David in Edmonton, Alberta Canada.
CJCA.
Hi.
Hi Hank, how are ya?
I'm good.
I just wanted to tell you that I've been praying for you each day and that I hope the Lord
heals you and that His will be done in your life.
I just want to tell you that I appreciate your ministry.
Hm, thank you David.
And so my question is so I actually have a chemical imbalance that causes quite severe
anxieties for me, and I also have severe sleep apnea and the mixture of those two things
aren't too great.
And so I actually have a legal prescription from a doctor for medical marijuana.
Now this marijuana that I'm using though - it has absolutely zero psychoactive effects so
there's no higher altering of the mind or anything like that; it's just a very high
CBD compound which is usually used for cancer patients and people with anxiety and sleep
issues - there isn't really any mind-altering or "high" effects so to speak from it.
"Would that be biblically okay to take?" is my question.
Well look, I don't think the Bible's speaks to this issue specifically, but let's talk
about it in principle.
If this is the very best medication for your particular condition, then I would not speak
out against using that particular form of medication.
However, the little research that I have done on this demonstrates that there are institutions
that have looked into this.
For example, the Glaucoma Research Foundation argues that medical marijuana is less effective
than other medicines.
And they say that to date, no study has shown that marijuana can lower the pressure in the
eye better than any other current medicines that are available.
And so the actual data in this particular field - the field of glaucoma - would say
that there are better choices available.
But again, if this is the best choice available, I would have no argument with it.
From a principled standpoint, I point out that the legalization of medical marijuana
in many states across the country - it's kind of depressing when you look at the numbers
- has now morphed into the legalization of recreational marijuana in states like Alaska,
Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the list goes on.
So there is a correlation between medical marijuana as it is prescribed by doctors and
what's happening now with the legalization with recreational marijuana.
But again, all of that overridden by the first thing that I said, and that is if this is
the best possible medical solution to your particular problem - in other words, after
you have searched out all the possibilities this is the best remedy, I don't think that
I would be speaking out against it, and the Bible doesn't speak out against this except
in principle and the principle is that we should be good stewards of both the physical
and the metaphysical aspects of our humanity.
Awesome.
Amen, I appreciate that.
I just want to make clear to I absolutely do not agree whatsoever with people using
it recreationally - to me I just don't agree with that at all, but as far as the very high
CBD compound that they do give me, it's literally practically changed my life as far as anxiety
and sleep apnea goes and before they had me on a pharmaceutical called Lorazepam, which
actually can be quite a deadly drug to come off of because it's quite habit-forming and
so I found alternatives and this was one of the alternatives and I found that it's helped
me beyond belief as far as these medical conditions are concerned but I wanted to ask your opinion
about that so I appreciate your answer.
David, so much appreciated in terms of your comments and the conversation in general.
Bless you.