Jehovahs Witnesses and Marijuana

NikL

I live in California where pot just became legal for recreational use very similar to alcohol.
My wife who is a very active JW has had her medical card for cannabis for a couple of years now. And I know several in our congregations around our area who are using it medically.
My understanding is that the society says as long as you have a prescription for it it's okay. Well, now a prescription is no longer required (at least in California, Colorado and a few other states) meaning if I want to toke up I guess I can the same as if I decide to take a snort of whiskey.
As the stigma goes away more and more I can totally see lots of brothers and sisters deciding to give ganja a try.
Getting high probably would make the meetings and conventions go by much quicker :-)
Any thoughts on how the corporation is going to do deal with that?

Richard_I

I've been wondering about this as well since Justin Trudeau was elected Prime Minister here in Canada in 2015. He's pushing for the legalization of recreational marijuana across Canada by spring 2017. Plus the fact that so many states in the US are legalizing it shows that most people have no issue with marijuana anymore, at least in the West.

However, I feel the org will still view it as a substance that allows the "demons" to enter your mind, and I'm sure we know former Witnesses who used marijuana before and will say the same thing (my parents included). I've talked about this with other witnesses I know and none of them agree with it other than the medicinal use of marijuana, or at least they're afraid to publicly say they see nothing wrong with recreational use.

I'm expecting the org to still say its prohibited, akin to tobacco use due to the perceived damage it could do to the body, even though thousands of witnesses use prescription drugs that can easily kill them if they abused them and yet there is nothing wrong with using any kind of prescription drug according to the org (I don't recall ever reading or hearing anything against any kind of prescription drug, and I know quite a few Witnesses who went to other countries like Mexico to get treatment/drugs that you can't get in Canada). This is something that I've been talking about as well, what's wrong with marijuana when the prescription drugs that some witnesses are on can result in death (with very stringent instructions on how to prevent overdosing), or how alcohol can easily kill you if you drank a lot of it yet its still permitted to drink?

At best, they won't say anything about it. At worse, they will outright condemn recreational marijuana in an Watchtower study article, possibly in one of the fall or winter 2017 magazines. The middle ground is making it a conscience decision, akin to having to carry a firearm for your job, where if it is found out/you say you are using recreational marijuana then you will be denied "privileges".

compound complex

Greetings, NikL:

Thanks for sharing. I, too, live in the Golden State and have non-JW acquaintances who use it medicinally.

Question: Would a JW have to take cannabis in a form other than smoking it? I just can't envision Sister NikL and other JWs with a joint in hand . . .

NikL

Question: Would a JW have to take cannabis in a form other than smoking it? I just can't envision Sister NikL and other JWs with a joint in hand . . .

My understanding is that smoking it is frowned upon and results in one not being eligible for privileges. OH no!

My wife has discovered that smoking is way more effective than the vape which she was using.

Funny story, last night our grown son visited with his girlfriend. (He works at a cannabis dispensary so he has access to the good stuff...plus he is a full blown pothead. Good kid though and more proof to me that the stigma over pot is ridiculous.)

Anyway, they rolled a blunt (which is a joint but instead of paper they use a tobacco leaf)

My faithful JW wife partook with them LOL Funny to see. I mentioned after the fact she could get into hot water for the tobacco part but assured her her secret was safe with me. It was kind of a surrealistic moment.

We had a laugh about it.

Richard_I an hour ago
I'm expecting the org to still say its prohibited, akin to tobacco use due to the perceived damage it could do to the body,

We had a local needs talk about it a couple years ago and they said it was a matter of conscience at least as far as the medical goes. Thing is I may decide I need to fire up the bong so I can get a good night sleep. The fact I get high too is just a side effect. It's still medical.

Also, in Cali at least, they were pretty much giving a "green card" to anyone who said they needed one...

Uh I have a hangnail...can I get some pot?

Why certainly! Marijuana is the best medicine for hangnails! Here you go.

compound complex

Thanks, NikL!

I like your sense of humor as well as your enlightened outlook!

Best Wishes.

schnell

It isn't just consumption. What about jobs in the industry? I know friends who want to be the next Budweiser in cannabis, and others who just need a job.

Village Idiot

Actually marijuana is not yet sold recreationally in California since a 1 year moratorium on selling it to the public has been imposed. This length of time has been rationalized by saying it gives time to figure out how to tell if a driver is intoxicated by marijuana. Testing for traces of marijuana should appear to be straightforward, like testing for alcohol, but it is complicated by the fact that it could take days or even weeks for the inactive chemical tested for to clear your system even though you're no longer under the influence after a few hours (It is the metabolite, not the active ingredients, that stays in your system).

This moratorium is unjustified since other states have not imposed any of their own and no ill effects have occurred. Also, under the law, local jurisdictions can impose their own laws negating the cultivation or use of marijuana.

Barrold Bonds

The JW rules on drugs make no fucking sense.

I get that they would prohibit something that's illegal, but otherwise it's really weird.

There's a few reasons why they 'just say no'

-Harmful effects on the body. Ok, I get that, but why are painkillers ok? Or eating unhealthy foods?

-DEMONIC POSSESSION!!! This is just absurd. First because they aren't real. Even if they were real, and could enter your mind, why is it ok to take drugs if you have a prescription? Does a demon check your wallet for your medical marijuana card? Does he check your local pharmacy to see if you have a prescription for vicodin?

hahaha it makes no goddamn sense.

TTWSYF

To me, this says that God says "smoke up Johnny"

New International Version
The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

New Living Translation
The land produced vegetation--all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

English Standard Version
The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

New American Standard Bible
The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.

King James Bible
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Vidiot

Okay, now I'm picturing a California congregation all happily buzzed during the public talk... :smirk:

Jehovahs Witnesses and Marijuana

Richard_I an hour ago

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