Marijuana News

Philippines Catholic Church Supports Medical Marijuana, Source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6dKQTchkJaA/TAnEa5LOEQI/AAAAAAAATI8/kdOxL7DIDc4/s1600/Cardinal+Vidal.jpgDespite a recent decree from Pope Francis admonishing marijuana use, the Catholic Church of the Philippines has come out in support of medical marijuana.

This is of particular importance because it is a rare thing for any diocese to go against the overarching wishes of the Holy See. I am encouraged to see groups of people thinking for themselves and doing the right thing, regardless of anachronistic dogma or sociopolitical pressure.

“As the Church itself states, it supports the medicinal use of cannabis because it stands to help many people. The reasoning of the Church is focused on the more merciful aspects of the plant and it is not for nothing that the proposed bill is entitled “Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act”. It was submitted in May of this year by Member of Parliament,  Rodolfo Albano III. The most amazing aspect of this is perhaps how clearly and vocally representatives of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines have spoken. In a press release, archbishop and chairman of the conference Sócrates Villegas expressed himself as follows: “Catholic health care ethics, in fact, considers as morally justifiable the use of marijuana for terminal cancer patients in severe pain.” Medical marijuana should be legal around the world. There are suffering patients in the Philippines just as there are in every other country. If these patients can find some relief in medical marijuana, they should be allowed to do so. If these patients don’t want to ruin their organs by using harmful pharmaceuticals, and would rather use a safer alternative in medical marijuana, they should be allowed to do so.”

I was raised in the Catholic church and their attitudes on key issues is one of the main things that drove me from the pews. If religious leaders can get their heads on straight regarding cannabis, we have a decent chance of changing minds. I was especially struck by the emphasis on compassion at the heart of their rationale. Compassion should guide their hand in every action. I hope that one day we can expand this thought within the larger church community.