LETTER OF THE WEEK

PAY ATTENTION TO SCRIPTURE

By Meril Draper

It seems to me Dr. Ted Beam, senior pastor, should pay a little more
attention to the actual wording of scripture. The verses that are
being referred to in his letter, "Medical Against legalized
Marijuana, Sun. Sept. 3, 2006," are Gen: 1 verses 29-31. It states
"GREEN, SEED bearing HERBS," depending on what version of the Bible
you are reading.

I didn't know poison ivy and many other poisonous plants were seed
bearing "herbs." I don't know of an herb that is greener or produces
more seeds than the cannabis hemp plant ( also known as marijuana ).
I am surprised that Beam condemns God-created mind-altering
substances that he doesn't understand, and condones man created
synthetics. Like it or not, God created pot.

In February of 1983, I returned home after four very good years in
the United States Submarine Force to find my grandfather dying of
cancer. Early one spring morning, I received a phone call from my
grandmother asking me if I knew where she could find some marijuana.
I was very shocked and surprised. Then she went on to explain why.

A doctor had told her that marijuana might help my grandfather's
appetite. My grandmother would allow my grandfather one hand rolled
Bull Durham cigarette a day. She started adding small amounts of
marijuana to his cigarette. I will never forget the excitement in
her voice the next time she called me, which was the very next day,
stating that my grandfather had eaten five times since the day before
and hadn't thrown up once.

It was less than three weeks and my grandfather was able to get out
of bed, the same bed the doctors were saying he would never get out
of again, and eat at the table. It wasn't very long until my
grandfather was able to walk outside and enjoy his beautiful garden
he had spent the better part of 40 years creating.

Marijuana was allowing the medicines that were able to save his life
to stay in his stomach to do the job they were meant to do. I don't
care what or how many pills you take, they cannot work if they keep
being thrown up. Bottom line, munchies save lives!

There are synthetic marijuanas being created, but no one can make it
better than God.

I have two questions for Dr. Ted Beam.

Is he going to go out and start smoking marijuana if it becomes
legal? I'm sure his answer would be "no." My second question is, then
why does Beam think everyone else will? Education and regulation is
the answer, not prohibition and incarceration.

The Rev. Meril Draper

Brinnon, Wash.

Pubdate - Mon, 11 Sep 2006

Author - Meril Draper, Rev.

Source - Central Kentucky News Journal (Campbellsville, KY)

Referenced - http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06/n1178/a05.html