Our mailboxes are filled with ballot initiatives. The news cycle buzzes with legalisation debates. Our neighbours casually mention their weekend edibles. With recreational use of marijuana becoming increasingly mainstream, Christians wonder: now that it’s legal, is it permissible?

The question challenges believers because Scripture doesn’t explicitly mention cannabis. Yet the Bible’s silence doesn’t leave us without guidance…

 

THE CALL TO SOBRIETY AND SELF-CONTROL

The foundation of the Reformed position rests on Scripture’s consistent emphasis on mental clarity and self-control. Paul’s instruction in Ephesians 5:18 is telling: “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” The apostle doesn’t merely prohibit alcohol abuse—he contrasts two different ways of being “filled.”

This principle extends beyond wine to any substance that impairs judgement. Peter echoes the theme too: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8). The Christian life requires vigilance, discernment, and clear thinking—precisely what recreational marijuana is designed to diminish.

Unlike medication taken for legitimate health needs under proper supervision, recreational marijuana use specifically seeks altered consciousness. The very appeal lies in its mind-altering effects. This directly conflicts with the biblical call to mental clarity. When Paul lists self-control as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), he establishes sobriety not as legalistic restriction but as spiritual maturity.

The Reformed tradition has consistently applied this principle beyond alcohol to other intoxicating substances. We wouldn’t encourage recreational cocaine or heroin use. Shouldn’t the same biblical logic apply to marijuana, regardless of its legal status.

 

STEWARDSHIP OF BODY AND MIND

Reformed theology takes seriously Paul’s declaration that our bodies are “temples of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). This isn’t mere metaphor—it’s a fundamental truth about Christian identity. We belong to God, purchased at the ultimate price, and called to honour Him with our bodies.

This temple theology demands careful stewardship. While research continues, early studies suggest marijuana use carries real risks: potential respiratory damage from smoking, possible cognitive impacts, and particular concerns for developing brains. The Reformed conscience asks not “What’s the minimum I can get away with?” but “What best honours God with this body He’s entrusted to me?”

Paul’s call to present our bodies as “living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1) frames our decision-making. A living sacrifice doesn’t seek ways to impair the very faculties—mind, judgement, reflexes—that enable faithful service. Instead, it asks how every choice can better glorify God and serve others.

This doesn’t mean Christians must be health perfectionists. We enjoy good food, might have a glass of wine with dinner, and don’t panic over every health study. But recreational marijuana use represents a categorical difference—the deliberate pursuit of impairment for its own sake.

 

CHRISTIAN WITNESS AND CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT

Paul’s wisdom in 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 speaks directly to our situation: “All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbour.” Christian liberty always operates within the bounds of love for others.

Consider the witness implications. How does recreational marijuana use appear to unbelievers seeking authentic Christianity? To struggling addicts looking for hope? To parents trying to guide their children? To new believers learning what Christian maturity looks like?

This isn’t about maintaining appearances or cultural respectability. It’s about the gospel’s credibility. When Christians eagerly embrace the same recreational substances as the surrounding culture, we undermine our testimony that satisfaction comes through God alone. The world needs to see believers who find their joy, peace, and contentment in Christ—not chemical alternatives.

Pastors and church leaders face particular responsibilities here. Consistency matters. If we counsel against other forms of substance abuse while embracing marijuana, we send mixed messages. Church discipline becomes complicated when recreational drug use gains social acceptability but remains spiritually problematic.

 

THE WISDOM TRADITION AND CHRISTIAN LIBERTY

The Westminster Confession wisely notes Christian liberty is “freedom to serve God without fear,” not freedom to indulge every desire (WCF 20.1). True freedom asks not “Can I?” but “Should I?”

Paul’s principle in 1 Corinthians 6:12 guides us: “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.” The question isn’t whether marijuana is as harmful as heroin, but whether its use serves our calling to be “filled with the Spirit.”

The book of Proverbs consistently warns against substances that cloud judgement and impair wisdom. While not mentioning marijuana specifically, its principles apply: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1). The issue isn’t the substance itself but the pursuit of altered consciousness that impedes godly living.

 

LIVING BY HIGHER PRINCIPLES

Legal permission doesn’t automatically equal Christian wisdom. Believers throughout history have abstained from legal practices that conflict with biblical principles. The Reformed tradition calls us to something higher—lives that demonstrate the sufficiency of Christ for every need, including recreation and relaxation.

This doesn’t mean joyless legalism. Reformed Christianity celebrates God’s good gifts and Christian liberty properly exercised. But it recognises some legal freedoms are best left unused in favour of clearer conscience, better witness, and deeper dependence on God.

As marijuana legalisation spreads, Christians have opportunity to demonstrate our satisfaction comes from being filled with God’s Spirit, not alternative substances. In a culture increasingly dependent on external stimuli for happiness, may we point to the lasting joy found in Christ alone.

 

MARIJUANA AND CHRISTIAN LIBERTY: RELATED FAQs

Why would Satan be pleased about marijuana legalisation spreading? Satan’s primary strategy is deception and spiritual blindness (2 Corinthians 4:4). Widespread marijuana use serves his purposes by creating a generation that’s content to live in a mental haze, less likely to engage deeply with Scripture, prayer, or spiritual growth. When people are chemically numbed to life’s deeper questions and satisfied with artificial peace, they’re less likely to seek the genuine transformation only Christ provides. A society of passive, impaired minds is exactly what the enemy desires—people who’re spiritually asleep while thinking they’re enlightened.

• What about Christians who use marijuana for anxiety or depression instead of prescription medications? While legitimate medical applications exist and should be evaluated with proper medical supervision, self-medicating with recreational marijuana for mental health issues is problematic for several reasons. First, it bypasses the medical oversight that ensures appropriate dosing, monitoring, and interaction checks. Second, anxiety and depression often have spiritual components that require biblical counselling, community support, and sometimes professional therapy—not just chemical suppression of symptoms. True healing addresses root causes rather than merely masking symptoms with mind-altering substances.
• How is marijuana different from caffeine or sugar, which also affect the mind and can be addictive? The difference lies in both degree and intent. While caffeine enhances alertness and focus, marijuana deliberately impairs judgement and alters perception—the opposite of biblical sobriety. Sugar provides energy for normal bodily function, whereas marijuana’s primary recreational purpose is intoxication. Additionally, moderate caffeine or sugar consumption doesn’t prevent someone from driving safely, making important decisions, or engaging in meaningful spiritual activities, while marijuana impairment does.
• What if someone only uses marijuana occasionally, like having a glass of wine? This comparison misunderstands both substances. A glass of wine with dinner doesn’t necessarily impair judgement or alter consciousness, while marijuana use specifically seeks these effects. Even occasional marijuana use involves deliberately pursuing a state the Bible associates with spiritual danger—impaired discernment when we need to be “sober-minded” and “watchful.” The occasional user is still choosing to compromise the mental clarity Scripture consistently commands, making themselves temporarily vulnerable to poor decisions and spiritual deception.

Shouldn’t Christians focus on weightier matters than marijuana use? This question creates a false dichotomy. Mature Christians can simultaneously care about major issues like poverty and injustice while also maintaining biblical standards in personal conduct. In fact, Scripture suggests these are interconnected—how we handle “small” matters of personal holiness reveals our faithfulness in greater things (Luke 16:10). A church that loses biblical discernment on lifestyle issues often loses clarity on larger theological matters. Personal holiness and social justice aren’t competing priorities but complementary aspects of Christian discipleship.

 

MARIJUANA AND CHRISTIAN LIBERTY: OUR RELATED POSTS

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• ‘My Body My Choice’? What Does Scripture Actually Teach?