Does legalizing marijuana (weed/cannabis) entitle Christians to smoke? This question presupposes two notions: A. Weed/Marijuana is not to be smoked if it’s illegal in the country/state of your residence. B. Weed is prohibited in many countries because it is dangerous to human health.
Before we examine the pros and cons of smoking weed, let’s understand why weed is prohibited in many countries. Dr. Walt Larimore1 - an award-winning medical journalist - highlights the problems caused by weed to human health:2 (Emphasis Mine)
Marijuana use can lead to problems after both acute and chronic use…A 2005 study of car accidents in France found that the chances of drivers being responsible for a fatality were more than three times higher if they had been using marijuana compared to those who had not.
Marijuana leaves people sedated and less coordinated, making it unwise to drive or operate equipment while under its influence. Coordination problems may last up to 24 hours, long after the person no longer feels high.
Many people report euphoria and positive feelings from the high, but 40 to 60 percent report unpleasant experiences. This has been the case with marijuana smoked for medical reasons…
About 10 percent of regular recreational users of marijuana develop dependence, according to the Royal College of Physicians’ report. When people stop using marijuana after chronic use, they can have withdrawal effects, with symptoms like restlessness, insomnia, nausea, and cramping.
Compared to other abused drugs, these can be mild and short-lived…
…Other negative effects have been reported. Students regularly using marijuana have lower grades, more traffic accidents, higher use of alcohol and sex as coping mechanisms, and more psychiatric problems than nonusers. These conclusions come from epidemiological studies that do not establish cause and effect, but have been cited as evidence of what is called “amotivation syndrome.”
More seriously, there is growing evidence of a connection between marijuana use and psychosis. Cannabis can precipitate psychosis and continued cannabis use in psychotic patients makes their illness worse…
The evidence is moving toward a consensus that daily use of marijuana causes psychosis and precipitates schizophrenia, especially if use begins before age 15. A study in New Zealand monitored marijuana use in people for 25 years and published its results in 2005. It found that daily marijuana users had a 1.6 to 1.8 times greater chance of developing psychosis even after all other known causes were taken into account…
Other concerns have been expressed that marijuana may negatively impact the immune system, increasing the risk of infection. This would be particularly problematic since the people for whom medical marijuana is most frequently recommended (AIDS and chemotherapy patients) are already at very high risk for infections. Research is not as yet clear about this connection.
The Natural Database rates marijuana as “possibly unsafe” for adults and children, “unsafe” in pregnancy, and “likely unsafe” (orally or inhaled) for breast-feeding women.
Since the Bible does not explicitly condemn the usage of weed, we can expect both answers: ‘No, we cannot smoke weed’ or ‘yes, we can smoke weed.’ An article in Christianity Today, entitled ‘Should Christians Smoke Medical Marijuana?’ offers both these answers:3
No—It's a bad Witness: …Christians should be cautious about using marijuana. Marijuana is associated with vice and unseemly activity. Christians are called to be above reproach, "without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation," shining "as lights in the world" (Phil. 2:15, ESV). We are told to "not be conformed to this world" (Rom. 12:2) and to "walk properly as in the daytime," avoiding sins of addiction such as drinking and partying (Rom. 13:13). In 1 Peter 2:11-12, Peter urges Christians to "abstain from the passions of the flesh" and to keep their conduct honorable, so unbelievers "may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."
The issue is not the relative danger of marijuana itself; it is about witness. If Christians use marijuana as a medical aid, it should be done in a quiet, private manner, without flaunting. Christians must be mindful of pot's controversial and hazardous reputation in culture, and be sensitive to the perspectives of both other Christians and unbelieving observers. Christians should take note of the food offered to idols issue in 1 Corinthians 8-10 and strive to abstain from arguably innocuous activities that are nevertheless contested in culture. It is not worth offending or making someone stumble.
Yes, with care: …Scripture raises important questions.
First, is it moral? This is the most important question. Does Scripture prohibit or command using marijuana for medical purposes? If something is illegal, unless Scripture commands us to do it, we do not. Where medical marijuana is legal, this is no longer an issue.
Second, are mind-altering drugs sinful? This one is a bit more slippery. Many prescription drugs—like psychiatric drugs—can be mind-altering, and so are legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. Christians have reasonable arguments on both sides. But I think we can agree that one's motivation is relevant. If someone puts their hope in mind-altering drugs, and these drugs become a way to turn away from the Lord, they are idolatrous and wrong. Even then, that does not mean that the person must stop taking the drugs. It means they must learn how to turn to the Lord in their troubles.
Third, is it wise to smoke medical marijuana? This overlaps with the morality question. There are times when something is morally permissible, yet unwise. If you struggle with a desire for alcohol, it is permissible but unwise to work in a place where alcohol is served. With medical marijuana, that question could be reframed as, "Is it helpful or dangerous?" Are there deleterious consequences to this treatment? The brief answer, and I suspect there would be many heads nodding at this, is that every medical treatment has possible harmful side effects. In an era of full disclosure, many prescription warnings end, "Oh, and you might die too." When you line up modern pain relievers, marijuana looks quite tame. It is riskier than Tylenol but safer than Vicodin. The dangers ebb when the marijuana user is terminally ill, and Scripture supports palliative care for the dying (Prov. 31:6-7).
Finally, is your conscience clear? Is it okay that people know you are taking medical marijuana? You do not have to announce it in front of the assembly, but you should not be ashamed if other people know. If your conscience bothers you, do not do it. For some people, the stumbling block might be that you smoke it. Put it in a pill form and use its technical name, and many consciences would probably be soothed.
Many innovations have unwanted side effects. For example, the Internet is a purveyor of pornography. Yes, more people will use marijuana for non-medical reasons. People who would not cross the barrier between legal and illegal might be more prone to try something that is legal though restricted.
How would I vote? Be wise and do not violate your conscience.
Dr. Walt Larimore’s advice regarding smoking weed is forthright, “…a consistent effort should be maintained to discourage all use of marijuana even if at some future time its illegal status is changed. The risks of using marijuana are great. Every year, about 100,000 people seek help in kicking the marijuana habit. The church could play a significant role here as only Jesus Christ can fill the void that marijuana abusers experience.”4
Therefore, the use of weed should be discouraged even if it is legalized in the country/state of your residence. However, its consumption could be permitted if the usage is for medical purposes with strict medical oversight.
Endnotes:
1Dr. Walt Larimore, MD, DABFP, FAAFP, is an award-winning medical journalist, a best-selling author, and a nationally-recognized family physician. He co-authored a book with Donal O’Mathuna, Ph.D., entitled ‘Alternative Medicine: The options, the claims, the evidence, how to choose wisely.’ This book is an evidence-based article on marijuana.
2http://www.drwalt.com/blog/2013/06/27/marijuana-the-truth-part-4/
3https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/june/vg-medicalmarijuana.html
4http://www.drwalt.com/blog/2013/07/03/marijuana-the-truth-part-5/
Websites last accessed on 28th December 2018.
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