Expanded Edition: A Medical and Biblical Perspective

Why choose this version of Weeding Out the Myths About Marijuana?

Weeding Out the Myths About Marijuana, Expanded Edition: A Medical and Biblical Perspective contains all of the information of the original Weeding Out the Myths About Marijuana with the addition of three chapters devoted to a biblical perspective of marijuana. The Expanded Edition also contains additional and expanded stories to warm your heart and build your faith.

This book answers the questions you wanted to ask but did not know where to find answers.

  • Is marijuana safe?

  • Can marijuana cause physical or mental illness, and can that illness be permanent?

  • Is marijuana addictive, and is marijuana a gateway drug?

  • Should marijuana be legal, and does legalization decrease crime?

  • Does marijuana have adverse effects on loved ones and society?

  • Does marijuana make a user’s life better or worse?

  • Is marijuana a miracle drug that treats many medical problems?

  • What, if anything, does the Bible say about marijuana?

  • Is it okay for Christians to smoke marijuana?

Dr. Raymond Wiggins answers these questions and many more. Dr. Wiggins has studied the subject of marijuana for many years. He uses his medical and biblical expertise to wade through mountains of evidence to weed out the lies and present the truth about marijuana in an understandable, informative, and engaging manner.

This book is essential for anyone wanting to know what science and the Bible say about marijuana, including parents, grandparents, professors, teachers, pastors, counselors, rehabilitation center directors, and those wondering if they should use marijuana. This book is an excellent resource for scientifically reliable and biblically sound answers. Get your copy today!

Praise for

Weeding Out the Myths About Marijuana: A Medical and Biblical Perspective

“Weeding Out the Myths About Marijuana is one of the most thoroughly researched books I have ever read. It completely changed my mind about this subject. I highly recommend this book.”

Jack Canfield, Coauthor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series and The Success Principles™

“Weeding Out the Myths About Marijuana is thoroughly researched and scientifically solid. This thought-provoking book contains compelling arguments against marijuana use, comprehensively and clearly presenting the adverse effects of this drug. The evidence presented is overwhelming and leaves the reader with no reasonable option but to concede that marijuana is a dangerous drug. Dr. Raymond Wiggins takes on a complex and controversial subject and produces an informative and enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book.”

Kevin A Sabet, PhD
President, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM)
Former Whitehouse Drug Policy Advisor (three administrations)
Author, Smokescreen: What the Marijuana Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

“Weeding Out the Myths About Marijuana by Dr. Raymond Wiggins is both a timely and reliable publication that lays out the physical, mental health, and spiritual consequences of marijuana’s widespread use. As a physician, I am grateful for this work, which takes a mountain of information and presents it succinctly so that I can better advise my patients about the presumed benefits and observed risks associated with marijuana use. Dr. Raymond Wiggins has provided the blueprint for others to follow.”

Ericka P. Greene, MD, MACM
The Sumner Family Chair for Neuromuscular Research Professor of Neurology, Vice Chair of Education, Houston Methodist Hospital—Weill Cornell Medical College
Associate Dean of Clinical Integration, Texas A & M School of Engineering Medicine (EnMED)

“Weeding out the Myths About Marijuana is undeniably one of the most comprehensive and thought-provoking pieces of literature I've encountered regarding the subject of marijuana use. This work is timely, offering invaluable insights into a subject that demands our attention and consideration. Whatever your view regarding this topic, I wholeheartedly recommend delving into this book. We extend our gratitude to Dr. Wiggins for undertaking this endeavor.”

Dr. Chad A. Parker, DSW, LMSW, LPC
President, Tupelo Children's Mansion, Inc.

“I wish Dr. Wiggins’s work had been available before my retirement from the mental health field. Though many of my depressed and/or anxious clients met DSM criteria for a Cannabis comorbidity, most intervention focused on treating the mood disorder, with minimal attention given to the drug use. Dr. Wiggins’s research is convincing that many symptoms I saw highly correlated with marijuana use. It is my wish this book finds its way into the hands of all in the helping profession.  Its message is needed.  Its presentation is convincing, and its scientific support is incontrovertible. Most of all, its message is hope."

Jim Millsap, BA, MA, LPC-S (retired)
Past Director, Lakes Regional Community Mental Health Center
Past Private Practice

“While marijuana is often touted for its potential medicinal benefits and recreational use, Dr. Raymond Wiggins dispels the myths and reveals the facts related to the negative side of marijuana use. As a licensed mental health professional, I am grateful for his willingness to begin conversations around the various health and mental health issues that are linked to marijuana use. Weeding Out the Myths About Marijuana outlines the empirical data about the negative consequences of marijuana use and the best approaches for professionals, clergy, politicians, and parents. The book also highlights the successful outcomes that can be achieved.”

Maritza Garcia, MS, LPC (TX, FL), LCMHC (NC)
Executive Director, Concierge Counseling Services

“Each year, more Americans accept the idea that marijuana is harmless, and many actually believe it is beneficial. Unfortunately, the basis of this paradigm shift is anecdotal, not derived from facts. Raymond Wiggins is a prominent member of the Texas healthcare community, and he earned an MDiv in New Testament Studies from Regent University. This combination uniquely qualifies him to assess the risks and purported benefits of marijuana and other cannabis-based drugs from a medical and biblical perspective. Proverbs 18:17 states that ‘The first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.’ The reader will greatly benefit from this cross-examination. I highly recommend Weeding Out the Myths About Marijuana to all who want to be fully informed about this important issue.”

Scott Stripling, PhD
Provost & VP, The Bible Seminary
President, Near East Archaeological Society

“I would like to issue a sterling recommendation for the book, Weeding Out the Myths About Marijuana. Raymond Wiggins, MD, DDS, MDiv, provides his readers a compelling case for sobriety, particularly regarding the marijuana plant and its derivatives. He approaches the topic with candor, drawing upon his medical experience and extensive research into the findings of scientists and physicians about the effects of marijuana upon the human person in all dimensions. Drawing upon his divinity background and pastoral experience, he provides a biblical perspective without condemnation. You will discover that this book is informative, winsome, and compelling.”

J. Lyle Story, PhD
Professor Emeritus New Testament and Biblical Languages
School of Divinity, Regent University

Questions Answered!

Weeding Out the Myths About Marijuana answers many questions about marijuana. Here are a few.

What are the risks of marijuana use?

Marijuana directly affects brain function—specifically the parts of the brain responsible for memory, attention, learning, decision-making, coordination, emotions, impulse control, and reaction time.

Marijuana use increases the short-term and long-term risks of strokes and mini-strokes.  

Smoking marijuana leads to a five times normal risk of a heart attack immediately after smoking it. Another study showed a risk two times normal for 24 hours.

Marijuana during pregnancy causes problems in newborns, including lower birth weight and abnormal neurological development, so marijuana permanently damages the baby's brain, leading to problems with memory, attention, problem-solving skills, sleep, and behavior later in life.  

This book details many more risks of marijuana use. All of this is based on scientific studies, not YouTube or TikTok.

Can marijuana cause mental illness?

Marijuana is extremely dangerous to mental health. Marijuana does not just have a casual relationship with mental health. The odds of a young adult thinking about suicide are 50 percent higher in marijuana smokers. The odds of a suicide attempt are almost 3.5 times higher in marijuana smokers versus those who do not use marijuana, and the risk is seven times higher among daily users and those who start young. The most prevalent drug found in toxicology screenings of those who have committed suicide is marijuana. 

Marijuana use is associated with schizophrenia (the worst type of psychosis). The risk of schizophrenia is 2.4 times normal after any use of marijuana before age eighteen and six times normal after the fiftieth use. The British Journal of Psychiatry showed a three times risk of psychosis after trying marijuana five times.

This book examines the mental health risks of marijuana in much more detail.

Is marijuana addictive?

You have probably heard, "Marijuana is not addictive." That is not true. While physical addiction to marijuana has traditionally been seen as less likely than with drugs such as opioids, psychological addiction can be just as significant and leads to the same result of not being able to quit despite negative life consequences. 

Today's higher-potency marijuana has led to new understanding and ways of thinking about marijuana addiction. Higher-potency marijuana leads to not only psychological addiction but to true physical addiction as well. This book lists the symptoms of marijuana addiction and withdrawal.

What are the biblical arguments against marijuana?

Weeding Out the Lies About Marijuana lists six biblical reasons not to use marijuana. Number six is, “Christians are called to be sober at all times, but users cannot smoke marijuana and be sober.” The book also lists nine biblical reasons God calls Christians to be sober. Number one is, “Drunkenness leads to poor judgment.” Number two is, “Drunkenness leads to indulgence in sin.”

These reasons are based on God’s love for His children and His desire for them to live their best life. Weeding Out the Lies About Marijuana gives many scriptural references to support these conclusions.

Excerpts

from the Introduction

The use of marijuana is rising rapidly. The statistics are alarming. In 2010, 7% of Americans had used marijuana in the past year. By 2020, that figure was 18%. So, in only ten years, marijuana use increased by over 150%. Today, 43% of Americans ages 19-30 have used marijuana in the past year, 29% in the past 30 days. Thirty-one percent of 12th graders, 17% of 10th graders, and 7% of 8th graders have used marijuana in the past year. Twenty percent of 12th graders, 10% of 10th graders, and 4% of 8th graders have used marijuana in the past 30 days.

from Chapter 1: “The Hidden Costs”

One of the biggest problems with marijuana is the marked increase in automobile accidents caused by those under the influence of marijuana. This has an even more significant impact in states where marijuana has been legalized due to the increased use of marijuana in those states. Every state legalizing marijuana has had a substantial increase in the number of accidents and fatal accidents except for Nevada, which had a campaign to warn about the risks of driving under the influence of marijuana and strict enforcement of DUI laws. "69% of marijuana users say they have driven under the influence of marijuana at least once, and 27% admit to driving under the influence on a daily basis."

from Chapter 3: “Medical Perspective”

Let's examine a common scenario among marijuana smokers. People often start using marijuana to feel calm and less anxious, but when they come down from it, when the high is gone, and even sometimes while they are still high, they get the opposite effect. So, they use it to reduce anxiety, but now they are more anxious, especially when they come down from the high, than they would have been had they not used it at all. So, they need to use marijuana more to reduce the increased anxiety that they have because of marijuana, and it is a vicious cycle.

           Now they require marijuana to feel normal, but at this point, they never feel normal. Now they are constantly anxious and having panic attacks. They feel like they are going crazy, and maybe they are. The only time they feel okay is when they are high. Additionally, they are lying to their family and friends and breaking the law. They are making many poor decisions, and their life is heading in the wrong direction, but they are not thinking well enough to understand that marijuana is the source of their problems. They become depressed and even suicidal. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common scenario for those who use marijuana.

from Chapter 7: “Does the Bible Address Marijuana?”

While the Bible may not specifically use the word marijuana, the Bible does tell us to be sober. As we learned earlier in this book, we cannot use marijuana and stay sober. So, since the Bible addresses sobriety, it does address the subject of marijuana. As we will see, there are many aspects of marijuana that the Bible does address without explicitly using the word marijuana or cannabis.

Some people argue that alcohol and marijuana are essentially the same, and since the Bible does not explicitly ban alcohol for all uses, the Bible does not ban marijuana. This argument is flawed in many ways. The Bible does call drunkenness a sin. A person might drink alcohol and not become drunk but cannot smoke marijuana without becoming high. Being drunk and being high are both terms for not being sober. The Bible calls us to be sober at all times.