Is it right to consume cannabis?
For most evangelicals in America, the question was long a moot point because marijuana consumption was illegal. But today, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana use, and 40 states allow medical usage.
According to the Pew Research Center, Americans broadly approve of marijuana consumption now, with only 23 percent of adults believing it to be morally wrong. Even among evangelicals, most believe it’s morally permissible, while some say it’s either “not morally wrong” or “not a moral issue.”
But many things are legal and popular yet still unwise. Is marijuana use right for Christians seeking to walk worthy of our calling (Eph. 4:1)?
First, we should understand the terms. Cannabis refers to the entire plant, and marijuana refers to the part of the plant harvested and produced specifically to produce a high. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive compound, and here I’ll focus on marijuana, which contains a significant amount of THC. (CBD is a popular ingredient in restorative and medical applications. It does not have THC and therefore doesn’t have mind-altering properties.)
There’s no Bible verse that says, Thou shalt not smoke weed. But we can and should consider several scriptural principles in our moral decision-making about this drug, and I believe they lead to the conclusion that cannabis has no place in the life of a Christian.
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In his book Cannabis and the Christian, ethicist Todd Miles recounts visiting a weed dispensary to learn what customers seek:
The staff at this shop were extremely patient and helpful, answering many of my questions by pulling out large visual aids with charts and graphics, showing me the different THC products and how they worked. At one point, I asked, rather embarrassingly, if there was any reason to smoke pot recreationally other than to get high. The clerk looked at me like I was an imbecile and laughed, “Why else would anybody smoke pot?”
While there may be secondary purposes in consuming marijuana, let’s be honest: People primarily use it to get high, and getting high is a form of intoxication.
Scripture strongly condemns intentional intoxication. To the Ephesians, Paul urges, “Don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit” (5:18, CSB throughout). Many passages mention alcohol because it was the primary intoxicant in the biblical writers’ context. Scripture warns, for instance, of the perils of lingering over wine in Proverbs 23:29–35: loss of coherence, lack of control of what one says, hallucinations, and addiction.
The Bible reliably portrays drunkenness as sinful. In Galatians 5:19–21, it is listed as a characteristic of people who “will not inherit the kingdom of God” and is described as inconsistent with a life in step with the Holy Spirit. A similar sentiment is expressed in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 and 1 Peter 4:3. In 1 Thessalonians 5:6–8, intoxication is contrasted with sobriety and self-control, which are characteristics of the spiritually mature follower of Jesus.
Scripture also describes the debauchery that can result from intoxication: Noah embarrassed himself with public nakedness (Gen. 9:21), Lot committed incest (Gen. 19:30–38), Nabal risked his life and family before the king (1 Sam. 25: 36), and the Corinthian Christians blasphemed the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:21).
These effects aren’t confined to the one who consumes. Families, lives, and communities are often destroyed by violence, infidelity, and loss of control connected to intoxication. Scholar Christopher Cook asserts that “at least up until the 19th century, these ethical conclusions were remarkably uniform” in the church. “All agreed that drunkenness was a sin.”
If the primary purpose of marijuana is to get high and if intoxication is seen as a sin in Scripture, then seeking a high from marijuana seems incongruous to obedience to Christ.
I realize, at this point, the objection many will raise: The Bible seems to approve the moderate use of alcohol. Doesn’t that apply to marijuana?
Full disclosure: I’m a teetotaler who has never had a sip of alcohol in my life. I’m not saying that to brag; I’ve made that decision out of what I feel is wisdom. However, I believe R. C. Sproul was right when he said, “There is no doubt a vehement prohibition of drunkenness in Scripture, but not a condemnation of the proper consumption of alcohol.”
In Ephesians, Paul doesn’t say not to drink, but not to get drunk with wine. And this appears consistent with other passages that seem to commend wine as a gift from God (Ps. 104:15; Ecc. 9:7; Prov. 3:10; Deut. 14; John 2). There are many Christians today and throughout church history who drank responsibly.
However, Scripture strongly, as we saw above, condemns intoxication and drunkenness—and too many Christians fail to take seriously the Bible’s forbidding of drunkenness. To seek to get drunk is a sin. Christians should also be wise about hanging out with folks whose idea of a party includes intentional intoxication. Romans 13 and other passages forbid “carousing.” Christians who cannot separate moderate drinking from drunkenness should avoid drinking altogether.
While there are ways to consume alcohol without seeking intoxication, the sole purpose of recreational use of THC is to get high. And while one can drink limited amounts of alcohol without becoming intoxicated, even small doses of marijuana—like 7 milligrams of THC or a few puffs on one marijuana cigarette, according to one study—can lead to a high.
This doesn’t mean every single use of marijuana makes one as high as one can be. Yet I still believe Scripture’s forbidding of drunkenness or intoxication applies here regarding Christians seeking that altered mental state merely for its own sake. There’s a way to consume alcohol (or food, caffeine, or other potentially addictive substances) for benefits other than intoxication or a high. With marijuana, there isn’t.
Like many sins of the body, marijuana use can also have significant negative health impacts. An extensive report on marijuana usage in The New York Times noted, “From Washington State to West Virginia, psychiatrists treat rising numbers of people whose use of the drug has brought on delusions, paranoia and other symptoms of psychosis.”
These journalists looked at medical records, spoke with doctors and health officials, and interviewed hundreds of users. One significant health concern is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, in which using marijuana produces severe nausea and stomach upset.
Another study shows that heavy marijuana usage correlates with domestic violence by young people, while a third suggests it seriously inhibits brain function, including a loss of IQ, in adolescents. The National Safety Council suggests businesses ban the use of marijuana in roles where safety is an issue, even while workers are off the clock, given its tendency to seriously diminish brain function.
Scripture tells us that what we do in our bodies matters. Few of us are making perfectly wise health decisions, and a good many of us (including me) could use a better diet and more exercise. But to deliberately cause serious damage to one’s body, raise the risk of violence and mental health issues, and hinder sober-mindedness dishonors God. Listen to what Paul says: “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:19–20).
Many defend marijuana as a harmless drug that isn’t addictive like other substances. But this thesis is being contested. That New York Times report found that nearly a third of all adult users have “cannabis use disorder.” Yes, marijuana is less addictive than substances like cocaine or heroin, but it is still addictive.
Addiction is a complicated topic. We should sympathize with those who struggle with substance abuse and pray for the Lord to help them gain victory over this stranglehold. Still, while addictions may grow out of control, at the start, there is a choice to willingly turn over oneself to a mind-altering substance for the specific purpose of getting intoxicated.
To be addicted is to be mastered by something other than ourselves. Scripture says we can either be intoxicated by a substance or be mastered by the Spirit of God (Eph. 5:18). The New Testament contrasts the way of the Enemy with the way of the kingdom. If our bodies are to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable (Rom. 12:1) because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, why would we turn them over to another master?
As Miles, the ethicist, correctly says, “It is the Lord’s right to direct what we do with our bodies. It is not our right nor the right of an activity or substance.”
So far I’ve focused on recreational marijuana use. But what about medical consumption?
Though the data is still inconclusive, it does seem there are limited, medicinal benefits to marijuana usage. Finding medicines and cures for disease and chronic pain is part of our mandate to subdue the earth and push back against the curse of the Fall, and that can include judicious medical use of intoxicating substances. Paul urged Timothy, for instance, to take some wine for his stomach’s sake (1 Tim. 5:23).
However, Christians should still ask ourselves: Is this the best and only cure for a specific pain or condition? Is it being given out in doctor-prescribed doses? Is the motivation genuinely to relieve pain, or is the user trying to find a convenient way to consume weed?
What’s more, a Christian must weigh the negative side effects of using marijuana for medicinal purposes. (These questions should also be asked of any such medication, such as opioids or painkillers.) The benefit must be weighed against the harm or potential harm. These risks do not mean it’s sinful to take these drugs in a limited way as needed, but such decisions should be made soberly, with accountability, and for a limited time.
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This statement from the Christian Medical and Dental Association is wise:
CMDA maintains that a reasonable and prudent physician should only recommend FDA-approved pharmaceutical-grade medications when the indications are clear, dosing is well-established, risk-benefit ratios have been investigated and can be applied to individual patients, delivery systems are safe, and careful monitoring is agreed upon. Physicians cannot assume that “medical marijuana” has the labeled amount of active ingredient and is devoid of contaminants and harmful additives.
The use of marijuana is going to be a continual conversation in the coming years, and believers need to be prepared to make wise decisions. We must also have compassion and gospel hope for our friends and neighbors who are afflicted by addiction. Some strongholds are difficult to break, but we know that with God all things are possible.
Daniel Darling is the director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Seminary. This was adapted with permission from his new book, Biblical Wisdom for Everyday Life: Ethical Answers to Cultural Questions.
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