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The High Times publication article claims that Jesus used oil mixed with cannabis (2.10.2003 Was Jesus a stoner?) The truth is that the Bible overrule and refute this false claim. Jesus and His disciples didn't use cannabis: http://www.kotipetripaavola.com/cannabisandbible.html


 

2.10.2003 Chris Bennett wrote in High Times media an article called Was Jesus a stoner? Bennett claims that holy anointing oil contained cannabis (kaneh-bosem) in the book of Moses. His claim is that Jesus anointed people with oil that contained cannabis. The High Times article says that ancient Christian texts (The Acts of Peter, Twelve Apostles) record that Jesus gave His disciples unguent box and a pouch full of medicine that they would go to heal the sick ones. The article says that ancient text (The Acts of Thomas) record about using of holy oil in a purpose of healing the sick ones. The article says that Jesus and His disciples spread healing effects of cannabis in the ancient world.

Bennet said that if cannabis was one of the main ingredients of the ancient Christian anointing oil, as history now indicates, and receiving this oil is what made Jesus the Christ (anointed) and his followers Christians, and to persecute those who use cannabis, could be considered anti-Christ.

The High Times article says that Gnostic texts indicate that Jesus used anointing oil added with cannabis and other entheogens that also used in shamanic rituals and ceremonies. The high Times article says also that Gnostics used cannabis, mushrooms, and other substances as sacraments, a means of achieving spiritual gnosis (wisdom and understanding).

Ex 30:
23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet (besem - bosem) calamus  (qaneh) two hundred and fifty shekels,
24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.

The Hebrew word qaneh (calamus) refer to reed plant that grow near ponds, lakes and river and also on dry land. This plant (qaneh) did not grow in Israel, and according to researchers it was imported to Israel from Arabia and India. Researchers say that this reed plant was known in India as lemongrass or gingergrass. Some Bible scholars as famous Jewish rabbi Jarchi thought that probably this reed plant was brought more likely from Saba or some parts of Arabia than India, because Saba and Arabia was very near to Israel and India was very far off from Israel. Nowadays no one knows that what reed plant qaneh bosem was, but it is sure that it is not cannabis, because cannabis come from hemp plant that is not reed plant species.

Qaneh bosem or besem don't mean cannabis, but some sweet reed plant, whose origin we can't know for sure. The High Times article used Gnostic texts that it holds as ancient Christian texts. The truth is that Gnostic Christian texts are not the same thing than the Biblical text of the New Testament. Gnostic held Christianity as rival sect and they think that Gnosticism is the much better belief than Christianity. The purpose of Gnostic Christian text was to distort the message of the Biblical New Testament texts and therefore Gnostic Christian texts have not the authority of the Bible. For this reason Gnostic Christian texts have not connection to Jesus of the Bible and claims about Jesus and cannabis are false and untruthful claims.

It is true that in the High Times article that cannabis has used shamanic ceremonies and as a sacramental substance in Gnosticism as purpose to achieve spiritual information. However, the truth is that in shamanism and Gnosticism cannabis was and is the gate to the connection with the spirit world (evil spirits).

People will always twist scripture to mean what they want it to mean in order to support what they deem to be appropriate. Thereby they fall into error.