BOOK: Cannabis and the Christian

By Todd Miles | Amazon.com | 176 pages
Published in August of 2021

SUMMARY: “Cannabis is the good provision of a kind and benevolent God. It is not inherently evil,” professor of Theology at Western Seminary Todd Miles says. But, before you drive down to your local dispensary Miles has much more to say on the subject in Cannabis and the Christian.

Chapter 1 and 2 is marijuana 101, what it is, how it works, and the risks associated with use. Miles focuses on a subset of the population, people with a history of mental illness, women who are pregnant, and those under 25 years of age, that are at higher risk of health issues when consuming marijuana. He dispels some common myths (weed does not lead to violence, marijuana the tree of good and evil in the garden of Eden) while touching on the possible damaging effects to the lungs and heart. His writing is easy to understand, clear, and full of mirth.

With a solid understanding of marijuana and clearly establishing that the Bible does not talk about the plant, yet still has answers, he pivots to what most readers are looking for, what does the Bible say about cannabis?

“Because the Bible is sufficient, we have all the divine words we need in order to answer the question regarding the appropriateness of marijuana use,” Miles writes. “The goal, then, is to think like a disciple of Jesus Christ and apply the wisdom of Holy Scripture in a manner that glorifies Christ.”

Part of thinking like a disciple is rejecting the intellectually lazy appeal to civil law that Christians have used in the past to answer the question about using marijuana. In many states this is no longer applicable and most likely will not be applicable at a federal level in the near future. He makes an excellent point that a Christian’s morality should not be tied to civil law in the first place as there are many things that are legal, such as pornography, that Christians should not consume or participate in.

“Looking to the government to define good and evil, what is wise and profitable and what is not, is a bad idea. Civil law is not a reliable indicator of what God approves or of what he disapproves,” Miles writes. “The Christian is going to have to dig deeper into God’s laws to make such judgements.”

Noting that there are differences between alcohol intoxication and getting a high off of weed, Miles draws a straight line from alcohol, which the Bible talks about, to marijuana using Proverbs 23:29-35, specifically the mind-altering effects and addiction the verses speak about, as a guide. Miles finds it difficult to rationalize taking weed recreationally because of this and other verses.

“(Marijuana) is addictive and creates a high that impairs cognitive ability, judgement, and physical ability,” Miles says. “Addiction and impaired cognitive ability, physical ability, and judgement are all at odds with what is required of the follower of Jesus Christ.”

That said, he is careful to say there is not an all-out abolition of marijuana use. The opening quote is worth repeating.

“Cannabis is the good provision of a kind and benevolent God. It is not inherently evil.” But like most things in this world, it can be misused.

Miles pivots from recreational use to medical use in chapter 6 where he points out that the way marijuana works recreationally and medicinally is the same, but the motivations behind the use are different — and that is a key distinction. Just like with opioids, we should know the pros and cons of using a drug and act accordingly.

Ultimately, there is no one size fits all answer. Miles repeatedly says that we are going to have to think like a disciple of Christ and approach the topic with prayer, grace, and humility.

“When it comes to marijuana, the church in most places across America is no longer able to simply make an appeal to civil prohibition and be done with the question, Christians are going to have to (dare I say it?) think like disciples of Jesus Christ. And maybe that’s a good thing.”

KEY QUOTE: “When it comes to marijuana, the church in most places across America is no longer able to simply make an appeal to civil prohibition and be done with the question, Christians are going to have to (dare I say it?) think like disciples of Jesus Christ. And maybe that’s a good thing.”

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BONUS: Don’t have time to read the book? Listen to Miles discuss his book on Theology in the Raw.

PASTOR RESOURCE: Miles’ framework can be applied to any substance – mushrooms, opioids, etc. He provides an excellent resource for pastors dealing with this topic. At the back of the book he has seven questions, pastors can ask a person who is considering using marijuana.

DID YOU KNOW? Sunday to Saturday has a Good Reads page where we post all of the books we have read – even the ones that didn’t make the cut.

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