The following comes from a September 12 Catholic San Francisco article by Valerie Schmalz:
If voters legalize marijuana in California on Nov. 8, the cannabis industry can expect sales to increase to $6.5 billion by 2020, a new cannabis industry marketing report predicts.
Meanwhile, a just released Colorado study of the effects of legalization found marijuana-related traffic fatalities increased 62 percent from 71 to 115 persons from 2013 to 2015, youth use increased 20 percent and adult use increased 60 percent based on questions about past-month use. Marijuana-related hospitalizations nearly doubled from 6,305 in 2011 to 11,439 in 2014, two years after the Rocky Mountain state legalized recreational use, according to the September report by Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, which tracks the impact of marijuana legalization in Colorado.
Cannabis investors can expect 18.5 percent sales growth a year in California if Prop. 64 passes, according to 2016 “The State of Legal Marijuana Markets,” published by New Frontier Data and ArcView Group, which says, “…legalization of cannabis is one of greatest business opportunities of our time and it’s still early enough to see huge growth.” In 2015 medical marijuana sales in California were $2.7 billion, the study noted.
The California Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state’s bishops, has officially taken “no position” on the ballot initiative. However, the conference notes the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches the use of drugs except on strictly therapeutic grounds is a “grave offense,” and the Vatican Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry in 2001 stated that the use of cannabis is “incompatible with Christian morality.”
The measure “allows marijuana growing near schools and parks because it forbids local governments from banning indoor residential growing of marijuana if the crop is limited to six plants,” the Catholic conference’s summary of opponents’ arguments states. In addition, black market and drug cartel activity will likely increase as organized crime has skyrocketed in Colorado and the measure “places no limit on the number of marijuana shops that can be placed in a single neighborhood with poor, underprivileged neighborhoods likely the ones to be most affected,” the conference summary stated.
As the article points out, the likelihood is very high that recreational marijuana in California will result in thousands upon thousands more injuries and deaths, including innocent victims of people high on marijuana.
For the CA Catholic Conference to be neutral on this initiative while supporting the abolition of capital punishment is inconsistent, for in opposing capital punishment the same organization offers arguments about how precious life is and how innocent people will be saved from execution. Yet life is not so precious nor is saving innocent life a concern when it comes to the danger of recreational marijuana?
It seems that abolishing capital punishment, which would stop perhaps two executions a year, is less worthwhile…
Drug-taking implies a very serious problem! Drugs are also a crime– and a sin, a vice! Doctors and the clergy, all have a big responsibility, to steer their people far away from drugs! Everyone should learn to relax and socialize, in a responsible way, and lead a happy, healthy life! If you have a problem- don’t take a drug! Go see a counselor, or your doctor, or your priest, minister, or rabbi! Secular environmentalists ought to start a strong campaign to rid America of drugs, if they are serious about the environment, and health!
I once saw a heart-breaking news story, about a lady drunk driver, who lost control of her car, on a lovely Sunday afternoon– and plowed straight into a First Communion party, near a church, killing several children! Made me CRY!! NO– America does not need any drugs, of any kind– and there should be a strict crack-down, on all types of drugs! Colorado and other states, may sadly make money, off the crime they are doing to kids, allowing them marijuana, irresponsibly– and these states will pay miserably for their sins, someday! Lots and lots of kids not even born yet — will someday pay a high price, for getting into drugs– and causing harm (or even death!) to themselves, and to others!
while the tianamen square democracy protest was at the height of tension. a national news network got an exclusive with one of the student leaders and asked if he thought he might get any help from the US president. his instant response was ‘ we are getting all the help we need from president jefferson” . when bishops fail to present the gospel values when challeneged, we at least have the new testament , the natural law, the saints and the great bishops of the past to be our bishops.
Why no position on the part of the bishops? Ingesting a substance for the specific purpose of getting intoxicated is immoral. This looks to me like an easy opportunity for them to take a stand and show some courage.
Wait. Isn’t this the same as smoking which is a leading cause of lung cancer?
Aren’t they starting to go after vapor ‘E smoking’ too as a danger to health?
Don’t most kids smoke it? Why is marijuana smoke any better? So stupid for so many reasons. And we have ‘silent’ bishops AGAIN. God help us!
A news report on Colorado said that 17% of 12th graders are driving stoned and some students are returning to class from lunch break stoned. If the Bishops say nothing now will they regret it later when California Catholic youth follow in the steps of those in Colorado?
Clearly we’ve learned nothing from Alcohol Prohibition.
Alcohol should be used carefully and NEVER for the purpose of making oneself sick, intoxicated, better known– as “chemical poisoning!” That is also a sin! Prohibition got started in the 19th century, when many men, facing hard times, on the American frontier, began to drink– and got addicted to alcohol! No one knew at that time, that alcohol addiction is also a medical illness, that is very serious, can cause death– and requires medical care! The wives of these alcoholics became upset, as they were abandoned, with their children, and helpless! Many turned to their churches– and so, all the church ladies ended up, finally, with getting Prohibition passed into law! Later, it was repealed.
P.S. The Catholic Church needed wine for Mass, and Jews needed wine for their religious ceremonies, too! Many common medicines traditionally contained alcohol– a problem, with a society that forbids alcohol! The Muslim religion forbids all alcohol, and a pharmacist cannot put alcohol in a medicine, either, for a sick Muslim patient! Their laws are very severe, on punishment for taking alcohol!
In Italy, my grandfather told us that the water there was bad, so Italians mixed water with a little wine, all the time– and kids carried this mixture to Catholic school, along with their lunches, as they couldn’t drink regular water. Horses, too, were given water mixed with some wine. Once, when Pope Pius XII was riding his horse to class at the seminary (he lived at home, due to being a frail boy) he stopped to eat his lunch at midday, and gave his horse some lunch, along with water mixed with wine. The horse laid down for a nap, and Eugenio Pacelli (Pius XII) went to class, and later came back for his horse, ready to go home!
I want Vin Mariani to be re-legalized. Now there’s a great papal drink for you!
I (actually you) rest my case.
Hymie, We have learned, some of use anyway, that addictive substances are the devils playground & should be avoided like a plague.
If smoking a joint is recreational then how will the Bishop and Pastor feel about parishioners lighting up on parish property? Smoking areas of all kinds will now be o.k.? Last year I had a middle school kid come to Catechism class high. I don’t want this to be encouraged in any way at all.
It’s not just the smoking: there will be marijuana cookies, brownies, cakes and so forth: all legal because homeowners will be permitted to grow marijuana for their own recreational use and buy it at dispensaries, not necessarily just for rolling and smoking. Kids will have loaded baked goods and consume them and bring them to school. There will be high school parties where marijuana-loaded baked goods will be featured, as well as alcohol and pot for smoking. It will be ubiquitous and uncontrollable and harmful and costly.
S & all here, My biggest fear is the pot heads will start to share with those of us NOT interested & hide marijuana product in food, desserts, drinks, etc. A new way to drug unsuspecting people, as some kind of a joke, dumb gag or revenge scenario. Much like the current date rape drug today. God help us all in His mercy.
Hysterics.
Whatever the “addicting substance”, humans throughout history tend to ABUSE it. And throughout history, those with the gift of “God’s wisdom”, rebuke that behavior & warn against the addicting substances. Just a few examples of warnings against intemperance in the bible: Drunkenness in Proverbs 20:1,
Drunkenness to drown troubles in Luke 21:34, A warning against all intemperance in Isaiah 5:11-12, Scandalous behavior (food & drink) in Romans 14:21……………..
Continued……………….. Hysterics you say? No way. Fallen human history, properly understood, CAN predict future behavior.
Can anyone name an addicting substance that HAS NOT BEEN abused, has not caused irreparable harm, accidents, crippling human lives, etc.?
S & FTP: Get ahold of yourselves!
Weed and alcohol at parties and in baked goods? And to think Rip Van Winkle awoke after a mere 20 years.
It’s already happened in the devils playground. Have you no news of the day mr. van winkle?
Am not arguing the danger of drugs, only the means to deal with it, the current cure of which is worse than the disease–a la Alcohol Prohibition.
If we legalize alcohol, there will be jello shots and vodka infused watermelons, and we will go to safeway and buy these things and not know what we are buying. Therefore, let us ban alcohol sales.
You know, heroin and meth are literally eating the teeth out of the gums of our communities, both inner city and in small towns, all across the country. Both are illegal. In fact, in the case of heroin, it’s use has skyrocketed because we made oxycodone harder to get, and heroin is a cheaper alternative for those already addicted to opiates.
Now all of these things have a spiritual component to them. It seems to me that if we were sufficiently evangelizing our fellow Americans, there might be less of a desire to start using these escape…
L: If little Thornapple were drunk would you ban alcohol?
As for Catechism these days, I’d say it’s the instructors who are lighting up.
This is a good sign. For when bishops do take positions, it commonly proves to be excruciatingly embarrassing.
The drug opium, has a long and tragic history, in China. Introduced in the 7th-8th centuries as a medicine, by Arab traders– wealthy Chinese young men later took the drug for recreational use, and became addicted– with many millions of Chinese of all classes, later taking the drug recreationally– and facing hopeless addiction problems, for many centuries, thereafter! British traders made their problems much worse, from the 18th century onward, when Britain conquered India and Burma– as Britain liked to pay off debts, by selling opium, grown in India and Burma, to China! The emperors all had a terrible time, with trying to end the opium trade– and the Opium War resulted. I will continue…
The Chinese emperors worried about widespread opium addiction in their country, and the evils of the drug lords. They ended up fighting several Opium Wars with Great Britain, and lost. Finally, opium also resulted in the downfall of the last emperor of China, in the early 20th century. The drug addiction problem was finally reported, in 1956, to be ended, by the Communist government. Chinese immigrants brought opium to America, and many addicts suffered, in Chinatown, in San Francisco. When ignorant kids began the “fad” of dope, in the mid-1960’s, my first thought was (and still is!) “How many long centuries, will this terrible plague last?? Can’t anyone STOP this evil, RIGHT NOW??”
I truly wonder if the Bishops use marijuana? What are they thinking?
Marijuana is a gateway drug and leads to harder drug use in most cases. The Bishops can pontificate on so many things and not on this? What is wrong with them? Very, very disappointing, to say the least. This article truly makes you lose faith in most of the what the Bishops as a group think. Useless!
The sainted Milton Friedman speaks (infallibly) on the immorality of the War on Drugs:
150 Studies that Demonstrate the Risks of Marijuana
“With the rising tide liberalization of marijuana laws, it’s vital that we understand that marijuana is not innocuous. The link below will direct to a page with 150 links to scientific studies that demonstrate the various risks of marijuana use.”
“Marijuana can cause – Brain Damage (Lowered IQ, Memory Loss, Paranoia, Psychosis, Schizophrenia); Mood Disorders (Aggression, Anxiety, Depression, Irritability); Cancer; Heart Attacks; Gum Disease; Impaired Motor Skills; Lung Disease; Obesity; Osteoporosis; Pregnancy Complications; Sexual Dysfunction; Strokes, Viral Infections and even Death.”
https://www.populartechnology.net/2014/04/150-scientific-studies-showing-dangers.html
The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado: The Impact (2014) https://www.rmhidta.org/html/August%202014%20Legalization%20of%20MJ%20in%20Colorado%20the%20Impact.pdf
The impact of legalized marijuana in Colorado has resulted in:
1. The majority of DUI drug arrests involve marijuana and 25 to 40 percent were marijuana alone.
2. In 2012, 10.47 percent of Colorado youth ages 12 to 17 were considered current marijuana users compared to 7.55 percent nationally. Colorado ranked fourth in the nation, and was 39 percent higher than the national average.
3. Drug-related student suspensions/expulsions increased 32 percent from school years 2008-09 through 2012-13, the vast majority were for marijuana violations.
(cont from above)
4. In 2012, 26.81 percent of college age students were considered current marijuana users compared to 18.89 percent nationally, which ranks Colorado third in the nation and 42 percent above the national average.
5. In 2013, 48.4 percent of Denver adult arrestees tested positive for marijuana, which is a 16 percent increase from 2008.
6. From 2011 through 2013 there was a 57 percent increase in marijuana-related emergency room visits.
7. Hospitalizations related to marijuana has increased 82 percent since 2008.
Am not arguing the danger of drugs, only the means to deal with it, the current cure of which is worse than the disease–a la Alcohol Prohibition.