Curious on feelings

I understand this is a very diverse group, and this may not be allowed.

But I'm curious on how people feel about cannabis?

Some cultures sometimes uses different herbs and such as part of some rituals.

Ive watched and waited, im nervous about replying, as you say its a diverse group, my reply will resonate with some, but perhaps not all. But.

Courage: To have the will.

To be a Jedi sometimes means choosing the more difficult path, the personally expensive one. A Jedi knows they must make the right choice, take the right side and that the weak they have sworn to defend often stand alone. A Jedi puts aside fear, regret, and uncertainty yet knows the difference between courage and sheer stupidity.

First and foremost i make no judgment here, a question has been asked this answer is mine.

Your wallet and lungs are better off without it

Mileage will vary, this is my honest pov.

In most areas, it is illegal.

As per the Jedi Compass, "Jedi respect the Law".

HOWEVER...

When a law is unjust, and was put in place to hurt marginalized people? A Jedi shouldn't respect that, and in fact stand resolute alongside their brothers and sisters in the Force against such injustice.

Does it mean we have to use? No. Should we? It affects our judgement. It can affect our connection to what is. It can do a great many things. Some helpful, some not. So, really, its up to the individual to judge.

Just be wary of over-attachment to it.

I have no experience with cannabis, and can't rightly comment on its effects.

What I can say is that analysing the Jedi Path (or any element of it) as simply taking "the right side, making the right choice" feels to me to be, too much of a reduction. What is the "right" side of cannabis? Perhaps the effects of the drug will help some to feel more at ease with themselves despite how other people insult them, a temporary crutch as one goes about their work. This could be seen as the "more difficult" (and therefore in your view, more courageous), more useful path, giving oneself some tangible benefit at the expense of ones relationships with others, because one can see how those effects are beneficial in ones work. Perhaps the effects of the drug will help in ones imagining, one's contemplating, allowing one to construct powerful ideas and explanations of those ideas that go on to benefit the whole of the Temple for years to come. That too could be seen as a more difficult, more self-sacrificing path that goes on to benefit not only oneself, but ones fellows.

To imply that using cannabis is necessarily the easier, less courageous, less noble path in every circumstance is an assumption too far. Your advice that "Your wallet and lungs are better off without it" is perfectly reasonable and justified, but trying to back that up with Jedi dogma about always choosing the more courageous choice is not helpful. We don't know what circumstances someone may find themselves in, or what circumstances Angelsimpson finds themselves in, in particular. We don't know how such strict advice might be taken by someone who relies on cannabis and who may very well be extremely vulnerable. We must be sensitive and open to learning about peoples circumstances so that we can give genuine, targeted advice, not dogma.

I use to smoke a good bit of weed, i see it to be the lesser of tow evil, during my life i ve stopped bit by bit different habits like alcohol, alcohol can take the best out of people and really impaire people s ability in many ways. But everything is about balance with the force so there s nothing wrong with a little of alcohol ! i gave up cigarettes too , i mean in this days and age they have become a drug full of harmful chemicals with no good side at all, as Jedis we must look after our body so avoiding Tabaco could be a very good thing. I used to smoke weed as well, i usually did not mix it with tabaco, it did help me at times of my life when i was out of a nad accident, i had nothing to do but get better, i had trouble sleeping and cannabis was the perfect thing at the time. I spent 3 months in hospital where i was under so much pain and sleeping meds, those really disrupted my health, sleeping pattern etc so in the end i think of cannabis not to be that damaging. But again we must talk about balance, too much of a good thing doesnt make good anymore, or i could say : less is more. At least Cannabis has less bad effect on people as it doesnt give a physical addiction, but it can give a psychological one. I had a very good friend who admitted not to want to enjoy his life if he did not have his daily weed.
I did anyway gave up cannabis too ! i feel all the better by not smoking anything or drinking alcohol. But this is my choice ,every one must decide for them self and meditate about what is the Force is about !

Shepherd wrote: To imply that using cannabis is necessarily the easier, less courageous, less noble path in every circumstance is an assumption too far. Your advice that "Your wallet and lungs are better off without it" is perfectly reasonable and justified, but trying to back that up with Jedi dogma about always choosing the more courageous choice is not helpful..

My use of the quote, was in reference to my own reluctance to comment, as i said i was nervous about even answering.

Misjudged me you have

Firstly, I do not understand how making a bold and decisive statement about the monetary and health-related effects of using cannabis has any reference at all to your reluctance to comment. It comes across as sure and decided, not contemplative, skeptical or doubtful.

Secondly, if you were nervous about answering, perhaps it would have behooved you to take more time before you answered. That is not to say that you should not have answered, but simply forgetting your reluctance, willing yourself to ignore your own doubts without facing up to the reality of those doubts and addressing them as they are (that is, truly accepting that you have doubts and asking why you have those doubts) does not mean you have properly addressed your uncertainty. You have pointed out the virtue of courage, and here I would direct you to it to consider it more fully.

How did you overcome your reluctance to comment, your worries about the ramifications of your comment? Did you address that reluctance as reluctance, asking where this reluctance was coming from? Or, did you manifest will (that is, Passion) to empower your decision to comment, and do so without regards for your instinctual reluctance? When speaking of the Jedi Way, when giving advice to other seekers on the Path or "laymen" alike, we should try to speak from a place where there is no Passion, there is Serenity. We should not give advice based purely on instinct, or purely on personal experience or belief, or purely upon the words of others (be they mentors or otherwise). We must synthesize our gut, our experience and our tutelage to create something that does not Passionately come from any one place, but Serenely manifests from all places.

There is a Middle Way between answering surely despite reluctance and choosing not to answer out of this reluctance, or fear. I am not sure you have trod that path well in this instance.

Angelsimpson wrote: But I'm curious on how people feel about cannabis?

I feel that every person has a right to come to their own conclusions about it. We have other drugs that are more harmful and still perfectly legal, so that's a point to consider. On the other hand, evidence is still not conclusive on the benefits and harms of recreational use.

Like with any other thing, I would caution against the development of psychological dependency on any substance as a way of coping with life. The typical "pothead" is not using it for ritual, they are using it for escapism.

Jedi do not respect unjust and inhumane laws.

Only the abuse of a substance can be wrong - not its proper use. Proper use will vary widely among individuals. There is no one size fits all.

People take vacations, go to the movies, read books, etc to escape. What's wrong with getting away from it all for awhile?

Br. John wrote: Jedi do not respect unjust and inhumane laws.

Only the abuse of a substance can be wrong - not its proper use. Proper use will vary widely among individuals. There is no one size fits all.

People take vacations, go to the movies, read books, etc to escape. What's wrong with getting away from it all for awhile?

Yousa point is well seen.

I think there is a valid distinction to be made between use and abuse. When consumption becomes pathological (abuse), that's what to stay clear of.

I do recommend people in their teens stay away from substances. Habits are easier to form as coping mechanisms. I was lucky never to be exposed to alcohol or drugs until my mid-twenties.