OPINION (The Stream) – I want to share my own convictions as to why followers of Jesus should not smoke pot. I encourage you to consider them prayerfully before the Lord. First, for the sake of clarity and simplicity, I’m not addressing the issue of the medical use of marijuana, as prescribed by a responsible doctor. While it’s possible these subjects are related, I’m focusing here on the recreational use of marijuana. Second, I
speak from personal experience, both as a follower of Jesus and as a former pot smoker. In short, I was a heavy drug user from 1969-1971. I earned the nicknames “Drug Bear” and “Iron Man” in the process. The drugs I used included pot, hash, ups, downs, LSD, mescaline, speed, heroin, and (very briefly, right before I got saved) cocaine. Many of my friends, colleagues, and former ministry school students were drug users too, some heavily and some lightly. But we hold the same views today about Christians smoking (or ingesting) pot. READ MORE
