Can marijuana be used for legitimate medical purposes?
Question:
Is using marijuana or components of marijuana for legitimate medical diagnoses biblical?
Answer:
While it is popular for promoters of marijuana to talk about "medical marijuana," there currently does not exist any known medical uses for marijuana that there isn't a superior drug already on the market that doesn't have marijuana's dangerous effects.
CBD oil is being studied for its apparent help in epilepsy. It is also thought to be a pain reliever. This oil is extracted from hemp plants, of which marijuana is only one type of hemp plant. In other words, CBD oil can be gained without growing or legalizing marijuana which has the dangerous THC chemical in it. THC is what gives the "high" to marijuana users.
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine. However, scientific study of the chemicals in marijuana, called cannabinoids, has led to two FDA-approved medications that contain cannabinoid chemicals in pill form. Continued research may lead to more medications." ["Marijuana as Medicine," Drug Facts, National Institute on Drug Abuse, July 2019].
There is a large difference between extracting beneficial chemicals from a plant for medical use in specific areas and legalizing the wholesale use of the entire plant. For example, botox is used in several applications as a long-term paralysis of nerves, but the bacteria it is derived from can cause death.
The medical industry is currently exploring THC to see if there is something it can be used for. "THC can increase appetite and reduce nausea. THC may also decrease pain, inflammation (swelling and redness), and muscle control problems." [ibid] However, at this time the studies are insufficient to say whether the benefits of the drug outweigh the harm it causes.
The current problem is that those who want the recreational use of marijuana legalized (despite its known harm) are using claims of medical use for marijuana as a way to gain acceptance. Rather than conduct actual controlled studies of the drug, they use the ignorance of the populace to push legislation through various states -- legislation that currently is technically illegal since the state level law violates the federal law on marijuana. As has been shown, over time the states that legalized marijuana for medical use are then asked to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
Christians are commanded to remain sober-minded (I Thessalonians 5:1-10). The general use of marijuana violates this command.
Question:
I want to always try to follow God’s instruction and I often wonder about drugs from a doctor that we take for pain, anxiety, etc that certainly could leave us not sober-minded (even when taken as prescribed) which is confusing. Because everything we do and say has to be authorized by God, are medications prescribed by our doctor and used as prescribed authorized by God for us to do?
Answer:
See: Should a Christian use medicinal drugs that may affect the mind?
"It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink; lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more" (Proverbs 31:4-7).
Lemuel's mother said that if alcohol must be used, give it to people who are dying or who are in pain. Alcohol is a depressant and can be used to manage pain, though we have better pain medications today. When someone is severely depressed or in anguish, alcohol can take the edge off for a while, though we have better antidepressants today. But like the medications of today, continued use after the need is gone is not good for a person.
Even though alcohol can cloud the mind, as a medication, it is useful. "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities" (I Timothy 5:23). However, this does not lead to the conclusion that the casual use of alcohol is recommended. Proverbs 31:6-7 is not a justification for the casual use of alcohol or other mind-altering drugs. The whole passage (Proverbs 31:4-7) does condemn the use of alcohol in situations that are not medically necessary. However, we need to note that there are times when even medication that might affect the mind may be needed.
