Beat Around the Bush

Greetings, and thank you for taking the time to read this letter. Now that that's out of the way, I figured I'd wade back into choppy waters with a strong undertow. I'm referring to medicinal practices that may have been utilized and relied upon just a few millennia ago; in the times of Christ and his apostles. The apostle Paul and his early church letters are one of the most convenient points of reference when discussing these topics. The first way-point is located in 1 Timothy 5: 21-23. In the letter, Paul lays out the ground rules (to his protege, Timothy) on how a healthy church body should function, and how believers should conduct themselves. Paul recommends using a measure of wine to help soothe gastrointestinal problems that may arise (from fasting), it seems.

Let's move on to Romans 14.

In this letter to believers residing in Rome (approx. 55-57 A.D.), Paul instructs the early church (including many converts from Judaism) not to squabble or argue with one another over what one considers appropriate or edible in their own personal lives. He realized that some people had certain hang-ups, or were just plain uncomfortable following the same dietary guidelines (shellfish and pork are just fine, if it floats your boat) that others adhered to. I would like to take a brief moment to analyze this passage for further clarification. Namely the word "herbs" mentioned in verse two. According to Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance, the word "herbs" translated from Greek (λάχaνОυ) , "denotes a garden herb, a vegetable, in contrast to wild plants." Marijuana is known as a plant, or herb (vegetable). By definition, Paul is certainly not referring to a plant that you would find in abundance out in the wild someplace. It requires effort and elbow grease to do it right. Would I rule marijuana out as a recommended treatment for stomach ailments as Paul recommended with wine?

No. Conversely, I cannot say with any degree of certainty that marijuana is indeed one of the herbs (vegetables or plants) that Paul is referring to in scripture. It's time we had a genuine discussion concerning marijuana, including its legality, its potential benefits, as well as its drawbacks. Emotionally potent oversimplifications and propaganda are not going to lead us to the truth of the matter.