14. MARIJUANA MESSAGE MISLEADS

A young friend told me several months ago that he was smoking marijuana. He assured me that marijuana is not addictive like most drugs and there is no harm in using it.

I discouraged his use, but his comments motivated me to do research on this drug that is being made legal in several states. My friend is not alone. There are many people who use marijuana and promote the drug as being perfectly safe. It reminds me of the history of smoking cigarettes. Years ago there was an advertisement made with a picture of a Dr. smoking a cigarette with this caption:

“More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.”

Because of widespread knowledge of the harm of cigarette smoking, it would be very difficult to get a doctor to make that kind of advertisement today. At the same time, marijuana is being touted as a great medicine, and as a pleasurable drug that is non-addictive. Perhaps in a few years, marijuana will go the same route as cigarettes and everyone will know it is quite harmful.

It thrills me that Patrick Kennedy, the son of Ted Kennedy, has taken a strong stand against marijuana. He has formed an organization to make his message widely known. Kennedy claims that legalization of pot will “warm more people to a dangerous drug, and lead inevitably to “Big Marijuana,” a bloodsucking vice industry dependent on converting kids and selling to heavy users—same as the tobacco and alcohol industries.”

His statement tells us why we should not legalize this awful drug. There are many who smoke marijuana now, but when it is made legal, there will be many more. That means more of our young people will be drawn into the habit.

Those who say the drug is harmless are simply shutting their eyes to many reports of negative results in using pot. While some say marijuana enhances the intimate relationship between men and women, cancer statistics show testicular cancer is rising even as marijuana is more widely used. Worst of all is the report that the drug causes impotency in men.

A good friend of mine worked for several years as a drug and alcohol counselor. She said that in the sixties and seventies marijuana was twenty times weaker than it is today, yet they proved that it had a deadly effect on mice for three generations in making smaller litters, smaller bodies and birth defects.

Alzheimer’s Disease is a mental disease usually of older people that all of us want to shun at all cost. Young people can bring on memory loss, learning difficulties, trouble with problem solving and loss of motivation by smoking marijuana.

There is more—many suffer increased heart rate, anxiety, panic attacks and paranoia.

As in the case of cigarette smoking, marijuana smoking causes breathing trouble. Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) warns that smoking five joints a week is equal to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

There are many articles on the Internet promoting the benefits of marijuana. I suggest that all of our readers google this question: “What are the harmful effects of smoking marijuana?” I have named a few, but there are many more.

We pray marijuana will not become legal in every state, but regardless, we must be responsible stewards and put nothing in these bodies but that which will make for a long life with good health. AVOID MARIJUANA LIKE THE PLAGUE!

GARDEN BURGERS
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1/2 c grated carrots
1/3 c chopped black olives
2 c cooked brown rice
2 T flaxseed ground
1 T olive oil
2 T tomato puree
2 t nutritional yeast flakes
1 t onion powder
1 clove fresh garlic minced
2 t parsley flakes
1 t basil
3/4 t salt
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand a few minutes
to absorb liquid. Form round flat patties and place on
sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes
until beginning to brown on bottom.