Should Christians smoke marijuana?

In late August or September of this year, it will be legal for the first time in Canadian history to buy marijuana. This presents a problem. Christians will have to decide if something declared legal by our government is also moral.

First, we need to remember this isn’t the first time we have had to make such a distinction. In other eras, Christians had to decide whether abortion, no-fault divorce, alcohol consumption or a host of other things were permissible for Christians. Older Christians know that legal does not equal moral.

So what should we do? Should we declare that marijuana is good and to be received with thanks (1 Tim. 4:4)? Should we get high to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31)?

Let’s start with the obvious — Marijuana is never mentioned by name in the Bible. We don’t have a clear prohibition about use of drugs. Jesus never talked about it, neither did Moses or Paul. So, we are left to make a “good and necessary inference” (a Presbyterian’s favourite words!) about whether marijuana is permissible for Christians. What that means is we must take relevant Biblical principles and do our best to faithfully apply them to marijuana use.

I think there are four biblical principles that we can apply to potential marijuana use:

1. The question of motivation (and possible heart idolatry)
2. Getting high vs. getting drunk
3. Permissable vs. Beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23)
4. The body as a temple

The first and most important question to consider is why you might want to use marijuana. Often cannabis fans point to verses like Gen. 1:29 where God tells us that he has given to humans every seed bearing plant and tree for food. Add to that the two verses cited above (1 Tim 4:4, 1 Cor 10:31) which seem to assume that marijuana can be received with thanks and used to the glory of God.

However, this question of motivation is extremely important.

Ask yourself:

1. Are you wanting to use marijuana to escape from the demands and pressures of life?
2. Are you wanting to use marijuana so that your conscience or your normal inhibitions will not restrict your pursuit of pleasure?
3. Are you wanting to use marijuana to fit in with a group of friends (pleasing others)?

If you say yes to any of the above questions, the Scripture’s commands about alertness, sound-mindedness and doing all things to the glory of God would condemn such motivations.

PART 2:

The use of marijuana is most often associated with the goal of getting high. If you are attempting to intoxicate yourself with marijuana, the Scriptures (Old Testament, New Testament, Jesus, Paul, etc.) are quite clear that drunkenness and intoxication is a sin and to be avoided. Not only are we commanded to avoid intoxication (Gal. 5:21, 1 Cor. 6:10), we are also commanded the opposite — to be sober-minded and to stay alert (1 Pet. 5:8).

Now, one might say, the Scriptures do not prohibit wine so that might open the door for light marijuana use. It is true that the Bible leaves open the possibility for moderate use of alcohol that does not reach the level of intoxication (Psalm 104:14–15, John 2). However, it is difficult to get only a “little buzzed” on marijuana.

Whereas it takes 4–5 “standard” alcoholic drinks to reach intoxication for an adult, it takes only 7mg of THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana) to achieve the same state (link). This is approximately equal to 4 puffs of a marijuana cigarette. Some plants that are bred to be very high in THC will deliver intoxication effects after 1 puff or hit from a bong.

But that isn’t the only issue. Unlike alcohol, cannabis has many strains and at least 113 different chemical compounds. This makes it possible for a similar amount of cannabis (smoked or ingested) to have vastly different effects on an individual. It is extremely difficult to know the effects of a marijuana cigarette or brownie or whatever ahead of time. Achieving a mild buzz is very difficult.

Even if you are attempting to avoid getting high, it is no easy task. You are very likely to end up intoxicated which the Bible views as comparable to getting drunk.

PART 3:

Another principle that must be considered is the question of permissible vs. beneficial. Even if we can hypothetically say that a small amount of marijuana (a puff or two, a small bite of brownie) is acceptable because it does not cause intoxication, there are other considerations.

In 1 Cor. 10:23, Paul is debating (via letter) with Christians who say that everything is permissible for them. The quotes in that verse are stock arguments from the Corinthians in their defence. But Paul does not let off the hook by appealing to the low bar of permissibility. Rather, he holds them to a higher standard.

He tells them that they should also consider if their activities are helpful, if they build others up and if they lead to neighbour love. He grounds the whole discussion in vs. 31 by concluding that you must be able to say that everything you do is being done to the glory of God. If an activity doesn’t meet that standard, it should probably be avoided by Christians. Paul argues that all of our lives should far exceed permissibility.

Applying that paragraph to our current topic, we might say that marijuana may be permissible under certain rigorous standards, but outside of a medical pain relief context, it is hard to say that it is beneficial.

For instance, cannabis is known to cause overdoses and serious health damage, including death. Also, cannabis is strongly correlated with mental health disorders whereas light or moderate drinking is not. Cannabis can be habit forming. Cannabis has been shown to be permanently damaging to people whose brains are not fully developed.

When all of these possibilities are weighed, it is clear that there is a great number of reasons to say that marijuana is neither helpful nor beneficial to humans and especially to Christians.

Fourth: Body as Temple

In a similar discussion to 1 Corinthians 10:23, Paul is arguing in 1 Corinthians 6:12 that though something may be lawful, it is not always helpful. But he adds an additional argument for Christians that may be on the fence. In 6:19, Paul asks “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?”

What he means is that when we consider doing things with our body (eat, drink, sex, etc.) we ought to remember that the Spirit of God himself dwells in our body. Therefore he concludes, that our bodies don’t really belong to us. They belong to God.

When it comes to smoking marijuana, we must consider that the body we have been given doesn’t belong to us, but to God. We are not free to do as we wish, but must use our bodies wisely and well. More than that, Paul says that because Christ dwells in us, what we do with our bodies, we do with God. In vs. 15, he (somewhat crudely) asks if we should take part of Christ’s body and unite it with a prostitute? Of course the answer is “never!”

Most of us assume a high degree of personal autonomy. I choose to smoke marijuana and I bear the benefits and consequences of such an action. But that is simply not a biblical view. Your body is not yours. You may not smoke whatever you please. You belong to Christ.

Summary:

Let’s remember, there is no verse about marijuana use. It is never mentioned by name. But that doesn’t mean we are free to do whatever our government allows. Rather, we are to take sound biblical principles and apply them as thoughtfully as we can.

It is my opinion that when we take the four principles outlined above, it heavily restricts, if not fully outlaws marijuana use. It creates such a narrow window that marijuana use should be avoided by Christians so as to stay far away from temptation and sin.

I would urge any Christian to abstain from marijuana even when the LCBO starts stocking brownies.