Christians and cannabis

Should Christians get high?

The question might seem blunt or even outrageous. However, its straightforwardness is necessary, as it cuts through the noise and addresses an issue that involves the recreational use of marijuana by followers of Jesus.

It may come as a shock that such a discussion is even necessary, but recent data indicates a significant percentage of professing believers support the legalization of marijuana.

For example, a 2021 Pew Research survey found that 39% of the “most religious” U.S. adults – those who prayed daily, attended church at least weekly, and said religion was very important – favored legalization of marijuana for both medical and recreational use.

Though one may argue exceptions for medical use, Christians should be informed that there is one primary purpose for recreational use – intoxication.

In fact, the Kalapa Clinic, a medical consultancy group based in Spain, advocates therapeutic cannabis use. However, it draws a clear distinction between the two types of usage. While the clinic supports the use of cannabis to treat chronic conditions, it says that “people who use cannabis for recreational purposes use it for its psychotropic effects … produced by THC. Recreational users of cannabis look for feelings of lightness, relaxation, or euphoria.”

Simply put, the overwhelming number of people who use marijuana for non-medical reasons do so for the express purpose of getting high.

The Stand discussed the issue and its implications with Dr. Frank Turek, author, apologist, and president of Cross Examined (crossexamined.org), and Dr. Jeff Myers, also an author and apologist, and president of Summit Ministries (summit.org), a Colorado-based ministry that trains students in a biblical worldview.

Does lawful mean moral?

A little over a decade ago, Christians who opposed recreational marijuana use could make their case by simply appealing to the illegality of the drug. Passages such as Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 make it clear that believers should obey their government’s laws (unless the laws contradict Scripture).

However, at present, 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana use for adults, so appealing to the law is now a moot point. Of course, that begs the question: If something is legal, doesn’t that make it moral?

Turek argues against such reasoning by pointing out that slavery and abortion were legal nationwide but certainly not moral. The concept leads to a discussion of the law.

Twice in 1 Corinthians, the apostle Paul distinguished between things that were “lawful” or “permissible” and things that were “profitable” and “edifying” (1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23).

Merely complying with good or bad laws does not equate to righteousness. Paul taught that God’s law was but a teacher to point people to Christ (Galatians 3:24), however, the law could not bring righteousness. If it could, he summarized, Christ’s death would have been in vain (Galatians 2:21).

Furthermore, basing objective morality on external laws misses a fundamental teaching Jesus emphasized in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) – that true obedience to God originates in the heart, regardless of one’s adherence to the law.

Is using marijuana different than drinking wine?

Beyond attempting to justify marijuana use because it is now legal in some states, some Christians also compare recreational cannabis use to moderate wine consumption. But Turek said the two are not the same.

“Probably the biggest difference is that you can use alcohol in a moderate way,” he explained. “But you can’t use drugs in a moderate way. The purpose of drugs is to inebriate you, to try to get some sort of high or alter your mind in some way.”

“But the truth of the matter is, though the Bible does prohibit drunkenness, it does not prohibit wine use,” he said.

For Turek, the distinction is clear.

“The proper use of wine does not lead to drunkenness, but the normal use of marijuana does,” he explained.

Is it good for society?

Another argument that promotes the legalization of marijuana for recreational use is that the sale of pot would generate tax revenue. Turek disagrees.

“It’s a losing situation, but even if it was a win from a financial perspective, that doesn’t make it right,” Turek said. “There are a lot of things you can do to make money that are still immoral. You could legalize prostitution, sex trafficking, and slavery and make a lot of money, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.”

Myers, who moved to Colorado just before recreational marijuana was legalized there in 2012, also rejects the premise that marijuana is a win for the state.

Citing a report from Colorado Christian University’s Centennial Institute, Myers said, “For every dollar in taxes from recreational marijuana, Colorado spent $4.50 mitigating the effects of legalization.”

Is it good for my neighbor?

For Myers, the financial benefits of recreational marijuana use should not be the primary concern for Christians.

“One of the ways Christians love their neighbor,” Myers said, “is by advocating for an orderly society in which their neighbors are protected from crime and from the consequences of negligent, short-sighted public policy.”

Colorado’s legalization of recreational marijuana has done just the opposite, and the social costs are staggering, according to Myers.

He explained that since the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, traffic deaths due to people driving while high have more than doubled, homelessness has nearly doubled, crime has risen precipitously, and the effects on young adults have been devastating.

Even the promise of more money for schools has not panned out.

“Who benefits?” Myers asked.

“Certainly not local schools,” he said. “They did receive marijuana dollars if they met certain politically correct criteria, but that was met by a corresponding decrease in other state funding for schools, resulting in a net loss of funding.”

Where does legalization lead?

Many claim that marijuana is a gateway drug that will lead individual users to experiment with more dangerous drugs that have greater risks of dependence and addiction. Others refute that claim and insist more research is needed to establish such a link.

However, what seems clear from studies and anecdotal evidence is that recreational marijuana opens society’s doors to a host of unintended and unwelcomed consequences.

Myers said, “Mainstreaming marijuana use is like hanging out a sign saying, ‘We are open to anything.’”