I'd agree to some extent. Some forms of meditation are easier with cannabis, and it's certainly easier to prepare for a session when you're stoned. But 'true meditative states' are not precluded from the mind by its use if you know what you're doing. You certainly need to be able to learn to identify particular mind states straight first before practicing stoned, but cannabis wont prevent you from reaching the required states and will even increase the liklihood of falling into them accidentally. Early use (by that I mean people who are relatively new users) of cannabis promotes mindfulness, metta and relaxation - as long as you aren't completely wasted. So it's certainly worth exploring the high to see what comes up. The main thing to remember is that not everything you experience whilst doing it has any particular spiritual meaning.

Also (to another poster), only the early states that we meditators are looking for are about controlling the mind - think of this stage like limbering up in preparation for later techniques. There comes a point quite soon in practise (usually after the first year or so) when control is minimised so that the mind is left flexible. It's a bit of a myth that the only way to reach enlightenment is through deeper and deeper focussed absorptions or trance-like states. Closing the mind off and becoming deeply internalised isn't the best way to go.


MelT