@poisonedantidote “Genesis would hint that plants are for eating.
“Gen 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”
I’ve used that same verse to promote the legalization of marijuana. You don’t have to smoke it. If God made it, and gave it to humans, then I argue that the inherent psychoactive compounds could also provide a degree of mental nourishment… meat for the mind so to speak.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t smoke weed. I just don’t think the gov should be allowed to regulate a plant that grows naturally out of the ground, unlike meth, or crack, which must be processed. I feel the same about magic mushrooms.
These are, and have been, used by many over the centuries in religious practices, dating as far back as Shamanic cultures. Many believe they can bring one closer to God. But like anything, if abused in a recreational manner, they can be harmful. I see them as quite beneficial in limited use during a ritualistic pursuit of spirituality.
The idea of smoke being used to appease the Gods is not new. Even the Catholics burn incense. Theory being that vibrations created by a voice that is singing praises to God join into the smoke which dissipates into the aether, thereby more effectively carrying the praises into the realm of the almighty.