Slideshow image

 This week on the blog we have built a logical and biblical case against the Christian’s recreational use of marijuana.  We argued the following:

  • The Bible prohibits drunkenness because it is a form of intoxication.
  • The Bible is silent on recreational marijuana usage, but intoxication is virtually unavoidable.
  • Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that recreational marijuana usage is prohibited based on biblical principles.

For these reasons, we believe Christians should labor to abstain from any recreational marijuana usage, putting it to death by the power of the Holy Spirit.   

Naturally, a position like this will lead to some questions. So here are a few frequently asked questions by Christians attempting to wrestle with this position on recreational marijuana usage.  

 

Does Genesis 1:29 teach that marijuana consumption is good? 

 Those arguing for the Christian use of recreational marijuana often point to Genesis 1:29 for support. There God says to Adam and Eve, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.” One marijuana activist states, “This word helps clarify that all herbs, that are good for eating and healthy for the body, are to be consumed, even possibly in the form of burning such as smoking.”[1]

This interpretation is highly problematic. Arsenic, hemlock, anthrax, poison ivy, poisonous mushrooms are all naturally occurring plants on the earth. Did God create them? Absolutely. Is there value in these plants? Certainly. But does that mean they are intended for our consumption? Absolutely not. In addition, Genesis 1:29 does not undercut anything that has already been said about the intoxicating effects of marijuana usage.  

 

If marijuana is wrong, why is caffeine okay?

Some have argued, “wait just a minute. Caffeine is a mood-altering drug. Why is coffee okay and not recreational marijuana use? They have the same effect.”

Once again, this argument is highly problematic. John Piper helpfully responds,

One of the effects of coffee is that it makes you more alert to reality. If caffeine didn’t do that, I think we should run away from it. In fact, I think it is possible to sin with caffeine. There is a significant difference in the mind being sharpened instead of made more blunt or more out of touch with reality. I don’t think marijuana is generally thought of as an empowering drug that enables you to be a more competent dad, a more competent mother, a more competent employee, or a more competent citizen. It is, rather, a recreational escape, and from the little I have read, over time it becomes a destructive force in the brain. It has lasting negative effects on the mind’s ability to do what God created it to do.[2]

Of course, as Piper mentioned, it is possible to sin with caffeine. But the effects of caffeine are categorically different than those of marijuana. Unlike marijuana, caffeine is not an intoxicant.  

 

What about medical marijuana?

From the outset, we need to acknowledge that when we’re talking about medical marijuana, we’re talking about a minor slice of overall marijuana usage. Researchers maintain that somewhere between 83-95% of THC users are recreational.[3] Nevertheless, reputable science is emerging that confirms some legitimate uses for both THC and CBD:

Controlled clinical studies provide substantial evidence for the use of cannabinoid receptor agonists in cancer chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, appetite loss and cachexia in cancer and HIV patients, neuropathic and chronic pain, and in spasticity in multiple sclerosis. In addition, there is also some evidence suggesting a therapeutic potential of cannabis-based medicines in other indications including Tourette syndrome, spinal cord injury, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and glaucoma.[4]

Nevertheless, concerns remain with the legitimacy of medical marijuana. Credible research is scant and is often funded by the marijuana industry, questioning its legitimacy.[5] Sometimes marijuana treatments are no more effective than a placebo.[6] Some medical treatments would require patients to be high all the time to truly be effective.[7] In addition, the potential drawbacks can be quite serious. Possible side effects include addiction,[8] reduced IQ,[9] suicidal ideation,[10] social anxiety disorder,[11] bipolar disorder,[12] schizophrenia,[13] psychiatric hospitalization,[14] heart issues like irregular heartbeats and heart arrhythmias,[15] heart attacks,[16] and toxic overdose.[17]

For these reasons and more, we urge serious caution before accepting medical marijuana treatments. Nevertheless, if the sole purpose of marijuana usage is medicinal and non-intoxicating, we should be careful not to bind the conscience of a brother or sister in Christ.

 

[1] Michael Thacker, Cannabis And The Christian Church: A Clear And Concise Theological Examination of Cannabis And How The Church Should Approach It, 2019, 17.

[2] John Piper, Christians and Marijuana, Desiring God, April 25, 2013, https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/christians-and-marijuana.

[3] Lewei A. Lin et al., “Comparing Adults Who Use Cannabis Medically with Those Who Use Recreationally: Results from a National Sample,” Addictive Behaviors 61 (October 2016): 99–103, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.05.015.

[4] Franjo Grotenhermen and Kirsten Müller-Vahl, “Medicinal Uses of Marijuana and Cannabinoids,” Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences 35, no. 5–6 (November 1, 2016): 378–405, https://doi.org/10.1080/07352689.2016.1265360.

[5] Granade and Sprinkle, Jesus and Mary (Jane), 38.

[6] Tine van de Donk et al., “An Experimental Randomized Study on the Analgesic Effects of Pharmaceutical-Grade Cannabis in Chronic Pain Patients with Fibromyalgia,” Pain 160, no. 4 (April 2019): 860–69, https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001464.

[7] David Turbert and Dan Gudgel, “Does Marijuana Help Treat Glaucoma or Other Eye Conditions?,” American Academy of Ophthalmology, March 8, 2021, https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/medical-marijuana-glaucoma-treament.

[8] “Is Marijuana Addictive?,” Marijuana Research Report, National Institute on Drug Abuse, July 2020, https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive.

[9] Madeline H. Meier et al., “Persistent Cannabis Users Show Neuropsychological Decline from Childhood to Midlife,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109, no. 40 (October 2, 2012): E2657–64, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1206820109.

[10] “Teen Pot Use Raises Later Suicide Risk,” WebMD, accessed June 7, 2021, https://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20190213/teen-pot-use-linked-to-later-suicide-risk.

[11] Engineering National Academies of Sciences, The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research, 2017, https://doi.org/10.17226/24625.

[12] National Academies of Sciences.

[13] Rebecca Kuepper et al., “Continued Cannabis Use and Risk of Incidence and Persistence of Psychotic Symptoms: 10 Year Follow-up Cohort Study,” BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) 342 (March 1, 2011): d738, https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d738.

[14] Colin Gleeson, “Cannabis-Related Admissions to Psychiatric Hospitals Rose 185% in Eight Years,” The Irish Times, accessed June 7, 2021, https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/cannabis-related-admissions-to-psychiatric-hospitals-rose-185-in-eight-years-1.4051671.

[15] By Jen Christensen CNN, “Using Weed Regularly Raises the Risk of Heart Problems for Young People, Studies Find,” CNN, November 11, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/11/health/weed-heart-risk-study/index.html.

[16] M. A. Mittleman et al., “Triggering Myocardial Infarction by Marijuana,” Circulation 103, no. 23 (June 12, 2001): 2805–9, https://doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.103.23.2805.

[17] “2017 Annual Toxic Trend Report: Cannabis,” Washington Poison Center, June 27, 2018, https://www.wapc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017-Cannabis-TTR-Updated-6-27-2018-1.pdf.