Dalai Lama supports legalized medical cannabis but not recreational puffing

0

Flickr.com/Christopher.Michael
Dalai Lama.

In Mexico for the week, the Dalai Lama says that medical cannabis should be available to sick and needy medical patients. The comments make sense coming from a man that has devoted his entire life to compassion.
But the Tibetan Buddhist leader also cautioned against recreational use, saying that “if it’s just an issue of somebody [using cannabis for]a crazy mind, that’s not good.”


The Dali Lama is in Mexico for an event hosted by former Mexican President Vicente Fox at the Fox Center in Guanajuato, who has been a vocal champion of both medical and recreational cannabis legalization in his country as a way to help curb cartel violence.
The cannabis questions came from an audience member at a town-hall style forum. Fox, who was also in attendance, allegedly chuckled at the query.
The Dalai Lama’s position isn’t actually anything new, however. In Buddhism, there is a tenet that people should avoid wines, liquors and intoxicants. But there is also mention of cannabis as a medicine in certain sects of Buddhism.

Share.