Pubdate: Thu,  3 Mar 2005
Source: Daily Free Press (Boston U, MA Edu)
Copyright: 2005 Back Bay Publishing, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.dailyfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/796
Author: Arthur Cole
Referred: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n338/a02.html?397

MARIJUANA AS DIVINE AS IT GETS

Jesse Rodgers ("God does not endorse Cannabis," Mar. 1, p. 8) fails utterly 
to grasp the point behind Stan White's use of the Bible in defending 
marijuana ("Cannabis not evil," Feb. 28, p. 4).

All sorts of Bible passages can be selectively interpreted, or outright 
ignored, to produce whatever message the interpreter desires (many 
Southerners in the 19th century used the Bible to justify slavery). White's 
point is that marijuana is a naturally occurring plant that has been 
declared "good" by God, along with all the other naturally occurring 
plants. Whether God intended people to smoke it and increase the amount of 
naturally occuring chemicals in the brain, also created by God, is another 
question.

Still, it cannot be denied that marijuana is a much closer to God's 
creation than, say, Scotch whiskey, which is by and large a man-made 
concoction.

Therefore, if Mr. Rodgers claims that marijuana should remain illegal 
because it "injures" the body (a notion that many scientists disagree with) 
then it must also be necessary to outlaw any other substance that causes harm.

I am still waiting for Mr. Rodgers and others who think like him to 
advocate outlawing beer (makes you fat), wine (harms your liver), 
cigarettes (kills you), sugar (also makes you fat) and professional 
wrestling (causes broken bones, brain damage and is just plain stupid.)

Arthur Cole

Hope Valley, R.I.
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