“When I was a kid I inhaled frequently. That was the point.” –Barack Obama
When you’re done reading this, please pass it to the left. Thanks.
Marijuana. The word instantly conjures up images of Jeff Spicoli falling out of a smoke-filled van in Fast Times At Ridgemont High or of Jeff Lebowski asking, “Mind if I do a J?” but I’ve got news for you. That’s not the average pot smoker.
You might be surprised to see regular people coming and going from dispensaries in seventeen states plus the District of Columbia and to find out that the sweet little old lady in your neighborhood may be your local Nancy Botwin (the pot dealing mom from Weeds).
Should Christians smoke marijuana?
I have no problem with it as long as your local laws are being followed.
Right now I’m pretty sure that a third of those reading this have immediately jumped down to the comments section to begin a poorly thought out diatribe on why I’m wrong.
I say “Poorly thought out” because if they stopped reading they didn’t get the full story. Kudos to you for sticking around.
As with anything in life the “All things in moderation” clause should be invoked and common sense needs to prevail but if both are followed I’m totally OK with the consumption of marijuana.
I could take a verse out of the Bible and argue that God is OK with weed or I could point out that the Gateway Drug theory began in the 1930s and is very outdated but I’m not going to do either. I’m simply going to tell you what I think and let you decide whether I make sense or if I sound like I’m smoking, well, you know.
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I’ll start off with the medical benefits. Scoff if you want but there are legit medical conditions that are helped by cannabis. I’m talking about more than glaucoma and insomnia, the “Go-to” conditions many medical marijuana patients claim to have.
Anxiety, MS, Crohn’s, migraines, nausea from chemotherapy, Alzheimer’s, ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease and certain types of seizure disorders are among a few of the diseases that can be successfully treated with marijuana.
We hand out pills, liquid medications and injected medicine for all sorts of illnesses and medical conditions. Take out the social stigma and ask yourself this question.
How is marijuana any different?
People with anxiety can find it difficult to go out in public for even the most routine of events. I know because I’m trying to overcome severe social anxiety and there are times when I’m afraid to go to the grocery store.
If a person can feel more relaxed with marijuana and can more comfortably integrate into society how is that a bad thing?
Let me be clear about what I mean by “consuming.” There is a huge difference between someone smoking or eating a little bit in order to get some sort of benefit and someone who gets stoned.
If someone is using marijuana they shouldn’t drive, operate any type of equipment and should apply common sense needs to every situation.
It should also be noted that any marijuana use needs to be kept hidden from children and that under no circumstances should a medicated person be considered “adult supervision.”
The average person is under an enormous amount of stress and pressure and society thinks nothing of a couple glasses of wine with dinner or cocktails after work. Why then is it a big deal for someone to go home and spark up a bowl to help them relax and unwind?
Alcohol is legal, regulated and is something that is costly both financially and socially. How many dollars a year do you think insurance companies spend every year trying to cure liver disease brought on by the patients use and abuse of alcohol? Hundreds of people die every year from alcohol overdose in the US each year but there has never been a death from marijuana overdose.
Alcohol is far more addictive than marijuana and studies by the University of Pittsburgh, University of Iowa, Web MD and others all show that alcohol is more destructive to a person than marijuana.
Why do I bring up alcohol? Many Christians believe that alcohol, in moderation, is acceptable. If alcohol is acceptable, why not marijuana?
There are, of course, limitations that need to be placed on where and when one consumes marijuana but assuming that the person in question isn’t operating anything more dangerous than a TV remote or smartphone what’s the problem?
People like Paul McCartney, Norman Mailer, and George Carlin have touted marijuana as a creative assistant and it’s widely accepted that William Shakespeare wrote some of his best stuff while smoking the finest herb in all the land.
Want proof? Fragments of twenty-four pipes, all containing marijuana residue, were found in his garden. It appears as if the bard decided to cut out ye olde middleman and grow it himself.
If it can be smoked or consumed in an appropriate manner and if it helps people then why is it wrong?
Lets quickly look at another statistic that society uses to measure whether or not something is acceptable—Crime.
Other than shoplifting Ding Dongs from 7-11 or loitering at Taco Bell what crimes are people committing when they’re stoned?
You don’t hear about people getting high and beating their wife or starting a physical altercation with someone after smoking a joint. The only fights people have when they’re under the influence of marijuana are what flavor of Doritos to get and how many toppings on their pizza.
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Everyone has an opinion on marijuana and it seems as if that opinion is changing as more and more states legalize the sale and distribution of marijuana.
Pat Robertson of the 700 Club endorses the use of marijuana by Christians for all reasons. The Presbyterian Church, Episcopal Church and the United Methodist will give you their blessing, but only for medical use.
Brett McCracken writes about pop culture for Christianity Today and had this to say in a June 2011 piece.
The difference between codeine and cannabis is that the latter has a very distinct, largely negative image in culture—an image that carries baggage and connotations Christians must consider if they are thinking of using marijuana, even for medical reasons.
As I read this, Brett says Christians shouldn’t smoke marijuana because it has a negative image in culture. I find that really interesting and really hypocritical.
If I remember correctly didn’t Jesus have a negative image in culture? Didn’t the early church? Doesn’t the church today in many parts of the world?
Following this logic Christians need to be careful about spreading the gospel because many people in this country think that the church and Christianity in general come with a lot of baggage.
The Bible teaches that we should stand up for what we believe to be right and not let the world judge us. I’m pretty sure that Jesus wasn’t too worried about a negative image so why should baggage and connotations concern us?
I could go on about economic benefits of legalizing and regulating marijuana but this is about whether or not Christians should smoke marijuana. You’ve heard what I have to say. What do you think?
Let’s spark up a debate.
[polldaddy poll=6447157]
Photo of green cross courtesy Shutterstock
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cannabless.wordpress.com
[9] Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology The Sufficiency of the Scripture #5. With regard to the Christian life, the sufficiency of the Scripture reminds us that nothing is sin that is not forbidden by scripture either explicitly or by implication. To walk in the law of the Lord is to be “blameless” (Ps. 119:1). Therefore we are not to add prohibitions to those already stated in scripture. From time to time there may be situations in which it would be wrong, for example, for an individual Christian to drink Coca-Cola, or to attend movie theaters, or to eat meat offered to… Read more »
There is a certain contrasting quality between judgments within the world view of the proponents of the war on cannabis and Christian theology. The “everything is toxic” philosophy embraced by the ONDCP toxicologists and controlling offices such as the FDA and DEA is the exact opposite of sound Christian theology [1,2], and the corollary truths built upon it are not Biblically founded, and can be proven to be Biblically incorrect. -And if it’s not Theologically true, if it’s not true in the Bible, than it isn’t true at all [3]. No Bible believing Christian can accept any “toxicology” studies or… Read more »
There is absolutely nothing wrong with smoking. No one has every died from the effects of marijuana, unlike alcohol. Legalize marijuana in all 50 states. If we are free to drink alcohol until we a) get into a car and crash, b) get alcohol poisoning, or c) get into verbal or physical altercations, then why are we not allowed to smoke weed? Weed does nothing but relax the body and mind. If weed is used for medical purposes, then why is it not legal? I don’t see doctors prescribing alcohol for medical use…
Legalize marijuana in all 50 states.
Hi my names Jedi and I’ve been following Jesus for 6.7 years and I’ve suffered from depression, anxiety, bipolar manic depression and ADHD, to boot the only time I felt more active, more at peace is when I was self medicating with marijuana. It’s illegal in my home state of Virginia for now, but being on marijuana medicinally has been the best medicine regimen to date for me personally but I’ve suffered due to the illegality of it here in Virginia and am seriously considering moving in Order to legally medicate with marijuana. When I smoke I don’t just feel… Read more »
Guest editor Nick Florest wants your stories of addiction. https://goodmenproject.com/?p=75852
“Use or not, the bigger issue is to identify why people are using. But people aren’t interested in that aspect of marijuana use. It’s easier to simply legalize it for recreational use and forget the fact that there is a problem behind a persons use.” Tom, I think this is a really good argument–seriously. We’re so worried about the recreational use that we forget that some people use it as an outlet. to cope with external factors we should be taking closer looks at. But, some people like to play video games to cope with stress, some people like the… Read more »
“You don’t hear about people getting high and beating their wife or starting a physical altercation with someone after smoking a joint” …. You’re right, I don’t hear a lot of that but what I do hear about re the criminal activities relating to the use of marijuana. What I do hear are guys not being able to deal with their lives and having to have to mask their feelings with illegal chemicals. I have no problem with “medical” marijuana but I do have issues with legalizing it for recreational use. You have to wonder about it’s use when so… Read more »
Tom, your argument is absurd. How would legalising pot make the situation any worse? In objective terms it follows logically that the law has failed and people will continue to use weed in any case. How is it that us pot heads are presenting rational and cogent arguments if we are so cognitively impaired, not to mention holding down jobs and generally being productive members of society? Your “reasoning” is ludicrous, hysterical and emotive and begs the question, how does making an addict a criminal improve the situation in any way shape or form?
Go ahead, legalize it. Have fun dealing with the addictions. Have fun dealing with the families that have to deal with the addicts. Oh wait, you won’t do that, you’ll wait for someone else while ya’ll sit around toking up. I’ve been doing it for almost 14 years now and I hear this crap every day of the week. So while ya’ll are having a good time, please allow us in the industry pick up the mess left behind. Ya’ll can do all the intellectualizing you want but in the past 14 years I have yet to see one benefit… Read more »
Tom, Why all the snark and sarcasm? Like I said to Jamie, it really takes away from teh credibility of what you have to say. That being said, “Y’all” didn’t write this piece. I did. If you have something to say, say it to me. You make a big assumption in saying that I “Sit around and toke up.” Where exactly did I say that I smoke? I have a very hard time believing that the 38 kids in your treatment facility are there for an addiction to marijuana. You of all people should know that marijuana is typically a… Read more »
Tom, Not everyone who agrees with the legalization of pot actually use it. Just want to make that very clear. So, regardless of your impulsive assumptions, “y’all” aren’t going to be lighting up. Also, from reading your comment, it makes me fe as tho you believe everyone who reads your comment is below you in the education and experience vein. Uhhhh… Once again, you are too quick with your assumptions. I would love to see the records for your 38 youths who have been damaged solely by the use of marijuana. This is what you were insinuating. This sounds like… Read more »
Nearly 3/4’s of people in rehab centers are there because of court orders. prohibition causes far more harm than pos does. Prohibition actually kills people Pot does not. http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/drug-war-victim/ How about he families and friends of those people. You think they need counciling & therapy for what the drug war has done to them ? I cant show any statistics on death from pot because pot has never killed anybody in all of recorded history. It is said that one would have to smoke over 1,500 joints in 15 minutes to die of thc overdose but they would die from… Read more »
“Have fun dealing with the families that have to deal with the addicts.” I mean, seriously, not all people who smoke pot are addicted. That being said, there are PLENTY of alcohol addicts in this world–plenty of us know at least one. Plenty of us who just got out of college know 20. Where’s all the anti-alcohol sentiments?
I have to get to work … that place where I work with 38 adolescents in a residential treatment facility. I’ll have to give my comments later. But in the mean time, why was this written to address Should “Christians” use? What, they’re different then the rest of the populations?
I can’t remember the specific verse, but I believe marijuana is described in the Old Testament as one component of a ritual ointment. If you really would like me to, I can look up the verse. In other words, smoking marijuana isn’t already a part of Christian rituals, but potentially absorbing small amounts transdermally is. As far as debating its medical benefits, I was a MMJ patient for a few years and it helped me tremendously (I have frequent migraines that are unresponsive to other abortives, and preventive medication doesn’t work very well either). I spent years learning how to… Read more »
Andrew you have a knowledgeable & sharp mind. You are pretty much on target. hemp was a commonly used ingredient in ointments and medicines at the time of Jesus. I would just like to briefly address the issues of medical cannabis & prohibition laws in the USA. Cannabis was listed in the US Pharmacopeia from 1985 until 1942, 5 years after prohibition began. It took Harry 5 years to get it removed because the AMA was opposed to cannabis prohibition. In fact Cannabis has been used as good, safe and effective medicine in every major culture since the beginning of… Read more »
Thanks Jim. Great comment.
Is there a reason why my comments aren’t working?
Pipes found in a garden where someone lived 400 years ago means Shakespeare’s plays were inspired by marijuana? God potheads go to some lengths to prove their idiotic theories. I guess it’s going to cure cancer and save the economy too right? People have received inspiration from LSD, cocaine, heroin, alcohol, psychotic episodes, torture, childhood abuse etc. why should a few songs be used as an argument for drug use? ‘If someone is using marijuana they should apply common sense to every situation’. Ideally, so should a drunk person. But perhaps they have something in their blood that might hinder… Read more »
Jamie, First off, thank you for calling me a pothead and saying that a theory I used was idiotic. You’ll excuse me if I don’t take the rest of your comments at face value since you did a poor job of establishing your credibility in that first sentence. Also, you come off as extremely judgmental and holier than thou. If you disagree with what I wrote tell me about it but leave out the attitude. It’s not becoming. I’m truly sorry that your friend was killed but to ask if I spoke with everyone is kind of lame. People who… Read more »
Nice rebuttal,well done.
Let me start off by stating that what happened to your friend was quite sad, but I would also like to further see the information about this person’s death, given that it has been studied in the medical field for well over 150 years that marijuana alone is not a societal detriment. At face value, one with any professional experience on the issue would immediately question what else was going on with the person who killed your friend. Secondly, did I read this correctly? Did I see ADHD crap? Are you serious with that insinuation? Are you a professional in… Read more »
Thanks Dr. Capatelli! I was rather shocked to read that comment as well. There was only one area I didn’t particularly agree with you on. I think that marijuana is potentially more addictive than most studies realize – it does have withdrawal symptoms when used heavily over an extended period of time and can cause physical addiction. Nausea, insomnia, headache, and mood swings were the ones that I had most severely, but all of them went away within a month of quitting. I also had extremely vivid dreams which lasted some time after that. I’m not trying to downplay your… Read more »
Do your research Jamie. Hallucinogens were an intrinsic part of religious ceremonies for centuries. People really do say some absolute crap don’t they?
Jamie, Im truly sorry for your loss. I have been a born again believer since 1997, currently enrolled in a Christian University for my degree in Missionary. As with any substance weather man made, or natural. They all can be misused. Paul in his letter to Timothy encouraged him to drink a little wine for his stomach infirmities, however we are to “not be drunk, in excess, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. Is that a contradiction? Of course not, as long as its used in moderation, or for a medical purpose. I have 3 life threatening illnesses that… Read more »
If participation in Christian organizations is declining, it might be wise to suggest marijuana could help build and enhance one’s relationship with god. Many of the psychoactive effects of marijuana could produce feelings of deep connection to religious ceremony and communities, provided moderate consumption was accepted as part of the Christian experience.
At the very least, an experience or two using marijuana might help Christians think about their opposition to other secular ideas/things/etc. from a different perspective.
Right on, Cru.
There is a fine argument not to use.
I personaly think it should be legal. But I fall under the category that did this in the 70’s for fun and do it in the 21st century more for pain relief. Sucks,but better than a percocet that makes me get hives and feel awfully sick. Seriously hadn’t done it in over 25 years and then had rotator cuff and a torn labrum surgery. All the medication they gave me made me violently ill or hives or both. A friend who had medcinal mj for her breast cancer gave me a joint . One hit and viola. I was literally… Read more »
Margaret,
Sorry you got your arse fried but I like what you had to say. You go girl.
Reasons why I LOVE the 70s.
If Jesus is your model, why even bother mentioning local laws? Is it more or less sinful if Caesar/Obama permits it?
Yea, the bible doesn’t say anything about drugs. Preachers who want to use the bible to say drugs are bad have to use verses that say things like, Don’t do anything that could interfere with your faith, or relationship with god.
But these verses could be used to ban anything.
I think the really interesting question is why are most Christians so anti-drug? It’s not the bible, and answering this question might shine some light on where “Christian beliefs” really come from.
Mike,
To me this is one of those subjects where everyone has an opinion but many don’t want to share that opinion because they’re afraid of what others might think.
I think the Bible talks about getting high.
Good point, Justin.
Romans 13: 1-7 is the passage that commands obeying worldly authorities. If God put authorities in place, then it is God’s will that they have that authority. Therefore, rebelling against worldly authorities is rebelling against God’s will. There are, however, several precedents for civil disobedience in the Bible. A quick google search led me to http://www.gotquestions.org/civil-disobedience.html which outlines some of these. The general conclusion is that you don’t have to follow laws that directly contradict the will of God, but you do have to take the consequences of your actions if you cannot safely flee unjust rule. You can also… Read more »