Catholic Vote: Minnesota bishops issue pastoral guidance on marijuana usage

CV NEWS FEED // The Catholic bishops in Minnesota have issued pastoral guidance to help clergy and parishioners in the state avoid “falling into the trap of recreational and immoral drug use.” 

The Minnesota Catholic Conference published the document in light of the State Legislature’s decision last year to legalize recreational marijuana use and launch a statewide retail industry for the drug.

“Living in the Real: A Short Primer on the Risks of Marijuana Usage,” asserts to the faithful that while the state may have legalized the drug, “Catholics must also follow the moral law.” 

“Even though recreational marijuana use is now legal under Minnesota law, it does not mean it is moral,” the bishops stated in the document’s Q & A section. “We are called to abstain from using marijuana so that we can be full participants in the gift of life bestowed on us by God.” 

The bishops state in the document that while some might believe that marijuana is a harmless drug, in fact, “all consumption of marijuana-derived products for the purpose of altering one’s mental state, such as ‘getting high’ or ‘escaping’ is sinful.” 

They further declare that even small microdoses “can pose risks to one’s physical, mental, social, and spiritual health.” 

Only persons prescribed marijuana for health reasons under the guidance of a medical professional can use the drug without moral conflict, the document explains. 

Read the full article at Catholic Vote.