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spiritual healing - Legal Ramifications for Users of Cannabis Sacrament
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Questions About Cannabis as a Sacrament
Is Cannabis/Marijuana really necessary in the Natural Religion?
We believe that Nature’s God has provided in Nature all we need to use for healing. All of these foods and herbs are in their nature sacred, having come from the Intelligence of the Creator. The Creator put herbs and foods on the planet for us. Obviously, God put (through some kind of non-Darwinian evolution) cannabis on the Earth because in his Divine Wisdom, He thought it was necessary. This is a marvelous healing herb, a divine healing herb, truly a sacrament. We don’t really need to argue with God. It may not be necessary for one person, but may be necessary for another. It may not be necessary now, but it might be necessary next year. It may not be necessary for everyone, but it is necessary for everyone to have the right to use it, to try it when it is necessary and when it might be useful. The freedom to choose or not choose to use a spiritual sacrament is necessary for everyone.
What about all the claims that marijuana is a dangerous drug, harmful to society?
While everyone knows marijuana is widely used, all the factual, hard, scientific, evidence show a very low level of abuse of marijuana. It doesn't cause harm to any organ system. Smoking too much can irritate the lungs, but doesn't cause cancer or other serious lung diseases. Other effective dosage routes exist. Factually, the biggest danger from cannabis is the fact that it is illegal. You are at risk of being arrested, prosecuted, and losing freedom, money, job, respect of others, self-respect. Society sees you as a criminal if you use cannabis, even if you are using it for medical or spiritual reasons. This creates stress in the user. Marijuana itself rarely causes harm independently from its being illegal.
Are you saying there is no physical, psychological, or spiritual harm in using cannabis/marijuana?
Yes, I am saying that there is rarely harm in using cannabis. There is no organ damage, no side effects, no true addiction. Researchers have known for years that only a small number of people abuse cannabis. If occasionally the sacrament is abused, to us this is not a crime nor a mental illness. The Union will be offering support to help those who feel they want to stop but can't stop.
What about the recent reports of increased treatment of marijuana dependence?
This is actually driven largely by increased law enforcement activity. People are forced into drug treatment either by a law enforcement encounter or an encounter with an unsympathetic relative (parent, spouse, etc).
Do people sometimes believe they are using marijuana recreationally, when in fact they are using it spiritually or therapeutically, unknowingly, unconsciously, or perhaps semi-consciously?
Most so-called recreational use of marijuana is actually the search (usually unconscious) for the feeling of spiritual well-being. Further, since marijuana is often smoked among friends, in a ritualistic fashion (the passing of the pipe or the joint), it actually promotes a sense of spirituality and of basic friendship even when all the people believe they are atheists. The experience itself is inherently spiritual, even when that spirituality is consciously denied.
If I get caught with marijuana by the police, what should I do?
Show them your membership in the Union of Natural Religion, with our claims for First Amendment rights to use the sacrament. Continue always to assert your rights, even if they are not heeded. Show the judge your membership in the Union. Contact us. At this time, legal representation is not being offered by the Union. We will, however, support your attorney in pursuing this legal argument on your behalf. The Union of Natural Religion has lawyers that are working on arguments that we hope in the future can be used to defend you should this ever be necessary. I sincerely believe that we will win, because indeed we are in the right. Part of your donation, should you choose to make one, goes to support legal fees to protect your First Amendment Rights with respect to the use of marijuana/cannabis/hemp for spiritual and physical healing. We hope to have a legal document for you soon. The best advice is to keep only relatively small amounts of sacrament, enough to meet your needs. That way, a court fight, even if you lose now, will not be so damaging. Finally, when we do win, then your loss can be thrown out.
Can I grow my own sacrament for my own personal use?
We believe that you have a fundamental Constitutional right to grow your sacrament, but this right has not yet been officially acknowledged by the courts at the highest levels. The argument has been successful at local levels. If you grow small numbers, for your personal spiritual use, even if you are arrested and prosecuted, the penalty should be small. But we hope the argument is won in our favor, as is rightly due.
Growing for spiritual purposes is a form of spiritual discipline, and can be a wonderful thing when approached in a spiritual way.
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