CANNABIS

I wrote the following article 5 years ago and feel it should be repeated in the light present discussions.

The Bible’s long range history forecast given two thousand years ago pinpointed these four evils that will plague humanity in the days before the return of Christ. Murders, Drugs, Sexual immorality, Thefts. [ Revelation 9:21 ]. Although the Bible translates drugs as ‘sorcery’, the original Greek is the root of our word ‘pharmacy’. This reminds us of the ancient link between drugs and the occult. Drugs are also frequently linked with murders, immorality and theft. They are indeed a very great evil.

To downgrade cannabis to the same category as sleeping pills is outrageous! Cannabis can trigger schizophrenia and it interferes with short term memory and the ability to learn. It decreases the oxygen supply to the heart whilst increasing its need for oxygen. This has produced heart attacks even in young healthy smokers. Cannabis cigarettes can cause chronic bronchitis because they have no filters. Smokers inhale more deeply, hold the smoke longer and receive tar deposits four times greater than cigarettes. Cannabis is the main gateway to hard drugs and 94% follow this route. A survey shows that cannabis was present in 12% of fatal road accidents yet nearly a quarter of users believed it improved their driving! An MP describing the terrible effects of cannabis on children wrotes, “Some are out of their heads at 9am and if they do make it to school they are unable to learn, having lost any ambition or self-respect”.

The softly, softly approach is wrong, it allows the thin end of the drug wedge to exploit the vulnerability of young people. Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” [Matthew 18:6]. Solemn words!