JOEL - I know of no recent formal statements from the Church against the use of medical marijuana; only general statements such as the following one against things containing habit-forming ingredients:
"the leaders of the Church have advised, and do now
specifically advise, against the use of any drink
containing harmful habit-forming drugs under
circumstances that would result in the acquiring of
the habit."
(1971 letter from Elder Joseph Anderson
Secretary to the First Presidency)
The key point as far as the Word of Wisdom is concerned is to avoid becoming addicted to any drug. Aside from some other harmful effects, Marijuana can be very addictive for about 10 to 14% of those who decide to use it. See this site.
There are other potentially addictive drugs that are
prescribed by doctors and used by LDS members all the
time. Many might argue that Marijuana would be
included with these as being safe if used under the
direction of their physician.
The problem is that those other drugs are legal while
there are federal laws against the use of marijuana
for any purpose. One can be arrested by federal
officials for posession of it, even though many states
have their own laws that allow it under certain
circumstances for medical use.
The question is, would it be proper for an active LDS
member to go against federal laws, even if it's for
medical reasons? This would be something that would
have to be decided between the member and God.
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