Igros Moshe (YD III:35) Concerning the matter that some guys from the yeshiva started smoking marijuana. It is clearly forbidden according to several basic principles the Torah. it is clear that it spoils and destroys the body, and even if healthy people are found that it does not harm them that much, but it still spoils the mind so they cannot understand things properly. This latter problem is even more serious aside from the fact that a person is prevented from learning the Torah properly it also interferes with prayer and the mitzvos of the Torah that he does without proper knowledge it is as if he didn’t do them. Moreover, it causes a great desire which is more than the desire for eating and other physical needs that a person needs to live. And there are those who can not control this desire So creating it involves the problem seen in the rebellious child (ben sorrer) which results in his execution even if he only eats kosher food. So clearly it is prohibited to create this great desire in himself! In addition there is no necessity to create this desire and thus it is prohibited. While it might not incur the punishment of beating but it is clearly prohibited. In addition it causes great anguish to the parents so he also violates the mitzva of honoring his parents. He also violates the command of being holy according to the Ramban as well it brings about many other prohibitions. Bottom line, it is clearly one of the more serious prohibitions. It is thus necessary to strive with all your might to remove this impurity from all Jews in particular from yeshiva students.
Some of the GRMP's teshuvos didn't age well. His early ones on smoking and heart transplants, for example because we discovered that smoking was way worse than we thought back then and heart transplants because a lot more successful.
ReplyDeleteThis one remains spot on because cannabis today is more potent than it was when this was written and the knowledge we have now on how it damages developing adolescent brains and the link with a lifetime risk of psychotic illness makes it that much more important to handle.
But on the other hand, medicinal use of cannabidiol for various conditions is a subject of much research while THC remains an excellent drug for treating intractable nausea. So for medicinal purposes, there is use fo cannabis.
It's a good teshuva.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I could have told you that when I was 15. I could also have told you that smoking tobacco is harmful to your health.
who permits it ?
ReplyDelete