Before I became a Christian, I smoked marijuana regularly for over 10 years. It helped me with anxiety and depression, and I wasn't "high" when I smoked it. I took it in extremely small increments, just enough to bring me from a below average emotional state to a normal state of clarity. It was easy to stop, since where I was living it was clearly illegal and you had to go about it in a very shady way to partake -- but now I live in a state where it's legal. On top of this, in the past year or so I have begun to struggle with depression. I'm aware that I could possibly be seeking justification for an act that brings me escape. I'm not looking for an easy answer. When I was partaking in marijuana I was able to think more clearly because I wasn't getting high. I was more productive, had a better perspective and was enjoying life more. Now that I've stopped I find myself back to where I was previously. So why is it okay to enjoy one or two glasses of wine, or to take Xanax or pain pills (with a physician's guidance), with noticeable effect, but somehow this plant that is now legal is so bad? Besides, things like beer, pizza, wine, etc. can also have negative health impacts. I often find that those who espouse rejecting marijuana, are often those who have no experience with it. What are your thoughts? I just don't want to have to continue living life where 3-4 days a week I feel completely miserable, whereas on the outside my life is actually incredible. I am desperate for help and please, I ask you to see that I am not looking for an excuse -- or permission from you to get high. The Bible is my authority.

Thank you for your openness, brother. I confess that I am one of those who has no experience of marijuana -- apart from holding a marijuana cigarette in my hand once. (It was being passed around, and by the time it got to me there was so much saliva that I couldn't bring myself to put it to my lips. I only pretended to inhale.)

I know you're not seeking a pretext for getting high, and I also know your faith will not allow you to do anything ethical or unbiblical. I know you don't want to cause others to stumble or even to get an attitude. Your attitude is commendable.

My reply is this. I believe marijuana might help you. If you get it as a prescription, at a dosage that doesn't lead to a high, I suspect you will be beyond reproach. What the doctor orders our friends seldom criticize. Yet even in your state, easy as it is to purchase pot, it may be difficult to find this non-high-inducing marijuana without a prescription. (A doctor would probably decline to write a scrip for tap water, but this is different.) Since marijuana comes in various strengths and delivery systems, why not ask your doctor for a prescription for the version that doesn’t make you high or negatively affect judgment and reaction time?

Going to your physician will also prevent you from "self-diagnosing" and "self-prescribing." Explain your symptoms and talk about what you've done in the past to alleviate them, with the goal of getting professional help -- help which may result in a professional diagnosis and prescribed treatment.
Depression is a very serious condition and your drug of choice might help relieve the symptoms but may also serve to mask the problem. If your doctor diagnoses depression, treating the symptom may include a marijuana prescription, but will also probably include some kind of counseling to help deal with the causes of your depression, with the hope that perhaps you might not have to take any kind of drug long term.