A Biblical View of Drugs

I was talking to a guy a couple weeks ago about the new Delta 8 THC (marijuana) that is already federally legal, he asked me if I would try an edible and I told him I would not because I am a Christian. He replied that the Bible didn’t say anything on marijuana; which I immediately acknowledged was true. The Bible doesn’t mention cocaine, heroine, crystal meth, or opioids either. Though these drugs aren’t mentioned the Bible does talk an awful lot about alcohol, which was a much more common drug at the time that scripture was written. Here is where we find the biblical principles on drugs. As marijuana becomes a federally legal substance in our country we should be aware of what the Bible has to say on how we should view drugs.

Verses on Drugs

*This is by no means an exhaustive list.

1 Thessalonians 5:6-8

⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.

Proverbs 31:6-7

⁶ Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; ⁷ let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

Ephesians 5:15-18

¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

1 Corinthians 6:12

12 “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.

1 Timothy 5:23

²³ (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)

Titus 2:2-6

 ² Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. ⁶ Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

Sober of Mind

One of the major principles we see throughout scripture is that as Christians we are called to be sober of mind. As our minds become limited from foreign substances we lose our ability to practice control, this is why driving under the influence includes both marijuana and drunkenness. Drunk/high people are not completely themselves and they tend to do things that they normally wouldn’t. Obviously marijuana and drinking have different effects, but both limit our mental capabilities. When we are sober of mind we are better able to practice self control and are more conscious of reality. People who aren’t sober often do things that they later regret. The things we do while inebriated effect the world around us and can cause major harm to those around us. The Bible makes it clear that love is the most important ethic, and if we act selfishly in a way that hurts others we are clearly acting against this ethic. Some drugs don’t effect our sobriety, caffeine is a drug yet it doesn’t dramatically alter our mental state. Certain drugs in low doses don’t take our mental capacities from us, two cans of natty light aren’t limiting a man’s mental state like a fifth of vodka. Weaker pain killers like ibuprofen and aspirin in small doses similarly don’t inhibit our minds much.

Addiction

The apostle Paul says I will not be dominated by anything, addiction dominates the mind. I say this as an addict to nicotine (hookah) and caffeine (Mountain Dew). It’s hard to focus on loving anybody else when you have to satisfy your own cravings to function. When our minds depend on foreign substances it’s much harder to think of others and it can limit our ability to serve others. Obviously addiction is a difficult topic, but what is clear in scripture is it’s better to avoid addiction when possible. People can have addictive personalities and those of us that struggle with this should be aware of our tendencies. When struggling with an addictive personality we should try to focus our mental capacity on things that are more constructive or healthy. In terms of prioritized ethics someone’s caffeine addiction with Starbucks coffee is less destructive than another person’s heroin addiction. Being obsessed with the game of chess is often less destructive than building a strong porn addiction.

Medicinal Use

Some drugs that effect the mind can also serve good medicinal purposes. Historically they used alcohol to inebriate someone going under the knife, because the less they could feel the pain the better. Today we have opioids that often serve the purpose of reducing pain. This seems to align with principles in the bible like in Proverbs 31 when Solomon prescribes alcohol for those dying. Paul recommends Timothy drink alcohol to help with certain stomach issues and ailments. When a medical doctor prescribes drugs for medicinal purposes we should take their advice as long as it seems legitimately medical in purpose. Using discernment in this area is important, if we have an addictive personality we should perhaps be hesitant in taking opioids. These days marijuana is being prescribed for medicinal use, I think if there are other medical options that serve the same purpose we should pursue those. However, if for some reason marijuana seems to be the only drug serving a specific medical purpose it’s okay.

But it’s Natural!

Some people like to argue that using certain drugs isn’t sinful because they occur in nature. Plants can serve many different purposes, like the poppy seeds we find on our bagels are from the same plant that we get opium from. The sin is not in the naturally occurring plant but in the way we use it. The marijuana plant can be used as hemp which is a fiber, so this plant can be used for things outside of recreational drug use. The bottom line here is that God created the natural world, how we choose to use or treat it is what’s left to our digression. There are clear principles throughout the Bible that inform us how to interact with the natural world.