By William H. Perkins Jr.
Editor
Updated/clarified Nov. 10
The primary spokesperson for the group behind the successful bid to legalize medical marijuana in Mississippi believes God is responsible for the win on Nov. 3. “I speak on behalf of my entire team when I say we want to give God the glory and praise for this victory,” said Jamie Grantham, communications director at Mississippians for Compassionate Care.
“[God] started this,” she said in a press release emailed late on the evening of election day Nov. 3, when it appeared Initiative 65 would pass by a substantial margin. “He made this amazing plant that is helping so many people across the country. He provided and blessed this journey every step of the way since we began in 2018.
“We have prayed diligently that this program would pass, knowing that it will help so many suffering patients and families in Mississippi. God gets the glory for this win. God gets the glory for 65 passing. This is a huge day for Mississippi and I couldn’t be more excited, humbled, or thankful,” said Grantham.
Not so fast, said Mississippi Baptist Convention President Ken Hester, senior pastor of First Church, Pontotoc. “I believe that passing medical marijuana will open more doors to problems than solutions. I just wouldn’t count on all the Mississippians voting for medical marijuana having the most compassionate motive behind their signing the petition or casting their ballot.
“Giving God glory for making the marijuana plant seems akin to giving God glory for making opium poppies, so folks can make heroin. Genesis 1:26 says that man was given charge to have dominion over creation, not to make it such that creation has dominion over us. In Genesis 1:29, it says that He has given us “every plant… for food,” but that doesn’t mean I’m supposed to go out and consume poison ivy.
“Medical marijuana is going to be like kudzu. We may have brought it here with the best of intentions, but it’s going to take over our state and generations of Mississippians will spend millions of dollars trying to deal with it.”
Shawn Parker, executive director-treasurer of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board in Jackson, agreed with Hester. “The passage of Initiative 65 is troubling in so many ways, but the most disturbing aspect is its depiction that a largely unregulated and destructive drug is a good thing for society.
“The Old Testament prophet Isaiah condemned the Israelites for calling “evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). The ads supporting this initiative were dishearteningly misleading and a reminder of our moral confusion. At this point, we’re not just confused about right and wrong, but we’re actually substituting wrong for right and, unfortunately, most don’t even recognize it.
“Initiative 65 is another significant step in blurring the lines of morality in Mississippi. I’m prayerful, however, that it will serve as a clarion call for the church to be more effective as salt and light in the world.”
Kenny Digby, executive director of the Mississippi Baptist Christian Action Commission in Jackson, noted that Christians are often dismayed when lost people act like lost people. “It should come as no surprise when a voting majority that wants more and more alcohol and gambling, would be in favor of legalizing marijuana.
“Because of that, our primary focus should not be on ‘medical’ marijuana, but rather Mississippi missions. That is the outlook that will really give the glory to God.”
