Medical Marijuana- what are your thoughts?

[chrisburke]

2 weeks ago I had a big scare.. After a very Long wait, I finally got into the pain clinic to see if they had any other ideas for dealing with my back pain, and as I looked around the waiting room, and filled out my questionnaire, I started to realize that this was the type of place that prescribes medical marijuana... And since I was on some very heavy drugs, I feared they would prescribe it to me, and I struggled with how I would respond.

Some background.. I've had serious chronic back pain for the past 5 years, I've had surgery, and it didn't help.. I have 7 herniated disks in my back.. As a result of the pain, I'm on some pretty serious meds, and have been for bout 4 years... Those meds include a high dosage of oxycontin, a high dose of Percocet, Celebrex and amitriptyline. These drugs are all considered to be legal, as they are prescribed by my doctor, but they are also drugs that sell on the streets, for very high prices. These drugs can also have some very severe side effects, including suicidal thoughts, sexual side effects, and the list goes on and on and on..

I guess what I'm struggling with is, why is it ok for me to take a drug like OxyContin (prescribed) but it's not to take medical marijuana? Please note, that I am not looking for an excuse to take medical marijuana.. As I think that was the tone of this message... It's just that as a Christian, I am struggling with why 1 is ok and the other isn't


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[russhutto]

Personally, I feel if Medicinal Marijuana is better at managing your pain than the other cocktails you're on and it is legal where you are then I don't see a problem with it. We have a puritanical view of drugs and alcohol here in the United States (with very good intentions), and sometimes I think it's a major double standard.

That being said, I'm not necessarily in favor of a free-for-all when it comes to legalizing narcotics, but I do think that marijuana in a sense is less harmful than other street drugs out there.

Either way, you should definitely get the advice, counsel and wisdom of those you love and respect, and also your doctor's recommendations.

P.S. Never smoked the hash, but I smoke an occasional cigar (read 1-2 times per year) and it turns me green.

[chrisburke]

Thanks for your insight. And I also enjoy a good cigar from time to time.. The humidor is always full

[efrisch]

Thanks for your insight. And I also enjoy a good cigar from time to time.. The humidor is always full

Yet another thing that so many of us have in common... :-)

[Mike on Bass]

This is one of those topics that can be volatile- there are a lot of different views.

The main issue with using any powerful narcotic, natural or otherwise, is the risk of addiction and dependency- along with the dangers of the side effects.

There isn't *one* Christian perspective- or we wouldn't even have this discussion. My perspective is that issues like these are more about personal conviction. There is a point of view that goes down a rabbit hole of trusting God to heal your body without that stuff. Can that happen? Absolutely. But I don't see where it says you will lose your salvation for using medical marijuana.

As far as why one is ok and the other isn't, it's a cultural thing. I don't like the stuff because I have seen the results too often of the people who partake extensively in it. But there is so much of the 'forbidden fruit/ outlaw' attraction to it that I really think that if it was legalized, the demand would drop off for it so bad it would go back to growing in the ditches like it was 100 years ago.

Another aspect of it is the legal. It is still against federal law. We are instructed as Christians to obey the law. I know that's easier said when you aren't suffering in pain, but the ultimate decision has to come from your own conviction. Pray, seek guidance, and trust in God's direction.

I have prayed for you regarding this decision. Hope you can experience healing

Mike

[chrisburke]

I hear what you are saying.. But I live in Canada, where medical marijuana is considered to be legal, it's recreational use that is illegal.

My wife and I are discussing it, and now I'm at a place where as a Christian, maybe prescribed OxyContin is also wrong, if you take the "be of a sound mind" argument against marijuana..

Let's get some more input folks

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

This is neither a yea or a nay, just a thought. You know exactly what is in medical marijuana, and have a pretty good idea where it comes from. You likely know very little about the laboratory-created medications you are currently on.

If you believe that God created the world, then he created marijuana, too; and at the time of creation, it was good. Of course, sin messed everything up, including much of Creation; thus the penchant of many to abuse what God created as good, for evil.
Tom

[efrisch]

A personal story...

My Dad just got home last week from a month in the hospital for (planned) heart surgery. When he was recovering in the ICU after the surgery, he was prescribed Percocet to manage his pain. He discovered very quickly that the drug put him in a mental condition he wasn't comfortable with, so he made do on regular old Tylenol for the rest of his time in the hospital. Obviously there are dozens of other patients in that unit every day who take that drug and are comfortable with it, and no doubt some of them are also believers.

As others have said, I think a lot of it comes down to your personal convictions on this. Because it's legal where you live, I don't see a significant difference between this and other (arguably more dangerous) pain meds. As others have said, my best advice is to keep talking it through with your wife and seek the Lord for His plan. I'll be praying both for wisdom and healing.

[chrisburke]

Oh how I wish Tylenol helped with my pain.. I would totally just stick to that.. But sadly.. Now because of all the heavy narcotics that are in my system.. A Tylenol (including T3) is as useful as a skittle..

I'm really enjoying reading peoples thoughts.. Just a reminder, at this point, I have no intension at accepting it if they recommend it to me.. The reason for this post is not to try and find reasons on why I should or should not personally take it. It's merely because I've really been thinking about it and researching it, and trying to figure out why in the Christian community, 1 is ok and the other isn't... If you do a simple google search for something like "should Christians use medicinal marijuana" a very large amount of the people who write about it, say no. But with little to no legitimate biblical/medical reasoning... So I thought I'd ask you all, because I have read through a lot of posts over the last year, and many of you are very insightful, and actually use the bible when you explain reasons for or against something.


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[Sambekzx]

Just as a side question, have you tried acupuncture? I don't know if the whole energy flow thing is true or not, but one thing I do not doubt is that stimulating certain nerve clusters can reduce chronic pain.

The thing with acupuncture is it has no side effects because all it does it stimulate nerves with very thin needles. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But, unlike chemical-based medicine, you won't be suffering from unwanted side effects in addition to the drug not working.