'GOD HAS MUCH MORE SERIOUS THINGS TO WORRY
ABOUT'

Vue Asks People Of Faith If The Demon Weed Is Really That
Sinful

Marijuana is not good for you. Sorry kids, but despite what the
dreadlocked chick on your bus or your Pink Floyd-loving uncle or your
flaky, aging-hippie 12th-grade Social Studies teacher might have led
you to believe, smoking marijuana is, generally speaking, harmful to
your health.

Pot smoke contains known carcinogens, and smoking weed can cause
respiratory problems, as well as a drop in the hormones responsible
for growth and development, to name just a few of its less-pleasant
impacts.

But so what, right? I mean, compared to the dangers of, say, drinking
alcohol, or even eating fatty foods, the health risks of pot seem
reasonably innocuous, all things considered. So why does marijuana
continue to be surrounded by stigma? Why, in our supposedly
enlightened, western, 21st century society is marijuana still thought
of as "evil" in many quarters? (including, evidently, the cabinet of
Prime Minister Stephen Harper ... but that's another issue entirely.)

When it comes to other generally harmless activities that continue to
be subjected to cultural taboo and are considered morally wrong by at
least some segment of the population--homosexuality comes to mind--the
rationale can usually be traced back to religious teachings. With this
in mind, Vue decided to ask representatives of different religious
traditions how they feel about the demon weed, and if, in their minds,
smoking cannabis is morally damaging.

According to Rabbi David Kunin of Jasper Avenue's Beth Shalom
synagogue, Judaism's view of marijuana, while generally negative,
tends to be open to interpretation and discussion.

"We believe that the law of the land is the law, and therefore we feel
that, if it is illegal to use marijuana, Jews are obliged not to use
it," he explains. "As to whether or not marijuana is something
inherently evil or whether or not it should be legalized, there are
lots and lots of different views in the Jewish community--there isn't
a Jewish view on marijuana as such."

Kunin's personal opposition to marijuana use is more based on science
than specific religious teachings. "In my opinion, I feel
uncomfortable with anything that damages the body, just as I'm
uncomfortable with cigarettes," he says. "However, on the other hand,
in cases where a doctor prescribes marijuana to help a patient deal
with pain, we would have no problem with that." Mormons, meanwhile,
have a far less flexible policy on cannabis use, which they "strongly
oppose."

"Any illegal or illicit drugs are inappropriate, partially because
they are outside the bounds of the law, but we're also opposed to
things like alcohol, which is inside the law. So even if marijuana was
legal, we would still be strongly opposed," says manager of the public
affairs department of the Church of Latter Day Saints Clark Hirschi,
who cites the Mormon Word of Wisdom in his response.

"Alcohol is proscribed [by the Word of Wisdom], and from there our
brethren have extrapolated no illicit drugs," he explains. "It's
really a matter of avoiding anything that leads to addiction--the
Church teaches the principal of agency, so anything that compromises
our agency through intoxication and addiction is inappropriate."

The Buddhist attitude towards marijuana is much less explicit. "There
are no specific references in Buddhist teachings to marijuana," says
Prem Kalia, a lay-Buddhist teacher and the vice-president of the
International Buddhist Friends Association.

He believes that Buddha's views on other intoxicants could give an
idea of how cannabis should be treated.

"Marijuana did exist in the time of Buddha, but I don't think he was
interested in this kind of thing," he admits, "Buddhism is based on
alertness, and Buddha was opposed to intoxicating drinks, because they
delude the mind."

The mind-altering effects of weed are also cited by the Church of
Scientology as the basis of its opposition to marijuana (and, for that
matter, all recreational drugs, and a few prescription medications, as
well).

"If you really want to be smoking marijuana, that's your choice, but
if you want to avail yourself spiritually through Scientology, drugs
will impede that," warns Deborah Jurt, a director at the downtown
Church of Scientology. She says that combating the use of drugs,
specifically marijuana, is an important issue for the Church.

"The Church wants to help people do better in life, and drugs affect
people in a negative way, emotionally, spiritually, physically and
other ways," she continues, referencing a youth-targeted initiative of
the Church called "The Truth About Joints."

"These drugs do have side effects, and there are risks to taking
drugs, so we don't want to see especially young people taking drugs."

A United Church minister who would rather not be named (possibly
because of her admission that "most of us, if we told the truth, would
have to admit that we had met [marijuana] sometime in our lives")
shares some of these concerns.

"Any kind of a thing that alters the state of your thinking and alters
who you are might be dangerous in excess," she explains. "If it's
interfering with your life or your ability to function as a parent or
a partner, then I would say that it's a problem.

"But philosophically speaking, can a substance itself be evil, or is
it the trafficking for profit and the causing of pain and suffering to
others that is evil? That's the part that I would consider sinful,"
she continues.

In practice, she tends to take (and believes that the Lord also tends
to take) a more pragmatic approach.

"Do the children have enough to eat? Do they have warm clothing? These
are the things that I consider serious moral issues," she states,
adding with a laugh that, "God has much more serious things to worry
about than this."