# Marijuana mentioned in the Bible **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 5, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630 "2004-03-05T03:08:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630/21 "2004-03-08T18:44:07Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > If you never ever believe in a conspiracy theory, you are guaranteed to be right at least 99.9% of the time and that’s enough for any mortal. Heck, it’s better than Cecil manages. 😃 Blasphemer! Stone the unbeliever! Gotta agree with the sentiment, though. DD ---
**Author:** ![Rudy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Rudy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rudy)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630/22 "2004-03-09T04:34:56Z")
I have to wonder…who was the first person to toke up. Really, I can see what could have happened with wine (“Whoa, sorry Methusala, I guess I (hic!) left the grape (hic!) juice out too long…”); however, who’d be walking along and say to himself, “that weed looks good, I’m going to roll it up and smoke it” This goes for just about every drug. I understand it was probably used in ancient worship, but even before that…some guy had to roll the first deuby. ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630/23 "2004-03-09T04:49:50Z")
> [@Dogface](#): > > Regarding Dow Chemical vs. marijuana: > > What would you do were I to tell you that there is this miracle fiber. It can be woven into cloth as soft as silk and the finest linen. It can be woven into cloth stouter than the toughest canvas. It can form the basis for durable and long-lasting paper of many types. It can be spun into ropes strong enough for nearly any commercial use and many industrial uses. Furthermore, the fiber is 100% natural, plant origin, and the plant grows like a weed with very little need for any sort of pesticide application to protect it–thus, it’s also environmentally friendly. There are some unwanted resins in the plant, but these can be easily removed with alcohols that do not damage the fiber and do not create complex toxic pollutants. > > This fiber is hemp. Its parent plant is marijuana. > > Now, according to the conspiracy theory, Dow was behind the ban on marijuana because hemp is the only natural fiber that could have competed against Dow’s nylon. Thus, Dow used its money and influence whipped up anti-Black and anti-Hispanic racist frenzy to drive the ban on marijuana. > > Time to put another feather in my tinfoil hat. “On this site we shall build a new town, where we can worship freely, govern justly, and grow vast fields of hemp for making rope and blankets!” ---
**Author:** ![blasphmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@blasphmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blasphmer)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630/24 "2004-03-09T04:52:42Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Blasphemer! Stone the unbeliever! > > Gotta agree with the sentiment, though. > > DD No can do Cap’n. Had I not been wearing my anti-conspiracy copper-foil hat [tm] I coulda turned my 1902’s style stonong ray on him. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630/25 "2004-03-09T05:04:41Z")
> [@Rudy](#): > > I have to wonder…who was the first person to toke up. Really, I can see what could have happened with wine (“Whoa, sorry Methusala, I guess I (hic!) left the grape (hic!) juice out too long…”); however, who’d be walking along and say to himself, “that weed looks good, I’m going to roll it up and smoke it” This goes for just about every drug. I understand it was probably used in ancient worship, but even before that…some guy had to roll the first deuby. More than likely, some guys tossed it as tinder on their fire, and noticed the smell and the feeling. If it was common in the area, they’d pretty quickly find out which plant was giving them the fireside chats of a lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630/26 "2004-03-09T05:16:10Z")
> [@Rudy](#): > > I have to wonder…who was the first person to toke up. Really, I can see what could have happened with wine (“Whoa, sorry Methusala, I guess I (hic!) left the grape (hic!) juice out too long…”); however, who’d be walking along and say to himself, “that weed looks good, I’m going to roll it up and smoke it” This goes for just about every drug. I understand it was probably used in ancient worship, but even before that…some guy had to roll the first deuby. WAG: various ancestors tried munching on, or making soup out of, practically anything at one time or another. When they got to marijuana it might have tasted lousy but had some interesting after-effects. I remember reading (no source, sorry) that coffee beans were originally cooked and eaten as food. Oh right, on preview I see the Speaker for the Dead has a very likely alt. hypothesis. Err, Speaker, perhaps some of your Dead were witnesses to the event? ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630/27 "2004-03-09T11:55:09Z")
Well it was in use in classical Arabic times around 1100 AD when it’s effects were well known. [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/massassin.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/massassin.html) [http://www.geocities.com/baalzephon999/HassanISabbah.html](http://www.geocities.com/baalzephon999/HassanISabbah.html) As referenced some sought to allow it’s use as not “wine” and thus not prohibited by the Koran, a minority viewpoint it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Tao\_of\_DZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Tao\_of\_DZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tao_of_DZ)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630/28 "2004-03-10T00:20:00Z")
I actually wrote a piece on this a while back: “…Marijuana (“kanbos”) is mentioned several times in the Talmud, and none of the references prohibit its usage. It was crushed and mixed, along with several other spices, into the fragrant oil used to anoint the kings of Israel. One of the Talmudic rabbis stated that it is beneficial to the heart and digestive system, and that they “banish morbid thoughts.” Elsewhere, the Talmud states that it is praiseworthy to finish a meal with bread baked with marijuana. On the other hand, when Balak, a biblical Moabite king, wanted to make the Jewish nation in the Sinai desert wander astray, it was suggested that he make prostitution and marijuana available to the Jews. These two vices, he was told, would lead to the Jews’ downfall…” Also, there is a Talmudic source that says baking marijuana into bread is a praiseworthy act. Overall, though, the Talmud appears to prohibit its usage. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630/29 "2004-03-10T00:29:16Z")
> [@Rudy](#): > > I have to wonder…who was the first person to toke up. Really, I can see what could have happened with wine (“Whoa, sorry Methusala, I guess I (hic!) left the grape (hic!) juice out too long…”); however, who’d be walking along and say to himself, “that weed looks good, I’m going to roll it up and smoke it” This goes for just about every drug. I understand it was probably used in ancient worship, but even before that…some guy had to roll the first deuby. A bonfire in a cave (or tent) would do the trick. I don’t need no steenkin’ pipe. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630/30 "2004-03-10T01:42:24Z")
> [@MaryEFoo](#): > > Err, Speaker, perhaps some of your Dead were witnesses to the event? I think all of “The Dead” were witness to those kinds of events. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630/31 "2004-03-10T02:00:57Z")
> [@Speaker for the Dead](#): > > More than likely, some guys tossed it as tinder on their fire, and noticed the smell and the feeling. If it was common in the area, they’d pretty quickly find out which plant was giving them the fireside chats of a lifetime. Hey! Sorry, dude. I see you beat me to it. Pretty obvious idea though. Ol’ **Rudy** up there was trying get the cave dudes from rope to hookah in 5 min flat. 😉 Eeerrhhh. Kaf kaf. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630/32 "2004-03-10T03:55:45Z")
> [@Tao of DZ](#): > > I actually wrote a piece on this a while back: > > “…Marijuana (“kanbos”) is mentioned several times in the Talmud, and none of the references prohibit its usage. It was crushed and mixed, along with several other spices, into the fragrant oil used to anoint the kings of Israel. One of the Talmudic rabbis stated that it is beneficial to the heart and digestive system, and that they “banish morbid thoughts.” Elsewhere, the Talmud states that it is praiseworthy to finish a meal with bread baked with marijuana. > On the other hand, when Balak, a biblical Moabite king, wanted to make the Jewish nation in the Sinai desert wander astray, it was suggested that he make prostitution and marijuana available to the Jews. These two vices, he was told, would lead to the Jews’ downfall…” > > Also, there is a Talmudic source that says baking marijuana into bread is a praiseworthy act. Overall, though, the Talmud appears to prohibit its usage. Huh? Do you have a cite for all this? I’ve seen something before about cannabis oil being used in annointing the kings of Israel, but as I recall, it was on some stoner website with rediculously bad scholarship and when I went to look up the relevant passage, it was obviously a spurrious translation. Right away I’m skeptical of the claim that marijuana in Hebrew/Aramaic is “Kanbos”, which sounds suspiciously close to cannabis (Hint: It’s not a Semetic word.) Plus, you claim in your first sentance that no passage in the Talmud prohibits marijuana and in your last sentance that it is prohibited overall. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marijuana-mentioned-in-the-bible/232630.md?page=1)