Is Medical Marijuana Moral?

[Michie]

I was recently interviewed by Catholic News Agency and the Philadelphia Inquirer about St. Joseph’s University new Certificate in Cannabis Studies. I raised moral questions about this, because, even when legalized for medical purposes, marijuana has been used primarily for “getting high” rather than addressing medical issues. This does not necessarily mean that any use of the cannabis plant is immoral, of course. Using cannabis to get high as a recreational drug is a sin. Its medical use is possible but there are several issues. News articles, however, can only offer soundbites, so I would like to give my fuller response to this issue.

Here is my complete response to the problem of a certificate in Cannabis Studies:

Views on cannabis use are changing quickly in the United States, even though it remains illegal according to Federal law and many state laws. The Church does recognize the therapeutic use of drugs, although medical marijuana laws have been abused for recreational purposes and its use lacks careful medical study and supervision. Accordingly, I do not believe it is appropriate for a Catholic university to offer a Cannabis Studies certificate, because the Church teaches that the use of drugs constitutes a sin against the Fifth Commandment. The impairment of mental functioning strikes at the very heart of our humanity and capacity for free, rational action.This program is scandalous, because the definition of scandal is action that leads another to sin, and the promotion of a certificate in Cannabis Studies will do exactly this, encouraging the further normalization of cannabis use, with a damaging impact on the health of body and soul.

Continued below.

Is Medical Marijuana Moral?

I was recently interviewed by Catholic News Agency and the Philadelphia Inquirer about St. Joseph’s University new Certificate in Cannabis Studies. I raised moral questions about this, becaus…

buildingcatholicculture.com