America’s downward spiral is nothing short of breath taking. Think of the popularization of “the pill,” i.e. birth control medications, in the 1960s, it had ramifications. It ended up paving the way to the horror of Roe v. Wade in the 1970s. Now we can think of the implications of that today—60 million lives is the number that comes to mind. Then acceptance of same-sex sexuality in the 20th century has mutated into legalization of same-sex marriage in the 21st century. Ideas have consequences. Today as I speak the legalization of medical marijuana in many, many different states has morphed into legalization of recreational marijuana in many other states as well, like Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. I think there are very good reasons to reject the reefer culture
Put it plainly, when smoking or eating pot there is simply no objective way to control dosages of the psycho-active-chemical that’s inherent in marijuana. What people do, by in large, is partake until they achieve a subjective sense of “high,” the danger of course being that feel is hardly real.
There is another issue that I want to bring to your attention, which is the psychological problems that have been well documented, problems like diminished cognitive function, memory impairment, psychotic episodes, and sleep deprivation. The physical maladies can range from cardio-vascular disease to detectable alterations in the structure and chemistry of the brain. That’s not just blowing smoke. The reason I bring that up is because The University of Western Australia News reports that scientist have identified how using cannabis can actually altar a person’s DNA structure causing mutations which can expose users to serious illness and not only that but be passed on to their children and future generations. Think about those implications.
The research of associate Professor Stuart Reece and Professor Gary Hulse from the University of Western Australia’s School of Psychiatry and Clinical Sciences “completed an extensive analysis of literary and research material to understand the likely causes and uncovered alarming information.” Reece indicates, “Through our research we found that cancers and illnesses were likely caused by cell mutations resulting from cannabis properties having a chemical interaction with a person’s DNA.” The researchers also found that “Although a person may appear to be healthy and lead a normal life, the unseen damage to their DNA could also be passed on to their children and cause illnesses for several generations to come.”
Think about the fact that “even if a mother,” as this research shows, ““has never used cannabis in her life, the mutations passed on by a father’s sperm can cause serious and fatal illnesses in their children,” and “mutations…can lie dormant” and as I said, “affect generations down the track.” This is an alarming consequence.
Marijuana use has serious implications for fetal development, you don’t know what is going to happen in the future, and yet we are legalizing marijuana not only just for medical use—there may be some warrant for medical use in controlled environments—but there is certainly no good reason for anyone thinking clearly to suggest that eating or smoking pot is like having a glass of wine. It is not. Research is just starting to open Pandora’s Box. There are some grizzly consequences in that box. Just because it is becoming legalized in America, don’t fall for it, there are all kinds of wacky things that are being mandated by law and by edicts in our country today that are severely detrimental. In some sense we can say if we don’t watch it America will not just be going to pot, but will have gone to pot.
—Hank Hanegraaff
For further related study, please access the following equip.org resource:
“What Should Christians Do As America Goes to Pot?” by Elliot Miller
Other recommended readings include:
“Is America going to P-O-T?” by Hank Hanegraaff in The Complete Bible Answer Book: Collector’s Edition Revised and Updated.
“Medical Marijuana: Miracle Drug or Spiritual Poison?” by Richard Poupard in 37-5 of the Christian Research Journal.