Recreational Marijuana Use: How to Talk to Your Kids (From: Grandma Jeddah)

On January 1, 2018 recreational marijuana use will be legal in California. For many, that’s not a big deal at all. People have been using marijuana for “fun” for years if not centuries.

 

For Muslims, though, this should set off an alarm. Contemporary living has led to many unlawful practices becoming common activities--fornication, immoral dress attire, and gambling are several examples. We must continually warn our children about the harms of marijuana and it’s unlawfulness in Islam.

 

O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah ], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. Quran 5:90:

 

Just because our children are Muslims, this does not mean they will not succumb to the pressures within this society that lead to haram activities.

 

We must inform them of the tricks of Shaitan that are used to lead them toward such harmful substances. The door opener  for marijuana was that it was medicinal. From that premise, they made recreational use lawful, as well.

 

Of course, under necessity things that are forbidden are made lawful. If I am about to have an operation, I must have a strong substance to put me in a state of mind where the doctors can complete the operation. But this does not mean that the substances the doctors use are the only substances that can be used. Perhaps there are other substances that have no hallucinogenic or narcotic effect that have not been discovered or are not being produced because they will not be economically productive for pharmaceutical corporations. (These discoveries are something that our Muslim scientists can actually pursue, insha’Allah)

 

When the aspect of medicinal marijuana use is brought up, we parents must explain to our children several things.

 

1)      Are the medicinal claims accurate? The fields of medicine and science are not exact sciences. Their claims often change throughout time. The claims of the benefits of marijuana  may be unreliable.

2)      Does the good outweigh the harm? Pharmaceutical companies have produced numerous drugs that were used for extensive periods and are now known to be more harmful than beneficial.

3)      Are there other alternatives? There are many holistic methods of alleviating ailments that marijuana is alluded to help.

 

We do not have the leisure anymore of waiting until our children are teens before telling them about the harms of marijuana. There are now new forms of marijuana called edibles. These are marijuana baked goods and even candy. Because the potency of edibles is not uniform, even ingesting a small amount can lead to extreme erratic behavior such as jumping off of roofs. ¹

 

These products (similar to fruit flavored tobacco and alcoholic beverages) are geared toward our youth. But even young children can unsuspectingly come upon them or be lured or tempted by these dessert-treat-looking drugs.  

 

Marijuna use can lead to psychological, mental and emotional disorders. It is addictive and contributes to a lack of productivity and initiative. It is harmful to the body including the lungs and heart. These are just some of the problems we are aware of today.

 

If marijuna does have some benefit . . . does the good outweigh the harm or does the harm outweigh the good?

 

They ask you about [the] intoxicants and [the] games of chance Say, "In both of them (is) a sin great, and (some) benefits for [the] people. But sin of both of them (is) greater than (the) benefit of (the) two."   (2:219)

If your child can understand the conversation, begin talking to your kids today about the harms of drugs.
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Man jumps off roof after eating edibles

http://www.denverpost.com/2014/04/02/denver-coroner-man-fell-to-death-after-eating-marijuana-cookies/

 National Center for Biotechnology Information

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2886568/

Grandma Jeddah is the mother of 11 children and 16 grandchildren. She has taught hundreds of students for over 30 years at an Islamic school in Los Angeles, California. She has written dozens of parenting articles for Muslim magazines, newspapers and blogs.  She is the author of, Discipline without Disrespecting: Discover the Hidden Secrets of How to Effectively Discipline Your Muslim Child--And Keep Your Peace of Mind while at It.  Buy her e-book now at:  http://www.grandmajeddah.com/