By Billy Hallowell
As mariiuana continues to increase in popularity and cultural acceptance, some key questions are increasingly being asked in faith circles. Among them: Is recreational marijuana use moral?
This is just one of the topics being tackled by Dr. Todd Miles, professor of theology at Western Seminary and author of “Cannabis and the Christian: What the Bible Says about Marijuana.”
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Miles recently told the “Edifi With Billy Hallowell” podcast that, though the Bible says nothing explicitly about marijuana, the scriptures do offer a plethora of “wisdom” and guidance that can help Christians address the issue.
“We have all the divine words that we need in order to live faithfully,” he said. “There’s plenty to inform the question of recreational and even medicinal marijuana use.”
Listen to Miles reveal his take on marijuana and the Bible:
As marijuana continues to be legalized in states across the U.S., Miles said he’s hoping to help guide Christians to “start thinking intentionally” about the complex issue, particularly when it comes to dangers surrounding the drug that are often downplayed.
“Mental health officials know that there is a strong link between earlier onset of mental illness, schizophrenia … and marijuana use,” he said. “And we ought not to be saying otherwise.”
Among the many issues surrounding marijauna is the need to differentiate medicinal from recreational use, as it is the latter that is often being perpetuated and pushed, Miles said, without the proper framing and information.