Presbyterian Church Joins Other Major Denominations in Support of Medical Marijuana

[Marianne]

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, USA (PCUSA) voted Wednesday to support access to medical marijuana for people who have a doctor's recommendation.

The resolution was passed at the PCUSA's 217th General Assembly meeting in Birmingham, Alabama. DPA-affiliated Alabama Compassionate Care Campaign members, who include a Presbyterian minister, worked with the Interfaith Drug Policy Initiative to bring the message of compassion for seriously ill people to the General Assembly members for a full vote. The resolution was passed by consensus.

The Homestead Presbytery in Nebraska, who introduced the resolution, said, "When we see the suffering of others, we are called to stand up and take a look."

"Medical marijuana is an issue of mercy," said Rev. Lynn Bledsoe, a Presbyterian minister from Alabama who works as a hospice chaplain. "As people of faith, we are called to stand up for humans who are suffering needlessly. It is unconscionable that seriously ill patients can be arrested for making an earnest attempt at healing by using medical marijuana with their doctors' approval."

The resolution affirms "the use of cannabis sativa or marijuana for legitimate medical purposes as recommended by a physician," and calls for "federal legislation that allows for its use and that provides for the production and distribution of the plant for those purposes."

The Presbyterian Church, USA, is the seventh major denomination to take a position in support of medical marijuana. The others are the United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church, United Church of Christ, Union for Reform Judaism, Progressive National Baptist Convention and Unitarian Universalist Association. No denomination has come out officially against medical marijuana.


Newskhawk: Happykid - 420 Magazine
Source: DrugPolicy.org
Copyright: 2006 Drug Policy Alliance
Contact: Drug Policy Alliance
Website: Drug Policy Alliance

[zolar]

As a former deacon in the presby church who resigned the position out of conscience didn't want controversy over use = drunkeness/sin when most of the session were occasional social drinkers... i wonder if the fundmentalists and evangelicals will ever be consistant with the actual bible that states unequivocally that EVERY green plant is good as ordained by God and that She did not curse the green plants when original sin cursed humankind & the earth itself that farming became work to overcome thorns and thistles....

by the way if you are poor and miseable or of heavy heart or perishing
strong drink and wine are biblically endorsed remedeys see proverbs chap31 verses 6-7 [ my 1850 bible uses poverty instead of poor but all the other conditional adjectives are the same and similar to the 1980 NIV
translation language]

[zolar]

wonder how long it'll take for the rest of family of the christian cchurch to remember that God ordained every green plant as good and She did not curse them with original sin as was cursed humankind and the earth itself that farming became toil and labor.....


by the way wine and beer are biblically endorsed remedies for perishing , heavy hearts , forgetting poverty and remembering misery no more
see proverbs chap 31 verses 6&7

and for those older folkas that think its some new liberal translation I took that language from an older translation {american bible society C. 1851
1854 edition} oldest usable bible i have big lectern style can be used as a weapon if thrown and able to crush small annoying yipping dogs ....

[Marianne]

That's interesting^^

[Urdedpal]

Amen LOL