This was my question, so I set out on an answer and this is what I found out....
Like most other Latter Day Saints and Christians alike I was brought up being told that the use of “Pot” was evil and bad for me, the gateway for drugs and sex, and because I am a Latter Day Saint it was violating the Word of Wisdom which was a big sin,not to mention very bad and unhealthy. The biggest problem is it is breaking the law and no good can come out of that.
Most people do not realize how manipulated they are by the media and politics as you will understand why I say this later in this article.
First of all the Word of Wisdom is Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, February 27, 1833. As a consequence of the early brethren using tobacco in their meetings, (stinky and dirty) the Prophet was led to ponder upon the matter; consequently, he inquired of the Lord concerning it. This revelation, known as the Word of Wisdom, was the result.
As stated in D & C 89:2 “ To be sent greeting; not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom, showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days”
Just as what it is “a word of wisdom” And yes if you realize that our Heavenly Father gives us commandments just as a loving parent will give a child a “commandment” that if followed will bring the child protection and/or great joy in the long run. So you can interpret this as a commandment.
Nowhere in the Word of Wisdom will one find anything that gives warning against any herbs. In fact quite the opposite. Read D & C 89:10-11
10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
Now I am not saying that smoking marihuana can't be bad for a person. There are synthetic substances added to cause stronger effect just like things are added to wine and cigarets, it all comes to the money that can be made without regard to to health and wellness.
D & C 89:4 Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—
We need to understand the real reasons things are put into place ...
The Cannabis herb also called hemp was used by the Saints as well as most of the population of the United States as a medical pain reliever as well as a relaxant along with other herbs.
So how did it end up an “evil” “illegal” drug?
To understand how we ended up here, it is important to go back to what was happening in the United States in the early 1900’s just after the Mexican Revolution. At this time we saw an influx of immigration from Mexico into states like Texas and Louisiana. Not surprising, these new Americans brought with them their native language, culture and customs. One of these customs was the use of cannabis as a medicine and relaxant.
Mexican immigrants referred to this plant as “marihuana”. While Americans were very familiar with “cannabis” because it was present in almost all tinctures and medicines available at the time, the word “marihuana” was a foreign term. So, when the media began to play on the fears that the public had about these new citizens by falsely spreading claims about the “disruptive Mexicans” with their dangerous native behaviors including marihuana use, the rest of the nation did not know that this “marihuana” was a plant they already had in their medicine cabinets.
The demonization of the cannabis plant was an extension of the demonization of the Mexican immigrants. In an effort to control and keep tabs on these new citizens, El Paso, TX borrowed a play from San Francisco’s playbook, which had outlawed opium decades earlier in an effort to control Chinese immigrants. The idea was to have an excuse to search, detain and deport Mexican immigrants.
That excuse became marijuana.
This method of controlling people by controlling their customs was quite successful, so much so that it became a national strategy for keeping certain populations under the watch and control of the government.
During hearings on marijuana law in the 1930’s, claims were made about marijuana’s ability to cause men of color to become violent and solicit sex from white women. This imagery became the backdrop for the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 which effectively banned its use and sales.
While the Act was ruled unconstitutional years later, it was replaced with the Controlled Substances Act in the 1970’s which established Schedules for ranking substances according to their dangerousness and potential for addiction. Cannabis was placed in the most restrictive category, Schedule I, supposedly as a place holder while then President Nixon commissioned a report to give a final recommendation.
The Schafer Commission, as it was called, declared that marijuana should not be in Schedule I and even doubted its designation as an illicit substance. However, Nixon discounted the recommendations of the commission, and marijuana remains a Schedule I substance. (How much $$ was he making off of it)
In 1996, California became the first state to approve the use of marijuana for medical purposes, ending its 59 year reign as an illicit substance with no medical value. Prior to 1937, cannabis had enjoyed a 5000 year history as a therapeutic agent across many cultures. In this context, its blip as an illicit and dangerous drug was dwarfed by its role as a medicine. (drugpolicy.org)
With all the Social Media out there today I feel there are to many out there making decisions based only on the manipulations of the media. We need to get our facts straight and quit believing everything we hear ...
