Marijuana: Stressed and Depressed Introduction:Show of hands, who checked their mail this pass week? ok, you can put your hands down. If you did check the mail you probably got a card from the government this week. This card is to tell us that the Cannabis Act, which legalizes Marijuana throughout the country is in effect as of October 17th, this Wednesday. As of the Wednesday it is legal to buy and smoke weed throughout our country. Maybe this doesn’t mean much to you. Many of us won’t be affected by this bill. We don’t smoke weed. However as I’ve been praying I’ve become convinced that this is an issue that weed need to talk about. Well weed may not be an issue for many of us, it is a major issue for our country. There are many people within our province and even our town who smoke. Marijuana is something that matters to the people we are trying to reach with the gospel. We are told in 1 Peter 3:15 to “always [be] prepared to make a defence… for the hope that [we] have.” Even if doesn’t matter to us, we should be able to talk about it biblically and respectfully, just like other issues. The problem is, this issue isn’t in the bible. There are no verses about weed like their are about adultery, theft or lawsuits. The bible doesn’t address the specific drug. So what do we do when the Bible is silent? Well sometimes, we look at how the issue affects are relationship with God, or with others, sometimes we pray and make a judgement call based on our conscience. This time we’re like because well the bible doesn’t talk about marijuana it does deal with something very similar, alchol. Well they do affect us in different ways, they are both mind-altering substances. Alcohol, like weed, is a depressant. They change how we judge and perceive the world around us. They both can have health affects, both negative and positive and they both affect how others view us. Well the Bible doesn’t say anything about marijuana directly, it has a lot to say about what alcohol. About how it can change us. Today we are going to look at the issue of marijuana through the story of alcohol in the bible. We’ll see how God views both of these substances. Section 1: Legal isn’t Lawful And let me just say, God’s view is usually a lot different then ours. He’s the author of creation, the king of the universe. Everything that is, or was or will be is under his authority. He has the power to move mountains and to make galaxies. The Bible says he knows every hair on your head. That his wisdom and power are beyond our understanding. God is the ruler of everything.That’s a fact that’s easy to forget. In the middle of work, bills, kids, and everything else it can be easy to forget that God is even in the picture. For a lot of people that will apply to this idea of marijuana. Like I said, on October 17th weed is going to be legal. Barring Jesus coming back before Wednesday, that is going to happen. The government has made this substance legal to use with few restricts. And for some, even some within the churches, that’s permission enough. Since I was a teenager I’ve had people asking me “If this was legal, would you do it?” Would you smoke if it was OK by those in charge? As a kid, I never really had a good answer. I always avoided the question. Remember, when people start their walk with God they are still a product of their culture more then they are a child of God. They are used to their governments begin the ultimate authority. What the Canadian government says is good, is all many know, especially those who have no background in church like me. Here’s the thing though. well the bible says  “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men” The Bible doesn’t give the government the ultimate authority in our lives. Yes, we are called to respect our government, but only in so far as they are honouring what is right, just and fair.   A great example of this can be seen in the book of Dan