those persecuted for righteousness' sake: For
theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew
5:9-10)
(Jesus:) "The
King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I
say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto
one of the least of these my brethern,
ye have done it unto me." (Matt. 25:40)
|
Tolerance:
These six things doth the Lord hate: yea,
seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look,
a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent
blood; An heart that deviseth
wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in
running to mischief; A false witness that speaketh
lies, and he that soweth
discord among brethern."
(Prov. 6:16-19)
(Jesus:) "But
I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do
good to them which hate you, Bless them that
curse you and pray for them which despitefully
use you. And unto him that smiteth
thee on the one cheek, offer also the other, and
him that taketh away
thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat
also." (Luke 6:27-29)
Truth:
A wise man will hear, and will increase
learning: and a man of understanding shall
attain unto wise counsels. (Proverbs 1:5)
If a ruler hearken
to lies, all his servants are wicked. (Prov.
29:12)
|
Judgement &
Punishment:
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good
tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind
up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to
the captives and the opening of the prison to
them that are bound." (Is. 61:1)
My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge,
I will also reject you, that
you will be no priest to Me…for I desired
mercy and not sacrifice. (Hosea 4:6, 6:6)
(Jesus:)
"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with
what judgement ye
judge, ye shall be judged: And with what measure
ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And
why beholdest thou
the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest
not the beam that is in thine
own eye?" (Matt. 7:1-4)
(Jesus:) He beheld
them and said, "What is this then that is
written, 'The stone which the builders rejected,
the same is become the head of the
corner'?" (Luke 20:17)
|
|
