Recently, President Trump reclassified marijuana as a Schedule III drug, which is on par with Tylenol with codeine, and away from a Schedule I drug, which is on the level of heroin. While the sale of marijuana still remains a state issue (some states say it is legal to use marijuana recreationally), it is still illegal in Arkansas. Our state offers a medical marijuana program, where users can apply for a medical card to purchase the drug for medicinal purposes only. But, the door is opening for a wide range of marijuana products, where gummies, vapes, sparkling water, even CBD infused olive oil can be purchased. Is this good news? How should the Church respond?
I don’t think it is helpful to make blanket statements like, “Marijuana is BAAAAD!” or “Weed is from the Devil!” These claims fall on the same deaf ears that dismiss claims like, “Alcohol is Satan’s drink!” While I disagree with any legal push for marijuana use, I think it deserves a thoughtful approach.
The Bible doesn’t mention marijuana, but it has a lot to say about the way we live and the choices we make. The argument that weed comes from the ground is useless. Lots of things grow out of the ground. That doesn’t mean we should smoke, eat or ingest any of them. Wisdom reigns when we talk about the use of addictive, mind-altering substances.
There is a reason the word ‘stoned’ is used to describe the feeling we get when we smoke weed. It puts the user in a cloudy state that is loosely connected with reality. Certainly, it can relieve pain, but I don’t believe the majority of users partake because of chronic suffering. Recreational use is by far the largest part of the marijuana market (90% recreational vs 10% medicinal according to the National Library of Medicine). The goal of any user is to ‘get high.’ Very few smoke marijuana for the health benefits.
There is a reason weed users are depicted as couch potatoes, zoned out with a bag of chips in hand. While many users are highly functional, this image persists because the effects of marijuana are depressive. The images of Cheech and Chong still live in our minds because people who smoke a lot often end up in a reduced cognitive state. I believe medical marijuana has opened the door for this addictive drug to be introduced at younger ages on a much wider platform than we’ve ever seen before. The CDC reports that in 2022, 31% of teens smoked weed at least once in the past year. Studies abound with links to teen marijuana use and delayed or stunted brain development. No one looks to weed as a motivator for a good work ethic, an aid for good study habits or a promoter of safe driving habits. No parent says to their kid, “Be sure to smoke a little weed before you read tonight!”
Once the lid is off, marijuana is not going to stay in the medicinal world. It can’t. Proponents of medicinal use are not in the game for the good of society. They are in it for the money. And once the money begins pouring in from all the medicinal options, they will push even harder for recreational use. I believe the Church has an obligation to speak clearly and consistently to the dangers of regular marijuana use. We must tell the stories of those who started as minors and graduated to harder and harder drugs. We should tell the stories of parents who neglected the care of their kids because they were high. We need to speak to the long term effects of weed use on those whose brains are still developing. These conversations need to happen and they need to happen within the confines of the Church, instead of being limited to the school classroom. But much more importantly than all of these reasons, the Church must resurrect the conversation about the human body, as created in God’s image and for His glory. Paul makes this argument in 1st Corinthians 6. He says, “…your body is a temple (or home to) the HolySpirit…you are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” The question, “Does this give God glory or rob Him of it?” should apply here.
We can weigh the pros and cons of marijuana use until we are blue in the face. Studies are still very new when it comes to the ill effects of recreational marijuana. But Christians shouldn’t have to wait for the Feds to produce a set of numbers before we can know if something is good or bad. We have the Holy Spirit. I believe this verse applies here: “Do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5.18). As Christians, we shouldn’t introduce any mind altering/behavior changing chemicals into our bodies. That’s the negative. The positive is, we should allow the Holy Spirit to be the prime mover of our choices, thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. When we need an ‘escape’, the best action is to pray, not to get high. When we need to calm down, the best choice is to go to the Word, not get stoned with a group of friends. There are literally thousands of options for believers to honor God with what goes in our bodies. Attempting to introduce weed to that list is an excuse, not a solution.
