Charles Martin II

Guest Columnist

Reverend Charles Martin II is pastor of Erin United Methodist Church in Erin, Tennessee.

I agree with our good Governor that prayer and fasting are wonderful means of grace and powerful tools for one's spiritual discipline. I believe in the power of prayer. I also believe in science and feel that we get God's best for people when we take advantage of both prayer and science.

I have been a pastor here in Tennessee for 30 years and I have witnessed my share of pain and suffering in people's lives during that time. I am also a medical cannabis advocate and believe wholeheartedly in the medicinal properties of this God-given plant. The problem is cannabis is illegal at the Federal level as well as here in Tennessee and this presents a moral dilemma for me as a Pastor. Let me explain.

Laws provide for us the opportunity to live in peace and harmony with our neighbors. However, laws that oppress or infringe on the natural human rights and freedoms of people are unjust laws. "How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This difference between just and unjust laws brings me to the heart of my dilemma: How can I as a law-abiding citizen- a member of the Clergy in covenant with God to care for all God's people- obey an immoral law? Specifically, how can I support a law that is clearly not rooted in natural law- a law that demands that I stand idly by and watch a human being suffer in pain when I have the mental faculties, physical access and the means to help alleviate human suffering.

I used to think 'dope' was associated with hippies and Communists

I do not wish to break the law. I want to change this unjust and immoral law that prohibits people from choosing an all-natural, God-given plant to treat their illnesses and alleviate their suffering. To incarcerate and make an otherwise law-abiding citizen into a criminal for choosing to use cannabis as medicine to alleviate their suffering is absolutely unconscionable to me.

Why is cannabis so controversial? I have to be honest here, for the better part of my life I believed much of the stigma, stereotypes and propaganda associated with cannabis.

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As a Southern, Bible-belt-raised-boy the use of cannabis, or as we called it, "dope," was a symbol of rebellion and a sign of laziness. Why did I believe such things? It was the culture of my community.

This ideology was passed on to me by the people with whom I lived and loved. We valued family, community, country, and hard work. We were no fans of Communists, draft-dodgers, long hair, or the hippie counterculture- and marijuana was a symbol of all of those things. During the 60s, 70s, and 80s all of the politicians, preachers and news media were saying the same thing: "Hippies smoke dope. Hippies are Communists. Communists are bad. Dope is bad."

Tennesseans need a solid medical cannabis program for the sick and suffering, and I have read that Governor Lee does not support medical cannabis. On this day of prayer and fasting, I will be praying for God to soften Governor Lee's heart and open his eyes to the truth: Cannabis is medicine.

With love and justice,

Reverend Charles Martin II is pastor of Erin United Methodist Church in Erin, Tennessee.