by: Allen Domelle
Texas Republican State Rep. David Simpson, recently submitted a bill that would completely deregulate marijuana in the state of Texas. In this 24-page bill, H.R. 2165, there are over 50 times Simpson proposes to strike out marijuana being treated like any other drug.
In a phone conversation I had with Rep. Simpson, he stated to me, “Everything that God made is good.” He said that marijuana should be treated like tomatoes or coffee. His contention is that government has no business regulating what God made good. He argued that regulating marijuana is like the government trying to regulate gluttony, because people who overeat get tired and are a risk to others when they drive.
He believes that there are many good medical uses for marijuana, and that people who could be helped are not able to get help because of the regulations the state of Texas has against this plant. He continued to tell me that people will either have to move out of the state or risk becoming a criminal if they want their loved ones to get help. His defense to deregulate marijuana is that it should come down to personal responsibility. He says that you cannot and should not regulate morality.
I’m certain the Rep. Simpson is a fine Christian man, but that does not mean that he is right concerning his beliefs about marijuana. In fact, the Scriptures, medical research and crime statistics make it very clear that there are times when something should be outlawed.
Rep. Simpson is correct when he says that everything God made is good. Genesis 1:31 says, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” God put all things on Earth, but He also puts restrictions on things He doesn’t want us to use. When you look at God’s creation, He made all the trees and they were good; however, God commanded Adam that he was not to eat “…of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…” (Genesis 2:17) Even though God said that the tree was good, He still prohibited them from partaking of the tree. God set the precedence that there are some things on this Earth that should never be used. Of course everything that God made is very good. The question is, good for what? Definitely not to cause us to give occasion to the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.
He is also wrong in his contention that government shouldn’t regulate morality. The law to not kill someone is a law of morality. The law to not steal is a law of morality. All you have to do is look at the Ten Commandments and see how many of those commandments are used by our government to regulate morality. God made the human body, so why is pornography regulated? God made children, so why is pedophilia outlawed? Will Rep. Simpson introduce a bill to deregulate those? Comparing marijuana to coffee and tomatoes is just as extreme as my above example. The hole in the mentality to not regulate morality is that those who support this mentality don’t use God’s Word as their final authority. God’s Word clearly shows that there are times when morality must be regulated.
When you look at medical studies of marijuana’s effect on an individual, you clearly see that it is a drug that should never be legalized. According to a study done by the National Academy of Sciences, those who chronically used marijuana have significantly less bilateral orbitofrontal gyri volume, higher functional connectivity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) network. (1) The orbitofrontal cortex is the front part of the brain that deals with ones ability to socially interact, reason, learn or the ability to be motivated. (2) These studies show that the volume of the brain decreases with marijuana use; however, it compensates by creating more connections to overcome this shrinkage. The study shows that after 7-9 years, the brains ability to compensate begins to disappear and permanent damage occurs. Another study shows that the progression of a long-term exposure to drugs toward the development of substance use disorders and addicted behaviors is often associated with deficits in decision making. (3)
1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” How can a person be “sober” or “vigilant” when their ability to reason and make decisions has been taken away because their brain is damaged due to drug use? When you compare medical studies and the Scriptures, you clearly see that legalizing marijuana is wrong.
Furthermore, it is common knowledge that the THC (the compound in the plant that causes the high) levels in the current hybrid marijuana plants is much higher than it has ever been. When a person is high on marijuana, they cannot be in control of their body. 1 Corinthians 9:27 says, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” When your body is not under control, that is when a person will do things they normally would not do. The body not being under control will cause a person to commit adultery, fornication, lose their temper, etc. Plus, the dangers of driving while under its influences puts other lives at risk.
When you look at how this drug affects the crime rate, all you have to do is look at Colorado since they have legalized marijuana. According to a Huffington Post article, crime rose 7 percent in one years time since the legalization of marijuana. (4) This certainly is not a conservative publication, but when they are sounding the alarm then I would hope our representatives would pay attention.
When looking at Scriptural mandate, medical effects and crime statistics, it is not only absurd to try and legalize marijuana, but it is wrong. This is not only a state issue, but it is becoming a national issue. I encourage every reader to contact your state and federal leaders and encourage them to vote against any legalization of marijuana. All you have to do to see why they would want it legalized is to follow the money: TAXES! Let your representatives know that their vote to legalize marijuana is a vote against them the next time they run for office.
Allen Domelle is the editor of the Old Paths Journal which is more than just a Christian’s publication. It is an excellent place to learn how today’s headlines will forge tomorrow’s laws and statutes. Keep yourself in tune with what is happening around the world, as well as in your own backyard with our daily updates and devotionals.
1. http://www.pnas.org/content/111/47/16913.abstract
2. http://people.hss.caltech.edu/~steve/Kringelbach.pdf
3. http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v39/n9/full/npp201467a.html#bib37
4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kevin-a-sabet-phd/crime-is-up-in-colorado-w_b_5663046.html