Going To Pot

 Governor Andrew Cuomo (b.1957) of New York State, is a pro-baby killing, pro-sodomite, adulterous apostate. Those are his good qualities.The egotistical bully is the son of notorious former NY Governor Mario Cuomo (1983-1995), infamous for his insistence that as a "Catholic" he was "personally opposed" to abortion, but he "wouldn't impose his views on others." He was also against the death penalty for reasons of conscience. When a reporter brought this internal inconsistency to his attention he responded that "capital punishment is taking a life, but abortion is giving you a choice."

The fact that pseudo-educated dolts like the Cuomo family can hold high positions in the government makes me fear for our future. Mario Cuomo was actually considered for an appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton, and Andrew's name has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate for the Democratic Party in 2020. Let it be known that the Vatican II sect, allowed both father and son to receive "communion." Andrew doesn't even pretend to have an "annulment" from his wife (he never even applied for one), yet he and his concubine are both given the Novus Bogus "mass" cracker.

Now, Mr. Cuomo has made one of his priorities the legalization of marijuana for recreational use in New York. As of this writing, ten states have legalized the use of so-called "recreational pot." The first states to do so were Colorado and Washington in 2012. They were followed by Alaska, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and the District of Columbia ("Washington DC"). We are told by advocates of legalized marijuana that it is no different from drinking alcohol, it's hard to enforce laws against pot, and legal marijuana will bring economic benefits. The purpose of this post is to give the Church's teaching on the use of so-called recreational drugs, and to demonstrate why the legalization of marijuana is so insidious; what the powers-that-be don't want you to know and why. This issue has serious theological implications which will be discussed below.

The Teaching of the Church

 According to theologian Jone, "Since morphine, opium, chloroform and similar drugs can also deprive one of the use of his reason temporarily, that which was said of intoxicating drinks holds also for narcotics. To use narcotics in small quantities and only occasionally, is a venial sin if done without a sufficient reason. Any proportionately good reason justifies their use, e.g., to calm the nerves, dispel insomnia, etc. Such use becomes gravely sinful if it creates an habitual craving for 'dope' which is more difficult to overcome than dipsomania and more injurious to health. To use drugs in greater quantities so as to lose the use of one's reason is itself a mortal sin; but for a good reason it is permissible. Such a good reason is had in case of an operation, i.e., that the patient be rendered insensible to intense pain, or that one might remain calm under the knife. In like manner one may administer opiates to one who is suffering greatly in order to alleviate his pain." (See Moral Theology, Newman Press, [1961], pgs. 57-58; Emphasis mine). 

Since narcotics are under the same general rule as alcohol, here's what moral theologian O'Connell has to say about the loss of reason: "It is not requisite...[to] be rendered utterly stupid and helpless...[rather] that one would do things inordinate which otherwise he would not do...The malice of drunkenness consists in the fact that, without a sufficient reason, a person in a violent way deprives himself of the use of the noblest of his faculties." (See Outlines of Moral Theology, CUA [1958], pg. 168; Emphasis mine).

As you keep in mind these principles of Church teaching, also consider that we know so much more about the effects of drugs today than when theologians O'Connell and Jone were writing in the late 1950s-early 1960s. Then came the Great Apostasy and the drug culture of the late 1960s. I can only imagine how Church teaching would have further developed on this issue in light of all we now understand. Marijuana, or cannabis, will have enormously deleterious effects upon the human brain, the family and society.

Cannabis and the Family

We now know that the legalization of recreational marijuana promotes the drug’s usage among the very young, where it causes the greatest harm. After recreational cannabis was legalized in Colorado, their youth’s past-month cannabis usage 2013-2014 "was 74 percent higher than the national average." According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health:

"Coloradoans of all age groups (12-17, 18-25, 26 and older) rank first in the nation for past-month marijuana use. Before legalization they ranked fourth, third and seventh, respectively."(See https://cdapress.com/archive/article-6dac5ea8-7beb-546e-84fd-83deb36340f7.html)

Think about that for a moment. Twelve year olds will have ready access to legalized cannabis. Since 2016, a mere four years after Colorado legalized it, cannabis became easy to obtain. With sophisticated ways to take it such as vaping, it makes it harder to detect. Vaping refers to the inhalation of an aerosol produced by heating a liquid/oil or substance in a compact electronic portable vaporizer. Youth can vaporize marijuana – either the ground plant itself, waxes often referred to as dabs, or THC and CBD oils. (THC is the drug in cannabis that produces the effect of getting high).

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), cannabis use may have long-lasting or permanent effects on the developing adolescent brain. Negative effects include:

• Difficulty with critical thinking skills like attention, problem solving and memory

• Impaired reaction time and coordination, especially as it relates to driving

• Decline in school performance

• Increased risk of mental health issues including depression or anxiety and in some cases, psychosis where there is a family history of it

• Research also shows that about one in six teens who repeatedly use marijuana can become addicted, as compared to one in nine adults

How easy would it be for 18 year olds to supply young kids with cannabis and vaping paraphernalia? One out of every three Denver high school juniors and seniors surveyed identified as cannabis users; demonstrating a sharp increase of 20 percent from 2013 to 2015. (See https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/the-problem-with-pot/article_d9e0a8c1-41e4-5165-838f-6da2bcd0e6bb.html). According to former "Drug Czar" William J. Bennett, "We know we have a problem, and we have not managed to keep those things from kids. Colorado was supposed to eliminate the marijuana black market, but it did not." (See https://www.newsweek.com/problem-pot-306634). 

Candi CdeBaca, an education and community activist who lives next to a commercial marijuana growing operation in Elyria-Swansea, CO., told Politico Magazine:

"One of the things that we thought was going to happen when [recreational] marijuana was legalized was that drugs would be taken out of our community. What happened was that the drugs stayed—and the drug dealers changed." (See https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/05/what-works-colorado-denver-marijuana-pot-industry-legalization-neighborhoods-dispensaries-negative-213906). 

What we see here is the spirit of rebellion against authority. It's hard enough to raise kids in these perilous times without pressure (and the ability) to use a substance that will make them do poorly in school, open the doorway to other drugs, make them sin against God, and less likely to understand right from wrong (or the precepts of the Church) with the acquired impaired critical thinking skills.

Cannabis and Society

 Several studies have also concluded that driving while intoxicated with both pot and alcohol is far worse than driving drunk. Since millions of people get high with both alcohol and marijuana, the synergistic effect of these two drugs will prove to be a dangerous devil’s brew for drivers. The Democratic governor of Colorado, John Hickenlooper, said that legalizing marijuana in Colorado was "reckless." In 2014, the left-wing rag, the Washington Post published an op-ed by pro-marijuana author Radley Balko headlined, "Since Marijuana Legalization, Highway Fatalities in Colorado Are at Near-Historic Lows."

In typical Communist propaganda style, the article leaves the reader with the impression that legalizing marijuana might have something to do with less traffic fatalities in Colorado. Balko admits that the fatality figures "don’t suggest that pot had anything to do with" the lower numbers, but then says that if fatalities were going up, "supporters [of making pot illegal again] would be blaming it on legal marijuana." According to one author, "Colorado traffic fatalities have gone down since 2007, but they went up in 2012. More to the point, Colorado traffic fatalities between 2007 and 2012 involving operators testing positive for marijuana use increased 100 percent over that period—from 39 in 2007 up to 78 in 2012." (See https://www.dailysignal.com/2014/11/30/why-legalizing-pot-is-a-bad-idea/). 

According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2006-2013; CDOT, 2014, cannabis-related emergency room visits increased from 8,197 in 2011 to 18,255 in 2014 and the percentage of Colorado vehicle operators who were found positive for marijuana increased from 7.88 percent in 2006 to 24.03 percent in 2014. Furthermore, we are promoting other drug usage, as cannabis is a "gateway drug."

According to a peer-reviewed study: "Exposing adolescent rats to THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) can lead to molecular and behavioral alterations in the next generation of offspring, even though progeny were not directly exposed to the drug. Male offspring showed stronger motivation to self-administer heroin during their adulthood. Damage in the glutamate pathway, which regulates synaptic plasticity, has been linked to disturbances in goal-directed behavior and habit formation." (See Henrietta Szutorisz, PhD, et al., Neurophychopharmacology, January 2014---https://www.nature.com/articles/npp2013352). 

Society will become more drugged-out, leading to fatalities, and fostering addicts to stronger drugs, thereby driving up the crime rate.

Cannabis and the Human Brain

 Drug expert Dr. CC. Nuckols stated, "The marijuana we have today is so much more potent, we’re seeing a new range of psychiatric problems and psychotic episodes. It’s really a new game." (See https://www.oxfordtreatment.com/blog/the-problem-with-pot/) The Oxford Treatment Center goes on to state, "At double-digit percentages, the standard THC content in marijuana today many times what it was in the 1960s." This results in lower IQs and an inability to function in society.

According to Drs. Ruby Grewal and Tony P. George, "Reports have shown a staggering increase in cannabis-related emergency department (ED) visits in recent years. In 2011, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) estimated a total of 1.25 million illicit-drug–related ED visits across the US, of which 455,668 were marijuana related. A similar report published in 2015 by the Washington Poison Center Toxic Trends Report showed a dramatic increase in cannabis-related ED visits. In states with recent legalization of recreational cannabis, similar trends were seen.

States with medicinal marijuana have also shown a dramatic rise in cannabis-related ED visits. Moreover, states where marijuana is still illegal also showed increases. This widespread increase is postulated to be in part due to the easy accessibility of the drug, which contributes to over-intoxication and subsequent symptoms. Overall, from 2005 to 2011, there has been a dramatic rise in cannabis-related ED visits among all age groups and genders." (Emphasis mine). 

Cannabis and the End Times?

Drugs, cannabis being no exception, put people into an altered state of consciousness. Those of you who read my ongoing series of posts called "Singing For Satan," (based on my research on rock, pop, and rap music) know that almost all of the musicians were drug users, and most claimed contact/inspiration from "spirits"--Eminem, The Eagles, etc. They used drugs and entered into an altered state of consciousness which makes one susceptible (like hypnosis) to demonic forces. So-called "shamans" (pagan "witch-doctors") take drugs for this very reason; it enables them to make "contact with the spirits."

In the Apocalypse 22:15, we read, "Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying." According to theologian Haydock, "the dogs" refer to unbelievers (See The New Testament of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with a Comprehensive Catholic Commentary, reprint from 1859, pg. 1656), and "sorcerers" comes from the Greek word pharmakeia from which we get the word "pharmacy." The word does not only mean the sorcery that comes from idolatry, but can also refer to the use or administration of drugs. We see that pagans often used drugs to call on their "gods" (demons), so it's not surprising that Holy Scripture seems to link the two.

Aldous Huxley (d. 1963), the famous author of Brave New World, and philosopher, was known to experiment with LSD and mescaline. He was deeply involved in the occult. On his deathbed, he asked his wife to shoot him up with LSD so he could "trip" into the afterlife. She complied, and I cannot imagine what horrors he found that never end, unless he somehow repented by a miracle of grace. In a speech he delivered to a California medical school, two years before his death, he made the following chilling prediction:

"There will be, in the next generation or so, a pharmacological method of making people love their servitude, and producing dictatorship without tears, so to speak, producing a kind of painless concentration camp for entire societies, so that people will in fact have their liberties taken away from them, but will rather enjoy it, because they will be distracted from any desire to rebel by propaganda or brainwashing, or brainwashing enhanced by pharmacological methods. And this seems to be the final revolution." (Emphasis mine).

Conclusion

Recreational marijuana, or cannabis, is yet another step towards the final breakdown of Christian civilization as it once was on Earth. The forces of evil are peddling it, and people are going for it. According to The Pew Research Center, as of October 2018, 62% of Americans support legalized cannabis. (See http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/10/08/americans-support-marijuana-legalization/)

The facts show that it will damage families, and the upbringing of children. It will have harmful effects upon society, with more deaths from auto accidents and people having psychotic episodes--even as it induces people to take more dangerous drugs. It causes such psychotic episodes even in adults and lowers IQs, making one more gullible (and therefore more dependent upon) the government. Finally, it opens users up to demonic influences. A One World Church and a One World Government. Could legalized cannabis be taking us there faster? It seems so. Time will tell.