Pubdate: Thu, 27 Jun 2013
Source: Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Column: Higher Ground
Copyright: 2013 C.E.G.W./Times-Shamrock
Contact:  http://www.metrotimes.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1381
Author: Larry Gabriel

HOLY SMOKES?

Some say the good book approves of kind bud.

Apparently God, who - from a believer's standpoint - is the creator 
of all things, including marijuana, doesn't care if you use it. At 
least that's the opinion of the Rev. John Jackson of Trinity United 
Church of Christ in Gary, Ind., and probably quite a few of his peers.

Jackson attended a recent conference called "View from the Pulpit: 
Faith Leaders and Drug Decriminalization" at the American Baptist 
College in Nashville, Tenn. The group of black pastors focused on the 
injustice of drug law enforcement because African-Americans make up 
only 13 percent of drug users, but make up 59 percent of those 
convicted for drug offenses.

Jackson took it even further. Speaking on camera at the conference, 
he said: "I have had several people share with me privately, 
'Reverend, I smoke weed and I know I shouldn't.' I say, 'Let me stop 
you right there. I don't believe the God we serve is that small or 
petty to be concerned about you smoking weed. I don't think God cares 
about that.' I let them know that our God is too big to be concerned 
about somebody smoking a joint."

This is a rather refreshing attitude, considering that in years past 
most folks in religious communities condemned any kind of drug use. 
But it does make sense that those who represent the deity should not 
consider marijuana, one of the naturally occurring substances of 
creation, a bad thing. Their opinions have been coming around, as of 
late. Last year, evangelist Pat Robertson came out against marijuana 
prohibition.

There is indeed a stream of thought among cannabis enthusiasts who 
claim biblical precedents for use of the plant. The Rev. Steven 
Thompson, president of NORML in Michigan's Benzie County, often cites 
"kaneh bosm," the biblical tree of life for its healing properties. 
Kaneh bosm, or kannabosm, appears in the Old Testament book of Exodus 
as an ingredient in a preparation for anointing sacred individuals 
and objects. In Exodus, God tells Moses to make a preparation with 
kannabosm, cinnamon, myrrh, cassia (a tree bark similar to cinnamon) 
and olive oil. The recipe calls for a little more than 6 pounds each 
of kannabosm and cinnamon, along with about 12 pounds each of myrrh 
and cassia. Moses was instructed to anoint the meeting tent, various 
altars and utensils, and priests with the preparation.

It's not difficult to find citations from other religious traditions 
for cannabis use. The ancient Chinese, Sythians, Hindus and Germanic 
peoples used it in religious ceremonies and as a medicine. Modern 
Rastafarians follow that tradition.

I don't claim there is anything sacred about marijuana and its use. 
However, it's interesting that it apparently had its sacred 
applications in many traditional cultures. And given what we are 
beginning to understand about medical uses for the plant, it makes 
sense that there was a very practical side to anointing the sick in 
ancient times. That doesn't say much in terms of today's ministers' 
attitudes about marijuana. But if those folks want to get into it, 
there is a lot of tradition that can inform their evidence for a more 
compassionate approach.

Whether the reasons are spiritual, medicinal or just practical, it's 
good to see people of the cloth, and the Book, speaking up for what is right.

Answers on Youth Use

The fear of young people getting their hands on marijuana is one of 
the last refuges of prohibitionists. They argue that medical 
marijuana gives teenagers the impression it is not big a deal - and 
that gives them carte blanche to then use it. Wrong! Yet another 
study counters that belief.

"Medical marijuana laws have not measurably impacted adolescent 
marijuana use," researchers at the University of Florida College of 
Medicine concluded in a study recently published in the American 
Journal of Public Health. Researchers looked at data from Montana, 
Rhode Island, Michigan and Delaware, all medical marijuana states, 
from 2003 to 2011. This agrees with conclusions made in recent years 
from the Institute for Labor Studies, and Brown and McGill 
Universities. One reason for these results, say some observers, is 
that marijuana is already so prevalent that anybody who wants some 
can get it regardless of what the law is. Therefore, changing the law 
has little impact on exposure. I'm not advocating that young people 
use marijuana, but those who want it can get it already. Let's not 
throw them in jail for that. It's much better to truthfully educate 
people rather than telling them lies. That way they might find some 
integrity in what you have to say.

Human Rights Issue

Human Rights Watch, an international research organization, took a 
position rejecting criminalization of drug use at the General 
Assembly of the Organization of American States, earlier this month. 
Instead, HRW advocates that governments should rely on non-penal 
regulatory and public health policies. "The 'drug war' has taken a 
huge toll in the Americas, from the carnage of brutal 
drug-trafficking organizations to the egregious abuses by security 
forces fighting them," says Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director 
for HRW. "Governments should find new policies to address the harm 
drug use causes while curbing the violence and abuse that have 
plagued the current approach."

Hemp on the Ropes

Last week's defeat of the Farm Bill in the U.S. House of 
Representatives was big news. I think it was a good thing, as the 
bill cut more than $20 billion in nutritional programs. Less commonly 
known though, was a provision that would have legalized hemp for 
industrial purposes. Hemp is the nonpsychoactive cousin to marijuana 
that is used in making textiles and other products from food to 
fuels. The Drug Enforcement Agency lobbied heavily against the hemp 
provision, partly by circulating talking points that propagated some 
tired, old arguments against the fibrous plants.
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