The Great Marijuana Smoke Screen

I know I stated in my last message that we were going to go through a 13-part series dealing with end time word and term definitions but then this other message popped into my mind which I thought more important considering the increasing level of Marijuana smokers that we are seeing. We will get to the 13-part series after this message… I think.

Now this message is not going to blow smoke up your chimney, but in fact will address a growing concern that I have for those who are deceptively under Marijana’s deception. 

I speak from experience as I was a smoker of the first degree. I smoked the purest most potent forms of Marijuana concentrates available. And what comes with that is the most potent forms of brain fog and this deceptive belief that you will actually still be a traditional normal thinking person even under, no but, and but especially under its powerful influence.

If I have any smokers out there, I hope you will listen to this message from beginning to end because I know from experience that you will not seek the input about this very addictive habit from anyone at all. Just like thieves are most comfortable among other thieves, and liars are most comfortable among other liars. Marijuana addicts are most comfortable around other Marijuana addicts. 

So, let’s get some factoids in front of us shall we:

According to the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released by SAMHSA, approximately 43.8 million to 44.6 million Americans (ages 12 and older) use marijuana regularly, while 61.6 million have used it within the past year. 

Key Usage Statistics

• Daily Users: An estimated 21.4 million Americans use marijuana on a daily or near-daily basis, surpassing daily cigarette smokers (19.9 million) and daily drinkers (17.2 million). 
• Past-Year Use: About 21.2% of the U.S. population aged 12 and older (61.6 million people) reported using cannabis in the past year. 

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SPEAKER_00 0:14

Hello, this is Kenya Podcast Preacher. Welcome back to my podcast, Deep Wires. This podcast is brought to you by a Five Strength Ministry, where we believe working together on our strengths is the effect of working out the will and calling of God and into our lives. Thanks for joining me. Let's open up in prayer. God, we thank you for today and for the opportunity to grow. We pray that you would give us a revelation within this message that you intend on us receiving with the understanding. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. The title of this message is The Great Marijuana Smoke Screen. I know I stated in my last message that we were going to go through a 13-part series dealing with end-time word and term definitions. But then this other message popped into my mind, which I thought more important considering the increasing level of marijuana smokers that we are seeing. We will get to the 13-part series after this message. I think. Now this message is not going to blow smoke up your chimney, but in fact will address a growing concern that I have for those who are deceptively under marijuana deception. I speak from experience as I was a smoker of the first degree. I smoke the purest, most potent forms of marijuana concentrates available. And what comes with that is the most potent forms of brain fog and this deceptive belief that you will actually still be a traditional, normal thinking person, even under no but and but especially under its powerful influence. If I have any smokers out there, I hope you will listen to this message from the beginning to the end, because I know from experience that you will not seek the input about this very addictive habit from anyone at all. Just like thieves are most comfortable among other thieves, and liars are most comfortable among other liars, marijuana addicts are most comfortable around other marijuana addicts. So let's get some factoids in front of us, shall we? According to the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released by SAM HSA, approximately 43.8 million to 44.6 million Americans, ages 12 and older, use marijuana regularly, while 61.6 million have used it within the past year. Key usage statistics, daily users, an estimated 21.4 million Americans use marijuana on a daily or near-daily basis, surpassing daily cigarette smokers 19.9 million and daily drinkers 17.2 million. Past year use, about 21.2 of the U.S. population age 12 or older, 61.6 million people reported using cannabis in the past year. The demographics. Regular use is highest among young adults aged 15 to 25, 8.4 million people. Gallup poll trends. Recent Gallup poll data shows that 17% of the U.S. adults explicitly report smoking marijuana, representing an all-time high. No pun intended. Okay, so well I dared ask the question, how many Christian marijuana smokers do we have in the USA? The overall use. Recent data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that about 43.8 million Americans age twelve and older use marijuana regularly. That's a bit redundant, but here we go. Christian demographics polling from organizations like the Public Religion Research Institute indicate that roughly forty five percent of Christian young adults and varying percentages of older Christians have used or tried marijuana. Notice it says Christians and doesn't refer to people before they were saved. This is after they were saved. Cultural shifts. While a majority of traditional Protestant and evangelical pastors view getting high as morally wrong, general public and Pew Research Center data show that many everyday churchgoers do not view cannabis consumption as a sin, especially for medical purposes. Because major health and census surveys track marijuana use by age, race, and general geography rather than specific religious denomination or personal faith compliance, an exact headcount does not exist. Do you see anything in contradiction with this okay to smoke belief in the church today? By the way, this data leaves out those who would never take such a survey, as they are secret smokers who don't want to be unjustly judged for their smoking. And well, who can blame them? I didn't say I approve of their secret smoking position, but because the church doesn't deal so well with the world issues at hand, it can create unnecessary caution and tension in the sheep. Now we're going to be looking at some definitions of marijuana so that we can see the truths and what the smoking marijuana is, beginning with its strengths, potency, mental effects, cognitive effects, and any carcinogens, and ending with any long-term side effects. That may exist in this nasty habit. Stay with me because the truth will set you free. John eight thirty four through thirty six, and marijuana only pretends to set you free, John eight forty four, from things like depression, worry, and anxiety. Matthew six twenty five through thirty four. Jesus points out that worry cannot add a single hour to a person's life, concluding with which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. What is this saying? Do not. That's what it is saying, right? He even tells us why, which is that because we have enough to handle in this very today. Leave tomorrow to itself, as God can change tomorrow based on your faith today. And if so, you would have wasted a lot of time worrying for nothing. Besides, worrying changes nothing. In other words, worrying doesn't solve the problem, it just keeps you from solving it. Smoking marijuana might dole your worrying in you for a minute, but it will increase it even beyond normal because marijuana gives you other things to worry about. Philippians four, six through seven. The Apostle Paul writes, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God, promising peace in return. So the real solution is to pray and submit your petition to the only one who can answer your petition and prayers. Give God thanks for all that He is doing and will do in your life. So why don't people enter into the real solution? Because it would require faith to believe that God truly has their best interests at heart. It is a sinful and rebellious person that does not trust God's methods, which means that they cannot enter his purpose and freedom for their lives. What is rebellion? Samuel fifteen twenty three. For rebellion is as a sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry, because you have rejected the word of the Lord. He also has rejected you from being king. He's talking about King Saul there. Believers are instructed to cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Pot doesn't care for you. It's a weapon of the devil. You can say, well, it's natural and God created it. Yep, he also created the devil. And he's not natural. Peter also tells us how to take care of our cares. What does it mean to cast your cares on God? Well let's look. In first Peter 5 7, the original Greek uses specific, vivid words that show a call to completely and permanently hand over your worries to an active, loving God. The key words this means to throw something into an object, like tossing a coat over a donkey's back. It implies a single, decisive action rather than a slow, ongoing process. You throw the weight off of yourself and on to God once and for all. The word anxiety, this noun comes from a root word meaning to divide into parts, or pull in different directions. Anxiety describes a state of mind that is fractured and torn apart by worries and cares. The verb translated as cares means to pay close attention, give thoughtful consideration, and feel deep personal concern for somebody. God is not distant, his care is active and focused directly on you. So the deeper meaning is Peter tells believers to stop letting worries fracture their minds. Instead they should take every heavy pulling concern and toss the whole load onto God in a single firm act of trust. The reason given? Because he cares for you. That statement uses a Greek term showing that God constantly watches over and deeply minds your well being. Releasing worry is an act of humility, admitting you cannot carry the weight of life alone while trusting the one who actively watches over you. Do you see that God doesn't leave us without solutions in life for our cares and worries? Luke twelve twenty two through thirty one. A parallel message to Matthew six where Jesus repeats the teachings about the ravens and lilies to comfort those stressed about provision. Then he said to his disciples, therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn, and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to your stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin, and yet I say to you that even Solomon, in all of his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field, and tomorrow is thrown in the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind, for all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God first, and all these things shall be added to you. Some key things in the scriptures dealing with is how we used to think before we were saved, and then commanding us to stay away from worry and anxiety, as this is not from God, but it is due to our lack of faith and trust in the one who made us the promise, that He will take care of us throughout our lives. He even takes care of those things which we used to worry about before we got saved. So why do we still worry about them if we are indeed saved? Psalm fifty five twenty two encourages readers to cast your cares upon the Lord, and He will sustain you. Another answer is as the same thing that was stated before, so start casting and stop smoking the lie that God just doesn't care about you or that he doesn't take care of his own. Alright, back to the marijuana using in place of faith, trusting God with all of our heart, strength, soul, and mind. Mark twelve thirty. The Bible states sin is fun for a minute, but then it eventually rears its ugly head. Hebrews eleven twenty five. This is talking about Moses, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Notice that the pleasure of sin passes, which means initially it looks great, like drinking one or two beers, but after the seventh or eighth beer, that pleasure has passed, and now you're in trouble. Or that woman or man that you slept with may have been fun for the night, but the next day you find out that you have some kind of disease on your private parts. So again, this is talking about Moses. Yes, he could have stayed in a position in Egypt and enjoyed all the benefit that comes with his position in Egypt, but rather than do that, he chose a lesser road traveled and decided he would rather be in the will of God than enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. Was it a tough choice? Yes. Just read about the price he had to pay leading those people into their promised land. This lie, that is, that smoking is the answer from God, or that it will be okay, or that more specifically did God really say anything about marijuana and what we should do with it. This is the same strategy that the Antichrist has been setting up in his earthly rule at the end of times, right? The first three and a half years of the tribulation, he will be speaking all manners of lies to convince the world that everything will be okay now, now that he is on the scene. But then like in the garden, the consequences of believing the lie is that of a real separation from God and his truths. Eve did it, and we are no different today. Marijuana separates you from God. It does not increase your relationship with him in any way. I am speaking from experience, my friends. The primary biblical basis for the seven year timeline and the initial peace is Daniel nine twenty seven, which states that a ruler, often identified by dispensational theologians as the Antichrist, shall confirm a covenant with many for one week, week of years meaning a seven year period. The first half of it, this covenant is understood as a peace treaty involving Israel, allowing relative security and the resumption of temple sacrifices. The middle point, the verse adds that in the middle of the week at three and a half years, he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. This marks the breaking of the treaty and the start of intense persecution, the abomination of desolation. So like Pot, it's good in the beginning, but as you get past that first part, its end is nothing but bad, bad, bad. Look, it's even in the New Testament, peace and safety, Thessalonians three. The apostle Paul writes When they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. Estiological teachers often connect this verse to the false, short lived global peace that characterizes the beginning of the seven year tribulation period before conditions drastically worsen. During this time, no matter how much you smoke marijuana, it will in no way reduce the stress or outcome of the events or make them go away. Sooner or later, you are going to have to deal with what is happening on this planet within your own neighborhood. Don't buy into the lie that the devil is selling through this false escape. Let me say that if you struggle with any of the aft mentioned, then you are not alone. Elijah felt intense exhaustion, fear, and a wish to die after facing threats from Queen Jezebel. God met his physical needs with food, sleep, and gentle reassurance. Job experienced massive loss, physical pain, and days haunted by deep gloom. Job three, twenty through twenty six and thirty, sixteen through seventeen. He voiced profound sorrow directly to God. David, he wrote many psalms expressing a broken spirit, weeping and inner turmoil. Psalm forty two five and Psalm chapter fifty one. He modeled pouring out honest grief to God rather than hiding it. Hannah suffered deep emotional pain and refused to eat due to severe personal grief. Jeremiah and Moses both expressed feelings of deep despair, regret, and overwhelming life burdens. Numbers eleven fourteen through fifteen and Jeremiah twenty fourteen through eighteen. The causes of emotional despair in Scripture, the Bible points to several root sources for deep emotional pain, physical and mental exhaustion, weariness and lack of rest often leaves people vulnerable to fear and despair, as seen with Elijah, trauma and loss, sudden tragedies, grief and severe life trials, fractured emotional stability, as recorded in the life of Job and David. Fear and anxiety, worry about the future or feeling a sense of hopelessness can cause deep emotional turmoil. Spiritual weight or guilt, unconfessed personal sin or deep spiritual burdens can weigh heavily on the conscience, though scripture clarifies that suffering is not always the result of individual sin, such as the case of Job or the teaching in John nine. Do we or did they have any hope in the midst of their concerns? Yes, the same as we do today, and but you will, in these seasons, like those who went before you, have to learn to trust in and rely on God for your entire life. Proverbs three six. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding, and all your ways submit to him, and he will make your path straight. The verse tells you to give up your own control and rely on God's direction in everything. Psalm sixty two eight, trust in Him at all times. O people, pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us. This passage reminds believers to depend on God in every season and situation. Proverbs sixteen three. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. This instructs you to hand your daily work and goals over to God. Matthew six thirty three, but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Jesus teaches here to put God first and trust Him to provide you for your daily needs. If you are a pot smoker, recreational or otherwise, you will not be looking for the negative side effects to anything you use that makes you feel happy and sets you free from the cares of this world, because it would be a buzzkill, and who wants to ruin a temporary escape from life with the truth? No one, not even me back in the day. I changed because I knew the habit was eventually going to destroy the calling and purpose of God on my life. When I was smoking, I used to imagine preaching the gospel with great success in the midst of miracle signs and wonders, and then going off to smoke or drink alcohol afterwards around those who had just been set free from these very things, and right there I saw a contradiction that I could not live with. I have been around those people who would nearly condemn people who didn't have faith to get their healing, for example, even though they themselves were sick and even had diseases. By God, get yours first before expecting that others would get what you yourself are unable to receive. This is a contradiction that unfortunately exists in those who have yet to fully submit even their own lives, over to the only God who promises real freedom and deliverance from those things. John eight thirty four through thirty six. Jesus answered them. Most assuredly I say to you, whoever commits a sin is a slave of sin, and the slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, if the son makes you free, he's talking about himself now, you shall be free indeed. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. Okay, so let's get some professional opinions about this deceptive habit dealing with the marijuana's strength, potency, mental effects, cognitive effects, and any carcinogens and long term side effects. Regarding marijuana strength, I asked Google what is the strongest strains of marijuana, and I got the following. The strongest form of marijuana you can smoke is a cannabis concentrate, such as distillate, wax, or shatter, which can reach THC levels above 80 to 90%. Distillate, a highly refined oil that strips away plant material to isolate pure THC, often exceeding 90% potency, wax, shatter, and crumble, solvent-based extractions like butane hash oil that result in potent amber or golden extracts. Hashis, a traditional form made from compressed plant resin glands, which is stronger than raw flour, but generally less potent than modern labatory oils. The strongest flour strains, if you prefer smoking raw plant material rather than concentrates. Godfather OG, an indica dormant hybrid that frequently tests at or above 34% THC, and Bruce Banner, a powerful strain known for reaching THC levels in the upper 20 to 30%. Regarding potency, I asked the following question. How potent is today's marijuana as compared to the 1970s? Don't laugh, for me that wasn't that long ago. Today's marijuana is significantly more potent with average THC levels roughly five to ten times higher than what people smoked in the 1970s. A detailed by Heron Wellness, the cannabis market has transformed dramatically from the low potency products of past decades. The TEC levels in the 70s versus today, average THC levels in typical cannabis range from 1 to 3%. Most supplies were imported or unrefined field growth plant material. Today's flour, modern cultivated flour found in legal dispensaries, generally average 15 to 30%. The rise of concentrates, extracts and dabs, modern extraction techniques have created entirely new product categories. Potency, products like wax, shatter, oils, and dabs routinely reach sixty to ninety percent THC, with some distillates approaching ninety nine percent purity. These ultra potent forms did not exist for the general consumer in the nineteen seventies. The real concern for all smokers is how strong and how much more powerful will marijuana become in the very near future. Don't for a minute think that you won't be looking for stronger strains, especially if they make it taste good, and it is not unheard of to mix marijuana with some very toxic drugs to increase its side effects. Why? To gain market share. So I asked the following question, a question that pot smokers won't appreciate or will ignore altogether, as they will think, as I did, that I would never do that or buy it. Do people mix other drugs in marijuana to increase its effects? And are they dangerous? Yes, people sometimes mix other drugs into marijuana or use them together, and this practice is very dangerous. Common substances mixed with marijuana, people sometimes combine cannabis with stimulants like cocaine or crack, hallucinogens like PCP or LSD, or other drugs like ecstasy, molly to change or intensify the high. Unintentionally, laced street weed, cannabis bought from unregulated, illegal sources can occasionally be contaminated or mixed with synthetic cannabinoids, powerful opioids, or toxic chemicals. However, experts note that intentionally lacing cheap weed with expensive hard drugs to hook buyers to Is relatively uncommon, though contamination or bulking with cheap toxic agents does occur. The danger, unpredictable and severe effects, combining substances leads to unpredictable chemical interactions in the body, overdose and poisoning. Mixing marijuana with potent drugs like meth, opioids, or synthetic additives drastically increases the risk of a life-threatening or fatal overdose. Mental and physical strain. Contaminated or mixed cannabis can cause severe anxiety, and this is why a lot of people smoke it, to deal with anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, psychosis, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, seizures, and respiratory failure. There's no easy way to tell. Laced or contaminated cannabis often cannot be identified by sight or smell alone, through unusual chemical odors or unexpected intense toxic reactions can be a warning sign. I believe that growers and or dealers may do this to improve their market share of users. So I asked that question to see if users have ever smoked lace marijuana unaware, and if so, what was the outcome? Specifically the question was have growers and or dealers mixed other drugs into their marijuana to improve their market share of users? And if so, have users ever smoked lace marijuana unaware? And if they did, what was the outcome? How's that for a question?

unknown 23:26

Heh.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

Drug dealers are usually not a trustworthy crowd of people and can be considered as a group that will do anything to increase their user base. Yes, growers and illicit dealers have mixed other drugs and chemicals into marijuana, though doing so strictly to improve market share by creating hidden addiction is rare. Instead, when illicit sellers adulterate marijuana, it is usually driven by a desire to boost profit margins, cutting weight, or to mask low quality cannabis by artificially inflating its perceived potency. Unknown users have absolutely consumed lace marijuana. The outcomes of doing so vary drastically depending on the additive, ranging from mild illness to life-threatening medical emergencies. Why elicit sellers lace marijuana? While the popular myth suggests dealers slip expensive hard drugs into weed to get users secretly hooked, economic reality usually dictates otherwise. Hard drugs like cocaine or methamphetamines cost more than marijuana. Giving them away for free defeats a dealer's profit motive. And yet I know this for a fact that that's exactly what they do because they gain the profits on the back end. If they can get you hooked, then they have a lifetime customer. Trust me, they'll make their money back while they watch your health diminish dramatically, and no, it is not to their benefit to kill off their clientele, because then they stop making money. So they are careful in a way. Adulteration usually happens for the following reasons weight cutting, profit. Sellers add cheap, heavy or texturizing agents, such as sand, glass, or laundry detergent to make the product weigh more, allowing them to charge more money for less actual weed. Potency boosting if a batch of marijuana is weak or stale, sellers may spray it with synthetic cannabinoids, like KT or spice, or cheap chemicals to mimic a powerful high and fool the buyer into thinking it is premium quality. Accidental cross contamination, many modern reports of hard drugs, particularly fentanyl, showing up in street marijuana are due to sloppy handling practices in illicit stash houses. If a dealer uses the same scale or table to package fentanyl pills and weigh out marijuana bags, trace amounts can easily contaminate the cannabis. I know you probably never gave this a thought, and you should consider that this very potentially high risk as the competition grows in this market for users. Regarding the effects on the health of a person, I asked the two following questions. What are the common or expected side effects of smoking marijuana? And what are the common mental effects of marijuana on a smoker? The common and expected short-term side effects of smoking marijuana include euphoria, red eyes, dry mouth, and an increased heart rate. The immediate physical effects, red or bloodshot eyes, caused by dilated blood vessels from lowered blood pressure, dry mouth, reduced saliva production leads to a dry feeling in the mouth, increased heart rate, the heart beats faster immediately following use. Increased appetite, often referred to as the munchies, dizziness or drowsiness, a relaxed, sleepy or unsteady feeling, mental and cognitive effects, euphoria or relaxation, a general feeling of happiness and being high, impaired memory, trouble with short term recall and learning new information, slowed reaction time, reduced coordination and altered judgment of time and distance, anxiety or paranoia, short term feelings of panic or unease, which can happen especially with high doses or strong strains. The mental effects are as follows, and be assured each smoker is different, and so we have the science behind these answers, but in the truth, the effects can be lesser or extraordinarily greater, depending on how often you smoke, and how strong the weed is that you smoke. For example, if you were like I was back when I smoked, then you would have smoked all day on the weekends, and then at night on the weekdays, you would have smoked the strongest level available. There are others who are daily smokers, meaning that one, they smoke every day, and two, they smoke all day, sometimes even at night, waking up to take some hits and then going back to sleep. They also smoke before, during, and after work. Of course the potential for this activity is increased if a person is allowed to telework. When I was an alcoholic, I was in the exact same pattern, no drinking while I was at work, but all the rest of the time was filled with the poison. Pot is no different, it takes advantage of your weaknesses and gives you a false belief that you are in control, all the while it does its killing you one dream and sell at a time. ten. The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly. It is either this or that. No other option exists in life, this or that. So my next question is, what are the common cognitive effects of smoking marijuana? I know you might be thinking, hey podcast preacher, why don't you ask what the benefits are of smoking marijuana? Okay, let's see. Google AI, what are the benefits of smoking marijuana? While smoking marijuana is a common method of consumption, clinical experts emphasize that the active chemicals in cannabis, cannabinoids like THC and CBD drive its therapeutic advantages rather than the act of smoking itself. In fact, health organizations point out that smoking or vaping carries respiratory risks, making non smoking alternatives like edibles or tintures a safer route for your lungs. However, when looking broadly at the benefits of cannabis use, research and patient reports highlight several key areas of physical and mental relief. Let me add to that definition there that the physical and mental relief is temporary. Ask anybody who drinks a beer to relax. Over time, they're drinking a lot of beers and then they can't relax. That's how addictions work. Physical health and pain management, chronic pain relief. This is one of the most common reasons people turn to medical marijuana. Studies show cannabinoids after pain perception pathways in the brain, helping with arthritis, fibromyalgia, and migraines. Cancer treatment support. Cannabis is highly effective at controlling severe nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy. It also stimulates appetite, which prevents extreme weight loss, which is defined as wasting syndrome. Muscle spasm reduction, it can significantly reduce muscle stiffness and painful spasms in people suffering from multiple sclerosis. Seizure management, specific purified forms of CBD are FDA approved to treat rare, severe types of epilepsy, such as Lenox, gastrot, or drivet syndromes. Mental health and well being, anxiety and stress relief. In low doses, marijuana helps lower cortisol, the body's stress hormone, and promotes a sense of mental calm. Improved sleep quality, many users experience a faster time falling asleep and fewer nighttime disturbances, making it a popular short term aid for insomnia. Because of the addictive qualities of marijuana, it should not be considered a short term aid for anything, and I know people that use it and they don't sleep well at all. PTSD symptom management some evidence suggests cannabis can minimize nightmares, reduce intrusive thoughts, and lessen the intensity of flashbacks for individuals with PTSD. I want to caution you not to make excuses to smoke pot when in truth you really just want to smoke pot. The safety and harm reduction, safer alternative to opioids. Some clinical reviews suggest that cannabis may be a safer alternative for long-term pain management, as its side effects are not life threatening and it may help individuals reduce their reliance on highly addictive prescription opioids. And when it says its side effects are not life threatening, I would disagree with them. Anytime you put smoke in your lungs, you're opening up yourself to a lot of long term effects as you get older. We'll get to the negative effects of that later. So okay, you see, I'm not such a bad guy, except that the Bible tells us in more than just one place, that we are already healed. So this method of dealing with sickness is and should be for those who are not plugged into the benefits of God, or who maybe even lack the faith to trust in and rely on God for their healing. In these cases, this position should be short lived, as I know you are one who reads your Bible and should sooner than later make the transition from fear to faith and get what belongs to you, which is healing. The Bible most famously speaks of us already being healed in the past tense in first Peter two twenty four and Isaiah fifty three five. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. Isaiah fifty three five. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, upon him was a chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Exodus fifteen twenty six. God tells the Israelites that if they listen carefully to his voice, do what is right, keep his commands, and keep his decrees, he will not bring upon them any of the diseases he brought on the Egyptians. He declares, I am the Lord who heals you. This gives God the name Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals. Exodus twenty three twenty five. God promises that if the people worship him, he will bless their food and water and take away sickness from among them. Proverbs three, seven through eight. This passage tells believers to fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It promises that doing so will bring health to your body and nourishment or strength to your bones. Isaiah fifty seven eighteen through nineteen. God states that he has seen the ways of his rebellious people, but after they turn he says, I will heal them, I will guide them and restore comfort to them. Psalm one hundred three two through three. David praises the Lord, reminding himself not to forget all of God's benefits, noting that he is the one who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. You can say, Well, that's all in the Old Testament. I know, but we live under a better covenant or contract than they did. So how do we get our healing? Matthew seven seven, ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. Mark eleven twenty four. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. John fourteen, thirteen, and I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. This is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. The context of these promises The Bible presents prayer not as a blank check, but as a relationship with conditions. According to His will, first John fourteen clarifies that God grants requests that align with His plans and purposes. Praying in Jesus' name means asking for the things that honor Jesus and match his character rather than purely selfish desires. Passages like Mark eleven twenty four emphasize trusting God when making these requests. So back to my question what are the common cognitive effects of smoking marijuana? Smoking marijuana causes common short and long term cognitive effects, primarily tied to how delta nine tetrahydra cannabinol THC interacts with cannabinoid receptors in brain areas like the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Short term effects. During intoxication, users commonly experience memory impairment, trouble forming new episodic or verbal memories, and recalling recent information, a decreased attention and focus, difficulty sustaining concentration on tasks, slower processing speed, delayed thinking and response time, impaired executive function, reduced capability in decision making, planning, problem solving, and impulse control, motor coordination deficit, decreased hand eye coordination and altered physical timing, the long term or chronic effects, heavy, frequent or early onset use, especially starting in adolescence, before the brain fully develops is associated with more persistent changes, sustained cognitive effects, ongoing difficulties with learning, memory retrieval, and attention that may last beyond immediate intoxication, lowered motivation, reduced driver apathy linked to altered reward pathways. This is one of the biggest things I see is that people who smoke this stuff are not generally motivated to do much of anything. Oh, I know some that are motivated to do the regular day to day chores, but when it comes to becoming the best that they can become in God, that motivation is not there. In fact, in many users, smoking pot replaces their relationship with God. Brain structure differences studies note reduced functional connectivity and volume differences in areas like the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Potential IQ decline. Some research correlates heavy adolescent onset use with a permanent drop in IQ points. I would also have to agree with this. And by the way, if you say nah, that's not true, that doesn't make it not true. Many acute cognitive effects and mild difficulties largely improve or reverse after a period of abstinence ranging from twenty four hours to several weeks, particularly in adult users. So does this sound like a god solution? God solution has no negative side effects. When are we as humans going to see this? My next question is what are the common carcinogens in marijuana smoking? Marijuana smoke contains at least thirty three known cancer causing chemicals carcinogens that are produced through the combustion of plant material. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Chemicals like benzoafyrene and benzoanthracine form when plant matter burns. Marijuana smoke often contains fifty to seventy five percent higher concentrations of these specific procarcinogens than tobacco smoke. Reactive aldehydes, compounds like formaldehyde and astaldehyde damage respiratory tissues and are shared with tobacco smoke. Volatile organic compounds. Substances such as one, three, butadine, and vinyl chlorides are present in the tar phase of smoke. Heavy metals. Contaminants like arsenic, cadmium, lead, chromium, and nickel can be absorbed by the cannabis plant from the soil or fertilizers and transferred into the smoke. Nitrosamines, organic compounds formed during the curing and burning process that are known to promote cancer. Factors that amplify exposure, no filters. Marijuana joints are typically smoked without filters, allowing more particulate matter to pass directly into the mouth and lungs. Deeper inhalation, cannabis smokers tend to inhale more deeply and hold the smoke in their lungs for up to four times longer than tobacco smokers. This practice increases the retention of tar. This is definitely not a health solution from God. The last question What are the expected long term side effects of smoking marijuana? Long term frequent marijuana smokers can lead to persistent respiratory damage, cognitive changes and mental health risks, and physical dependence. Brain and cognitive effects. Memory and learning. Regular long term use is linked to problems with attention, memory, and difficulty processing new information. IQ changes. Starting heavy use during adolescence can lead to a permanent drop in IQ points that does not return after quitting. Brain structure. Imaging studies show reduced volume in the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory and emotion. Lung and respiratory health, chronic bronchitis, inhaling cannabis smoke irritates the large airways, causing a daily cough, wheezing, and extra mucus. Lung tissue damage, smoking damages cell linings in the airways and increases the risk of chronic inflammation and air sac damage. Mental health risks, psychosis and schizophrenia, heavy use, especially of high potency products, or in people with the family history is linked to a higher risk of psychotic disorders. Mood disorders, daily uses associated with an increased risk of developing or worsening anxiety and depression. So there you go right there. A lot of people that smoke it smoke it for that reason right there, to deal with worry and anxiety and to end up in worse shape than when they started. Dependence and physical effects. Cannabis use disorder, frequent use can lead to physical and emotional dependence, making it hard to stop despite negative life consequences. Cannabinoid hyperemes syndrome. Heavy, long term use can cause severe, recurring bouts of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Heart health, regular use is linked to increased vascular inflammation and higher risks of heart attack and stroke. What we haven't discussed is the negative impact relationally speaking, especially if one is a smoker and the other is not. Smoking affects your intimacy in a variety of ways. It affects the strength of your bank account, as the good stuff costs a lot of money. It can be a very expensive habit, just like drinking, except in drinking after a person has lost all they can, they can still drink the cheapest of toxins to escape. The damage to them is exponentially increased, but they no longer have control of the habit, which leads us to this bit of wisdom which is that every addiction is like a ball and chain. It gives the illusion that one is free to roam about, but the chain is actually short and designed only to give the illusion of freedom. I also notice that when I was smoking, it was all that I was thinking about doing my every waking moment. For me, it became all consuming. In closing, let's talk about why we go under the pressures of life and how we deal with them from a spiritual perspective. In the book of Peter, we are told the following in preparation of the following Peter four twelve sixteen Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you, but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the spirit of glory and of God rest upon you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. Surprised? We shouldn't be, real authentic Christians will go through life and its testing opportunities unabated by the applications of false solutions. There is a reason why we go through tough times. Yes, they have a purpose, and but if you dole the senses, then the purpose is not allowed to bring about its very necessary change in your life, which is the very thing we lack in our smoking marijuana in the first place, which is faith. Tough testing is designed to increase our faith. There is no strain upon that will increase your faith. No, not any. This is what is being attacked in your life with all sorts of addictions. They numb you to the truth and reality of your spiritual life. The comparison of being tested, like silver and gold, is found in several biblical passages that explain the purpose of trials and refining our faith. The key biblical passages, Proverbs 17.3 states, Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart. This explains that just as fire burns away impurities in precious metals, hardships and life tests reveal and purify our inner character. Psalm 66.10 proclaims, For you, God, tested us, and you refined us like silver. This views life's difficulties as an intentional tool used to shape and strengthen believers. Zechariah 13.9 mentions, I will put that one-third through fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and I will test them as gold is tested, leading to a restored relationship where God calls them his people. 1 Peter 1, 6 through 7 explains that trials come so that the genuineness of our faith, which is more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, results in praise and glory. 1 Corinthians 3, 12 through 13 uses gold, silver, and precious stones to represent enduring works or faith tested by fire at the judgment seat of Christ. Well, that's it for today. Remember it's not what you find wrong or disagree with regarding these messages, but what you can take away from it. Together we can do more to impact the Canaan than if we work alone. Let's flip the script and kill, still, and destroy the works of the enemy and create space for the light of light to shine through into people's lives. Find us even click on the like and subscribe button. Repost on your social media platform and help us to make the type. Link this message out, or teach from it in your Bible study, your life or style group, and yes, even in your church. You can be assured a constant one call to teach, and though imperfect, you have the word of God to use to test everything I say. Let's build this ministry together. Thanks and see you next time in Deep Waters.