What does God have to do with cannabis (marijuana)?

There is no mention of hemp, cannabis, or

marijuana in our modern translations of the Bible. Or at least not in the three versions of the Bible
in my possession, which are a Gideon's Bible, the King James version, and the New World
Translation of the Holy Scriptures used by the Jehovah Witness faith. There is a lot of symbolism
attached to the text of the Bible and many different interpretations. Perhaps there is mention of
this plant buried within the metaphoracal verses.

But before I discuss why I believe God tells us about cannabis in the Bible, I must first briefly
attack the subject of politics, big business, and cannabis in modern times in order to convey a
complete understanding of the Bible verses I cite later in this article.

There have been tens of thousands of medical studies done during the last decade to determine
if the cannabis plant (marijuana, hemp, ganja, weed, pot, dope) has any healing properties and
also as to its level of risk. These studies have been conducted by highly respected and
competent universities and independent research facilities.

When someone says to me they cannot be in favor of marijuana unless more testing is done on it
to determine the risk, I scoff. How many more research studies do we need to recognize the truth
about this much-maligned plant? How many more chapters of history must we review to realize
that the hemp plant has always been widely used and accepted worldwide, not only as medicine,
but also as a source for textiles, rope, food, and more... until more recently. Many countries
continue to openly accept this plant as a renewable source of healing and enlightenment and as a
means of sustenance.

One strong trend has emerged from all those thousands of studies. There is an undisputable truth
which has made itself known. The results of these research studies has proven that the fruit
(buds) and leaves of the marijuana plant contain medicinal and healing properties. Testing a wide
variety of diseases and illnesses, over a broad spectrum of test subjects, including humans, the
results have been astounding! Every single study documented healing and improvement in their
test subjects, much of the time with unexpectedly dramatic results!

Also, as a direct result of these studies, it is now a well accepted fact among the medical
community that cannabis is NOT physically addictive and sudden discontinuance of the use of
cannabis causes little or no withdrawal or discomfort. Researchers also agree that the use of
cannabis is actually less toxic and poisonous to the body and far less dangerous than alcohol and
tobacco.

Did you also know that pharmaceutical companies aren't really in business to heal and cure the
sick. If they were, they'd put themselves right out of business, wouldn't they? If there were a cure
for cancer developed or discovered, it would not be in the best interests of the big pharmaceutical
companies to embrace it, considering a huge portion of their profits comes from prescription
drugs, chemotherapy cocktails, etc. used to treat cancer. Not to mention the over-the-counter
concoctions intended to treat every sort of ailment also contributes a sizable portion of profit as
well.

All prescription drugs come with government-mandated patient information sheets. This is the
disclosure which reveals to you the side effects, risks, and dangers you may experience if you
take the medicine. It is meant to legally inform you that you may be poisoned or even die if you
take the drug. It's a simple disclaimer that shows you were made totally aware of the risks and of
your own free will, you killed yourself with their medicine. A fairly simple concept, isn't it? As long
as they inform you that you may die in advance, it won't really be their fault.

In 2007 Harvard University released results of a study they conducted on mice stricken with
cancer. Which brings an interesting point to mind...did you know that when conducting research
on cancer and other diseases in lab animals that the researchers will actually infect the test
subject with disease cells. I just feel that's a point worth bringing to your attention. If "they" can
infect animals with cancer, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases, "they" also know how to infect
humans with the same diseases.

These Harvard researchers administered cannabis smoke to lab mice infected with cancer.
Amazingly, even to the surprise of the researchers, the tumors in the test subjects began to
shrink rapidly! With continued dosing, the tumors were reduced by 50% or more, and in some
instances, disappeared entirely! Even the number of tumors in the test subjects were reduced.

Clearly, there is a compound of some sort in cannabis, whether it is THC or any of the other
cannabinoids, or simply a perfect combination of all of the properties of the plant just as God
created it...whatever it is that's in cannabis, it most definitely has a promising future as a cancer
cure and as a treatment for a huge number of diseases and illnesses, as has been proven by all
this research.

The big pharmaceutical companies haven't yet figured out how to gain control over this miracle
plant. They've succeeded in helping to ban access to it for most Americans for many decades. It
does, after all, have the potential to turn the huge pharmaceutical conglomerates upside down.

These companies know this and will use their clout to block every attempt to legalize marijuana
for the general population. Heaven forbid we heal ourselves, as the Bible stated we should.
These greedy pharmaceutical companies want to control the health of the population because
that is how they control their profits.

People say to me, "it's a gateway drug and leads to hard stuff". It's been proven that is false.
Marijuana does not push you toward using addictive drugs any more than drinking milk makes a
person crave alcohol. It's a ridiculous theory based on lies. It's actually the drug dealers which
lead you to the hard drugs. They're after a profit too.

People claim legalizing marijuana will lead to the corruption of our society and there will be drug
addicts lying in the streets everywhere. Puh-leeeze! Obviously these people have never heard of
Amsterdam, where marijuana has been legal for years and years and that city is certainly not a
crime-ridden pile of filth by any stretch of the imagination. It is a prime example that proves this
line of reasoning is totally false.

Enough of the politics of cannabis. You now have a good background of information to fully
understand how and why I connect God to cannabis and hemp.

My religious roots are in Christianity, though I've studied the beliefs of many other religions to
some extent and read many of their teachings and writings. If I had to claim any one religion as
my own, the one I most closely relate to, I would probably have to say none of them. I have my
own set of beliefs, which takes a little from many different faiths, and which in my heart most
closely adheres to the teachings of God, my Creator.

Some may read this article and call me a lunatic. Some may say I spout blasphemy. But in all
reality, do ANY ONE of us truly and honestly know what happens to us after death...where we
came from...or if God even truly exists? Do any one of us, beyond a shadow of a doubt,
completely and totally understand the meaning of the Bible AS GOD MEANT IT.

No we don't. We only possess the knowledge and wisdom, the truths and lies which have been
passed down to us through the ages. No one knows for sure if any religion or faith actually has it
totally right. So who's to say my beliefs are wrong? It is part of God's plan...that mankind must
accept one another and love and respect all living things without judgment, for only God is judge.

I believe in living in peace and harmony with all that is in the world. I believe that is what our
Creator intended for mankind. I believe we are all brothers and sisters, no matter if we're black,
white, green, or purple and that no one should cause any harm in any way to any living thing.
I believe we should take better care of the earth, for mankind has been entrusted with this
treasure and we must preserve it and nurture it. We should not be depleting our natural resources
or destroying our wildlife as we are in modern times. It goes against God's commandments.

Those are my basic beliefs. Peace, love, and harmony among all living things. Simple. Well, it
ought to be simple but there are perpetual evil forces working against that philosophy.

I don't claim to be an expert in any one religion, only a dabbler in many. I also don't claim to be an
expert on the Bible, though I've studied and read it for many, many years. Having attended many
different churches throughout my lifetime, with their roots all in Christianity, I've come to realize
the Bible's interpretation varies widely within the Christian religion.

I've come to believe that perhaps people have one important spiritual symbol interpreted
incorrectly. This symbol or icon crops up in many different philosophies and faiths and the
meanings attached to this symbol are varied. The symbol I speak of is the Tree of Life.

The Tree of Life's meaning may be perceived somewhat differently by different cultures, belief
systems, and faiths, but the underlying message from them all is basically the same...unity of
heaven and earth and all living things and that we humans should strive to live in harmony within
the world in which we live.

I have my own interpretation of the meaning behind the Tree of Life, an interpretation based on
the Bible, but cross-referenced with different religions. I was surprised to learn there are two
accepted religions who share my interpretation of this symbol. The Rastafari movement and
some Coptic Christians also believe as I do, at least as far as the meaning of the Tree of Life is
concerned.

"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all
the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat." (i.e. a
source of food and nourishment) [Genesis 1:29].

"And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth
upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat and it was so. And
God saw every thing that he had made; and behold, it was good. And the evening and the
morning were the sixth day." [Genesis 1:30-31]

So here it is said that God has given us every green herb to nourish all living beings. God didn't
say he gives us ALMOST all the green herbs. No, God clearly said he gave us ALL of them and it
was good. He gave us one very special plant, the Tree of Life, which he planted in the center of
the garden of Eden.

Obviously a tree which grants life would be a treasure desired by all creatures. Just the name,
Tree of Life, holds a connotation of immortality. Indeed, Revelations 22:14 says, "Blessed are
those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter
through the gates into the city."

The Ten Commandments are God's laws meant to teach mankind to live in peace and harmony.
Those who keep His commandments will be rewarded with the tree of llife and allowed to enter
the Kingdom of God.

Verses 1 and 2 of the 22nd chapter of Revelations says, "And he showed me a pure river of water
of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its
street and on either side of the river was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree
yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
Let's analyze these two verses. Forget what you may have learned in Sunday School and
catechism classes, and let's assume that instead of the tree of life symbolically representing the
concept of peace and harmony, that the Bible is referring to an actual tree, or tree-like plant.

God told us in Genesis he gave us all herbs (plants) bearing seed, which of course, includes
trees. Some herbaceous plants can grow as large and as tall as trees. He gave those plants the
ability to produce seed in order that we may use the plants for sustenance, yet not deplete the
supply. With seeds, we can always grow more plants.

The river flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb represents the life force he breathed
into all living things and the Lamb, of course, represents God's ideal for earth...peace and
harmony.

The tree of life referred to in these verses grows prolifically, as it is written that they grow along
the roads and the rivers. This tree bears twelve fruits, yielding every month, and it's leaves are for
the healing of the nations. This tree bears abundantly, has healing properties, and it is easily
grown.

I believe the tree of life referred to in these Bible verses actually refers to the hemp, (cannabis)
plant. To me, the reference is obvious. We all know hemp has been on earth since the beginning
of time and that it was used for many different purposes over the centuries by many different
cultures all over the world. Obviously hemp was grown and used during Biblical times as well.

Certain strains of hemp (cannabis) can be grown to tree-size heighth and it's easily grown in all
parts of the world. Cannabis has obvious healing properties, as the results of the aforementioned
studies proves.

As for the monthly yield this biblical tree is said to bear, I believe this refers to the natural
production of buds on the cannabis plant. If one were to grow a cannabis plant to tree proportions
and trim it every month, it would yield every month. Consider the following Bible verse:

"For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a
clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. For afore the harvest, when
the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with
pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches." [Isaiah 18:4-5]

The verse tells us the Lord Jesus rested in his dwelling place...clear heat upon herbs...like a
"cloud of dew in the heat of harvest." Heat upon herbs refers, of course, to burning or heating
herbs in some manner. The cloud of dew metaphor is fairly obvious when taken in context with
applying heat to herbs. It refers to the smoke produced from heating the herbs, just as a misty
cloud rises from the dew on a field of grain in the heat of the morning sun.

Cutting the sprigs with pruning hooks is a reference to harvesting the buds of the plant which is
heated or smoked. The stems are taken away, but likely used for another purpose. All cannabis
smokers know you smoke the buds and not the stems and that stems are useful for making other
items.

Which brings us to the reference of the twelve fruits. There is no such tree which produces twelve
different actual fruits such as pears, apples, peaches, etc. I believe the twelve fruits is a metaphor
for twelve products derived from the plant. During Biblical times cannabis would have been used
twelve different ways; as clothing, paper, cord, sails, fishnet, oil, sealant, incense, food, fuel for
fire, as a commodity for trade, and as medicine.

The Bible also prophesies the controversy over marijuana. The apostol Paul says, "In the later
times some shall speak lies in hypocrisy, commanding to abstain from the meats which God hath
created to be received with thanksgiving for them which I believe and know the truth. For it is
sanctified by the word of God and prayer. [1 Timothy 1-5]

Another reference to a healing plant, which again I believe refers to hemp (cannabis) is found in
Ezekiel 47:12 which states: "Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of tree with
leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear fruit every month, because this
water comes from the sanctuary and their fruit will be good to eat and will be medicinal."

The medicinal properties of cannabis are also derived, not only from smoking it or breathing in the
vapors, but also as food and many different foods can be made from cannabis. Healthy foods
with high levels of antioxidants.

Those who use cannabis report a mild feeling of euphoria, i.e. the "high". But it is also reported
that this feeling is not as pronounced as one may be led to believe. There is no feeling of floating
or anything of that nature. Most users claim the "high" is simply a pleasant, happy feeling that is
better than the false sense of happiness offered by any antidepressant on the market today and
without the harsh side effects.

Cannabis is the plant of peace, no doubt, for those who partake of it feel a oneness with nature
and a feeling of being at peace and in harmony. It is reported that a feeling of love and
connectedness to the "grand scheme of things" is felt.

Is this not the biggest concept taught in the Bible...that of peace, love, and harmony? And
amazingly enough, one of the plants God gave to us during the Creation is a plant that can impart
exactly that frame of mind to those who use it. Is this a coincidence? I don't think so. I sincerely
believe God meant for mankind to partake of the cannabis plant and reap all the benefits it has to
offer, including its ability to make one happy and at peace with the world.

This sense of happiness and its connection to the tree of life is mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
According to this text, sometime between 600 and 592 B.C., the tree of life is shown to Lehi and
also to his son, Nephi, in a dream or vision. Lehi's description of the tree (1 Nephi 8:10) states "a
tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy."

His son, Nephi, sought to learn from the Spirit what the tree of life he'd seen in his dream
represented. "10 And he said unto me: What desirest thou? 11 And I said unto him: To know the
interpretation thereof."

A vision is shown to Nephi of Mary with baby Jesus in her arms and the Spirit says to Nephi: "21
Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of
the tree which thy father saw? 22 And I answered him saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which
sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable of
things. 23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul."

Within the practice of psychology, the tree of life is viewed as symbolic of lifetime growth and
development of both the psyche and spirit. The fruits and flowers of the tree represent the
emergence of a mature personality which can provide a gift to the wider world.

Cannabis users report experiences of feeling relaxed and at peace, clear of stress, which opens
their minds to deep meditation and contemplation. Users report a feeling of closeness to God and
to earth. They regard the use of cannabis as a form of spiritual enlightenment which clears their
minds and hearts of all evil and brings a positive energy to their lives.

Does modern religion have it all wrong? When Paul speaks in 1 Timothy about the hyprocrisy and
lies in later times, was he speaking about the prohibition of hemp and cannabis? The laws of men
which commands us to abstain "from meats which God hath created to be received with
thanksgiving"...is that a direct reference to the War on Drugs?
Proverbs 3:13-18 tells us that the man who finds wisdom and gains understanding shall be
happy. For the reward of wisdom and understanding is "better than the profits of silver, and her
gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot
compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, (longevity of life, health) in her left hand
riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree
of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who retain her."

The time is now to end the tyranny over a plant that God has provided to mankind for sustenance
and for healing. It's time to undo the evilness of greedy men who become rich by pushing their
poisonous prescription medicines down the throats of the meek. For it is God's will that the meek
shall inherit the earth.

Deborah Willis
Copyright 2010
All Rights Reserved