<p>My impression is medical cannabis does not have an intoxicating effect.  </p>

<p>Regardless, the precept on intoxicants refers to <em>heedlessness</em>. If a person has a serious medical condition and must use ordinary intoxicating cannabis for relief then it is expected they would be morally mature enough for the cannabis to not lead to heedlessness.  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-30T19:18:17.857Z
I have changed what I wrote in my question to refer to "marijuana" specifically because I guess "cannabis" is more general and I wanted to specifically reference something more obviously intoxicating. 

From what I understand "medical cannabis" can mean use of cannabis that produces an intoxicating effect.

But I do think that there are various methods of use and forms of medical cannabis where there is little to no intoxicating effect.
Angus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-30T03:32:45.893Z
2019-06-30T03:32:45.893Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>As long as it is for true medical purpose as a treatment when there are no other similarly effective alternatives, and one is not using possible medical benefits as an justification but consuming it for toxication, then it is fine.</p>

<p>General sprescribed medication as a treatment and given but a doctor is fine.</p>

<p>If one seeks toxicating meditations of the toxicating benefits then it is not OK.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-30T03:51:54.890Z
2019-06-30T05:22:39.290Z
2019-06-30T05:22:39.290Z
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
<p>I think the key word in <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/19405/254">the fifth precept</a> isn't "intoxicating" but <em>Pamadatthana</em> i.e. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://dsalsrv04.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/pali_query.py?qs=Pamada&amp;searchhws=yes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Pamāda</a><br>
  carelessness, negligence, indolence, remissness</p>
</blockquote>

<p>See also <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/search?q=pamada">other topics</a> on this site which describe <em>pamada</em>:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/14237/254">What is the purpose of the 5th precept?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/13076/254">How do different traditions define &quot;intoxicant&quot;?</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Apparently, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3958386/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">in Thailand</a> doctors make fewer prescriptions for cancer pain than you might expect -- I don't know whether that's because of Buddhism though.</p>

<p>I think I read once that pain itself can, if it's intense enough, cause "heedlessness" -- perhaps a Buddhist would prescribe a medicine-which-causes-heedlessness to the extent it's necessary to alleviate pain-which-causes-greater-heedlessness.</p>

<p>Buddhist monks are allowed to take medicines which they "need". I think it's another monk who might decide whether they "need" something (or at least decide whether they need to see a doctor), but also monks aren't allowed to act as medical doctors for laypeople, so there's not much answer to your question from that source.</p>

<p>A very general answer -- a way to maybe answer start to answer it yourself - might be to relate it to remorse: i.e. if you feel "remorse" after doing something perhaps that's a sign that it would be better to steer clear of doing that.</p>

<p>See also <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/5142/254">Experiencing physical pain</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-30T07:48:11.783Z
2019-06-30T07:48:11.783Z
ChrisW
<p>What is appropriate usage of medicines that are intoxicating?</p>

<p>I know that cannabis has been used for pain relief but if the use of the cannabis is intoxicating then what is the right view of what is appropriate regarding the use of the cannabis as a medicine? </p>

<p>Are there any suttas which seem like they might be helpful in answering this question? </p>

<five-precepts><eight-precepts><precept>
What is appropriate usage of medicines that are intoxicating?
# What is appropriate usage of medicines that are intoxicating?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-06-29)

What is appropriate usage of medicines that are intoxicating?

I know that cannabis has been used for pain relief but if the use of the cannabis is intoxicating then what is the right view of what is appropriate regarding the use of the cannabis as a medicine?

Are there any suttas which seem like they might be helpful in answering this question?

**Tags:** five-precepts, eight-precepts, precept


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-06-30. Score: 2

My impression is medical cannabis does not have an intoxicating effect.

Regardless, the precept on intoxicants refers to *heedlessness*. If a person has a serious medical condition and must use ordinary intoxicating cannabis for relief then it is expected they would be morally mature enough for the cannabis to not lead to heedlessness.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I have changed what I wrote in my question to refer to "marijuana" specifically because I guess "cannabis" is more general and I wanted to specifically reference something more obviously intoxicating.   From what I understand "medical cannabis" can mean use of cannabis that produces an intoxicating effect.  But I do think that there are various methods of use and forms of medical cannabis where there is little to no intoxicating effect.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-06-30. Score: 2

As long as it is for true medical purpose as a treatment when there are no other similarly effective alternatives, and one is not using possible medical benefits as an justification but consuming it for toxication, then it is fine.

General sprescribed medication as a treatment and given but a doctor is fine.

If one seeks toxicating meditations of the toxicating benefits then it is not OK.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2019-06-30. Score: 0

I think the key word in [the fifth precept](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/19405/254) isn't "intoxicating" but *Pamadatthana* i.e.

> [Pamāda](https://dsalsrv04.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/pali_query.py?qs=Pamada&searchhws=yes)  
> carelessness, negligence, indolence, remissness

See also [other topics](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/search?q=pamada) on this site which describe *pamada*:

* [What is the purpose of the 5th precept?](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/14237/254)
* [How do different traditions define "intoxicant"?](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/13076/254)

Apparently, [in Thailand](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3958386/) doctors make fewer prescriptions for cancer pain than you might expect -- I don't know whether that's because of Buddhism though.

I think I read once that pain itself can, if it's intense enough, cause "heedlessness" -- perhaps a Buddhist would prescribe a medicine-which-causes-heedlessness to the extent it's necessary to alleviate pain-which-causes-greater-heedlessness.

Buddhist monks are allowed to take medicines which they "need". I think it's another monk who might decide whether they "need" something (or at least decide whether they need to see a doctor), but also monks aren't allowed to act as medical doctors for laypeople, so there's not much answer to your question from that source.

A very general answer -- a way to maybe answer start to answer it yourself - might be to relate it to remorse: i.e. if you feel "remorse" after doing something perhaps that's a sign that it would be better to steer clear of doing that.

See also [Experiencing physical pain](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/5142/254)


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