The Hebrew qenêh-ḇōśem in Exodus 30:23 is the “sweet cane” of Scripture, probably the Andropogon calamus aromatics, native to India. The argument is that the qaneh-bosem of Exodus 30:22–29 is, in fact, a reference to cannabis, 7 and that the common view that it should be translated “sweet calamus” is a mistranslation. Such a practice in the Israelite cultus to heighten communication with Yahweh is not found, even though the text of Exodus 30:22–29 is posited as an example of ceremonial use. Galen, the ancient doctor, for example, speaks at length of medical applications of intoxicating drugs (see also medical texts such as Celsus, De medicina Prooemium 1.37). Whether used in Israel, it is well known 6 that drugs from plants were tied both to medical applications and pagan activities, including especially magic. 5 It is true that as early as 5000 BC what was called a “joy plant,” possibly cannabis, was indulged in to induce sleep or a trance. The argument has been made that the reference to herbs in Isaiah 18:4–5 concerns the cannabis plant, but it simply does not use a designation that defines the term as hemp. Although its mention by name is uncertain, little question exists that the hemp plant was used in the Ancient Near East, and likely in Israel, in a variety of ways, other than as a drug, such as textiles, cords, incense, oils, and even seeds used for food. There Is Evidence of the Use of Drugs in the Ancient Near East, Including Israel. The Hebrew maṭṭā ʿ lešēm that the KJV translates as “plant of renown” should rather be translated in regards to the place of planting and not to the plants themselves.
Second, there is no indication in the context of Ezekiel 34:29 or Revelation 22:1–2 that the hemp plant is in view, but in Ezekiel 34:29, marijuana supporters have based their thinking on a wrong translation of the Hebrew. Remember that hemlock and poison mushrooms are part of creation but are deadly as food. It may be that its intended use is for various products that do not involve ingestion.
One must use wisdom in discerning the use of something made by God. 22:1–2).įirst, I agree that God created everything, but this argument does not address the problem that not all plants that are part of creation are edible, or the fact that the original creation was impacted by sin, so that some things created may no longer be in their original state. 3 Much is made about the statement, found in the KJV, which supposedly speaks of hemp being the plant spoken of in Ezekiel 34:29, called a “plant of renown,” which would heal (Rev. 2 In Genesis 1:29–31, the Bible further indicates that all herbs are given for food. Consequently, the plant called hemp is proper for Christians to use for food, medicine, and enjoyment (Gen. Purportedly the Bible supports the use of all the various seeds and herbs because they were created and blessed by God and could not be wrong to use. The Biblical Text Used to Support the Use of Cannabis. They even tout biblical texts, or ancient practice, to support their thesis. There are currently a plethora of websites, often quoting each other to the point of plagiarism, that seek to support the ethics of using marijuana. Though the medical and scientific evidence regarding marijuana is important, my focus in this article relates to whether the Bible truly supports its use by believers.
These Christians believe that the Bible supports use of the drug or, at the least, marijuana is no more sinful than the use of other drugs that Christians imbibe, such as tobacco, coffee, and alcohol. Separate from the medical question discussed above, there is also now a change in how many Christians have come to the defense of the use of marijuana, arguing that Scripture supports its use. There are many political, medical, and scientific responses to this change in the acceptance of pot, but the evidence is still strongly against such usage. This has caused individual states to decriminalize the use of marijuana. The debate regarding the use of marijuana has heated up considerably in recent years. For further information or to subscribe to the C HRISTIAN R ESEARCH J OURNAL go to:
THE CANNABIS GROW BIBLE NEW EDITION COMIMG PDF
The full text of this article in PDF format can be obtained by clicking here. This article first appeared in the Practical Hermeneutics column of the C HRISTIAN R ESEARCH J OURNAL, volume 38, number 05 (2015).