Legalization of Marijuana

I have never felt so humiliated in my life over anything as that the State of Utah voted for the repeal of Prohibition.
- President Heber J. Grant, Conference, Oct. 1934

From this very stand he pleaded with us not to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. He didn't speak as Heber J. Grant, the man, he spoke as the President of the Church and the representative of our Heavenly Father. And yet in a state where we could have retained what we had, there were enough Latter-day Saints . . . who paid no attention to what the Lord wanted . . .and what is the result? Such delinquency as we have never known. . . .
- George Albert Smith, Conference, Oct 1943

One of the saddest days in all of Utah's history was when the people, including the Latter-day Saints (for it could not have been done without them), rejected the counsel and urging of the Lord's prophet, Heber J. Grant, and repealed Prohibition long years ago--yet many of those voters had sung numerous times, "We Thank Thee, O God, For A Prophet."
- The Teachings of Spencer. W. Kimball

I believe there is a clear relationship between the historical issue of repealing prohibition and the current issue surrounding marijuana legalization. If you cannot see a relationship then I am not sure you can be helped. Therefore, because these issues are so similar, I believe the prophets have spoken and we should be careful whose side we are on.

The LDS Church does not prohibit the use of alcohol as a disinfectant or to wash the body. I am sure the LDS Church has no problem with using Hemp for rope, or marinol for nausea as prescribed by a doctor. The problem with Cannabis, is when it is smoked, or ingested or taken in any other way for the purposes of getting "High"

There is nothing Satan wants more than to see Cannabis use for the purposes of getting "High" legalized in America. And he will use any means and any argument to achieve that goal. Whose side are you going to be on in this issue?

The LORD admonishes in His "Word of Wisdom" "All seedbearing herbs for theuseof man to be used with prudence and understanding." (D&C89). Yes, with prudence and understanding, This doesn mean that every plant or herb or weed is meant to be smoked.
if alkaloids in this plant help wtih appetite, then isolate those specific alkaloids, and leave out the psychogenic ones. Smoking jimsom weed or fox glove will kill you.

Many proponents of legalizing marijuana argue that there are so many unappreciated medical and health benefits to marijuana. They feel like keeping marijuana illegal is "throwing out the baby with the bathwater". Many physicians I know are open to alternative, natural treatments. However, most physicians haven't seen benefits for marijuana over other current remedies. There are several FDA approved alternatives for appetite. Furthermore, if a patient wants to try Cannabis, Marinol is FDA approved, and you don't have to smoke it. No one is throwing out any babies. But I think some people want to keep their dirty bath water.

If we want to end the war on drugs, then bring our soldier home and put them on our borders to stop the illegal import of drugs. and we need to root out the corruption in our government and stop electing Bohemian Grove, and Skull and Bones members as POTUS. These secret organizations have been in operation behind the scenes infiltrating our government and institutuons and subverting our freedoms. The POTUS has been a member of Bohemian Grove or a Bildiberg all the way back to Taft. So, it's no surprise when CIA and Special Forces get caught time and again shipping cocaine into the US, or the ATF gets caught shipping guns to Mexican drug cartels, or US Banks are caught laundering Mexican drug cartel money, or to know that Heroin production in Afganistan is up 400 percent pre-Taliban levels(the Taliban actually prohibited Poppy growing and Pedophilia "Bacha Bazi" in about 1999).

Mos 29: 25-26 "Therefore, choose you by the voice of this people, judges, that ye may be judged according to the laws which have been given you by our fathers, which are correct, and which were given them by the hand of the Lord. 26 Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people."

Many claim that legalizing marijuana is about liberty and freedom and agency. This group claims that our laws should never coerce others to do the right. This argument is totally misunderstanding the principle of agency. Agency is choosing freedom by following Gods law. All law is morality, and we should use our agency as a people to make laws that reflect and defend Gods laws. Only by doing this can we be free.

God has commanded us that we must carefullly regulate and manage our appetites and passions less these passions control us and lead to destructive behaviors. Animals act on instinct. If they feel to do something, they do it. Being Human is about being able to feel, yet think first, and choose not to just react on impulse. Psychoactive drugs are dangerous because they shut down our ability to think, as well as destroy our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

When it comes to saving our Republic and the Constitution, only a return to our traditional Christian morals/values (a return to virtue) can succeed. God has established a covenant of peace with those who posess this land that inasmuch as we keep His commandments we will be blessed with peace and prosperity. But inasmuch as we do not keep His commandments we would be cursed, cut off from His presence. There is forming a great division in our country, a great division both morally and politically. A friend on the internet said "Our Lord tells us "He" will be the cause of the great Latter-day division (2nd Nephi 30:10). When it comes down to it, it will "only" be the moral issues that will matter. Moral issues will determine what side each of us is on with this great division our Lord has promised us. "

Agency is not just freedom to do whatever without consequence. It's freedom to choose Gods laws. Choosing evil is not excercizjng agency and it leads to captivity and death. Our laws to protect agency should dissuade people from falling into sin and captivity. Again, we should be free to choose, but that does not mean we are free to avoid the consequences of those choices.

"free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil" (2 Nephi 2:27).

If our laws reflect Gods laws then choosing the right should lead to more liberty, but choosing the wrong should lead to the consequence of restricted liberty. Our governments are getting things backwards by limiting and restricting that which God wants (prayer in school) and supporting and facilitating that which God does not want (substance abuse). As time passes, choosing the right is restricted while choosing the wrong is permitted. In another way, Wellfare programs fail to turn lives around and empower and reward good choices, but instead enable and ease the consequences of sin.

Setting up laws which protect the righteous in doing right, and restrict the wicked in doing wickedness is not coercion. The message of Freedom is in the Book of Mormon and the Book of Mormon says the Nephites established just laws that preserved the rights of religion and punished wrong behavior. However, the Book of Mormon is clear that there should be no laws against a persons belief.

Alma 1:17-18 "Nevertheless, they durst not lie, if it were known, for fear of the law, for liars were punished; therefore they pretended to preach according to their belief; and now the law could have no power on any man for his belief.18 And they durst not steal, for fear of the law, for such were punished; neither durst they rob, nor murder, for he that murdered was punished unto death."

Marijuana and other elicit drugs are or contain powerful mind-altering substances. If we do not decide as a free people to establish consequences for the abuse of these harmful substances, then are we really free? If we give people the illusion that they can use drugs without consequences, then they will be too easily enticed to experiment with drugs and many enslaved and destroyed. Lehi teaches his children that we are only free if we are both enticed by both sides. Our laws, therefore, should sufficently entice us away from harmful behavior.

2 Nephi 2:16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.

Our laws restrict self harm and abuse. Our laws restrict suicide, and they entice us away from drug use. Maybe, we can agree that self-harm should not be criminalized as it is. However, companies who deal in marketing and selling instruments of self-harm to others should always remain illegal. Fear is a form of coercive force that should be used used to prevent the violation of the rights of others. Elicit drug abuse and addiction has grave costs to society in terms of unemployment, lost productivity, poverty, child neglect, child abuse, and crime. However, for those who choose to harm themselves, our laws should discourage this but not direct fear at the victim. This will only drive them to further hide their sins and not seek help and rehabilitation.