4. Is Smoking Weed a Sin? Marijuana and Alcohol
Breeden and Ward look to the Bible’s teaching on alcohol to explore any basis for recreational marijuana usage. Many people who justify weed use do so based on the Bible’s teaching regarding alcohol.
Alcohol is a good thing that’s dangerously subject to abuse. If used in moderation, it can be a gift (Exodus 29:38-46; Deuteronomy 14:22-29; Luke 22:14-23; John 2:9-10). However, the Bible consistently prohibits its abuse—drunkenness. (Genesis 9:20-21; 19:30-38; Proverbs 23:20-21, 30-33; Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:17-18; 1 Peter 4:3-5; 1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7).
Though the parallel between alcohol and marijuana isn’t exact, the intended effect of recreational marijuana is closest to drunkenness. Underneath both is a lack of self-control and sober-mindedness.
- Ephesians 5:17-18 – “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but filled with the Spirit”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 – “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”
- 1 Peter 4:7 – “The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.”
The Key Point
The thing Scripture forbids us to do with alcohol? It appears to be about the only thing we can do with marijuana recreationally. The authors quote Doug Wilson’s conclusion:
The one thing pot does for you—get you buzzed—is the one use prohibited concerning alcohol. When Paul tells us not to be drunk with wine, he did not mean that getting drunk with beer or scotch was acceptable. The problem is not the wine, but rather the loss of self-control. And because such mental impairment is the whole point of smoking pot, recreational marijuana is a serious sin, from the very first toke on down. No one smokes pot because it pairs nicely with the fish.
The Heart of Recreational Marijuana Use
Finally, Breeden and Ward address people who want to use marijuana with a clear conscience or want to converse with people who do. Those wanting to use with a clear conscience will likely be disappointed.
What do you say to people who still just want to get high?
Youth ministers may hear teens justify marijuana use this way. “I just want to relax and decompress. What’s wrong with that? It’s not as bad as getting wasted or going clubbing. When I’m high, I don’t get angry or hurt anybody. I’m usually home. Besides, lots of good people use marijuana.”
The authors ask, “Where does this drive to justify getting high come from? What are you really craving, why are you pursuing it so hard?”
A biblically informed response likely won’t convince everyone to not use marijuana. The real issue rests in the heart. People abuse alcohol and marijuana because they’re seeking to fill voids or satisfy desires.
Ed Welch says: “The use of mind-altering drugs and alcohol always raises the question: What is so wrong with everyday life? But the answer to that question is obvious—there is so much that is hard in everyday life, so many anxieties in daily life. We can understand why many people would seek a moment of chemically-induced peace.”
Marijuana users try to satisfy these desires, at least momentarily. For many, it doesn’t have the same effects or consequences as alcohol. Welch concludes, “In response, the Christian church hopes that we can offer someone better, who reveals to us a larger reality and the possibilities of true peace and joy.”
What leads people to justify using marijuana? And what answer can the church offer?
4 Reasons People Smoke Weed
1. Experience
First, marijuana offers an experience that lifts us out of the ordinary and dull rhythms of life. But God calls us to delight in the ordinary life he gives us and find joy in the mundane by fixing our eyes on him.
2. Escape
Second, marijuana promises an escape from the pressures and pains of life. But God calls us to find our refuge in him.
3. Acceptance
Third, marijuana offers acceptance from others and a community we can belong to. But God accepts us in Christ. He frees us to love others without fearing them or striving for approval. And when he accepts us in Christ, we find our identity not in a common substance but in our common Savior.
4. Freedom
Finally, marijuana presents itself as a symbol of our freedom and form of self-expression. But God calls this rebellion because we do it despite his call to find freedom in his commands and to lay down our freedom for the good of others and the glory of God.
God is better than drunkenness. He is better than getting high. And he is opposed to both things because they are false and harmful escapes—pitiful, idolatrous substitutes for the experience of his presence and favor. If you are a Christian, the experience of God’s unending love and mercy can be richly and abundantly yours if your reach out to him. – Ward and Breeden
If you aren’t a Christian, Jesus offers this same love and mercy if you turn from sin and come to him. He offers a peace that surpasses understanding. A comfort when you’re hurting. A refuge from chaos. Hope from despair. And a delight that’s truer and longer-lasting than any high.
Is Smoking Weed a Sin? Other Helpful Resources
- Is Recreational Marijuana Use a Sin? – Joe Carter
- Five Questions to Ask Before You Consume Cannabis – Trent Hunter
- Don’t Let Your Mind Go to Pot – John Piper
- The Church Must Respond to Marijuana’s Destructive March – ERLC
This article exploring “Is smoking weed a sin?” originally appeared here.
