"I don't know. I never had much of an opportunity and it frankly never interested me, either."
"Oh, well you and I will have to get high together sometime!"
In my family growing up, alcohol wasn't very present. I wasn't exposed to groups drinking until I reached college, and it frankly grossed me out to even see others drink. It felt unseemly to me. Eventually, I grew out of my visceral reaction and saw both the good and bad with alcohol: a social lubricant to help dampen shyness and relax, especially when consumed in moderation, but also a powerful intoxicant that some people become addicted to. As a society, we've come to the consensus that alcohol prohibition causes more problems than it solves. I'm convinced the same should be true for marijuana.
Five years after being an overnight guest on my way to a church conference, I'm still in practice a marijuana teetotaler. While that is my personal decision, it has nothing to do with whether I think it should be illegal. With growing public acceptance and recreational legalization becoming a reality in more states: Alaska, Oregon, and D.C. are joining Washington and Colorado, and with California likely to join them in 2016, I think it's high time churches begin catching up. Can churches come to accept people who use marijuana without shame? Let's try a wild thought experiment:
While this is not true with every congregation, I've been to a number of church functions where alcohol is present. Many churches have an official alcohol policy for outside events, often with a fee. If marijuana is indeed safer than alcohol as most studies are showing, on what basis can churches accept one and condemn the other? I've read of many people who actually prefer to light one up rather than have a beer at social functions. Of course, driving under the influence is definitely irresponsible.
Frankly, I'd love to see more churches begin the conversation around responsible marijuana use, and to even craft policies for church events (though of course you can always include a clause delaying implementation until legalization). I imagine there are a few churches in Washington and Colorado that have already done this, but I can't find evidence online. Maybe your congregation can be the first!
I admit that my social location is such that I do not knowingly have any friends or family members who struggle with addiction. I wholeheartedly support churches that offer AA or NA programs for that minority of people who do become addicted to substances others are able to use, even regularly, without becoming addicted. Even so, it is entirely possible for churches to simultaneously host AA groups and have alcohol on its premises; I've attended churches like these (Eucharist, anyone?). Don't be surprised if the same comes true for marijuana! And eventually, when it finally happens at a PCU event, you and I can abstain together, admiring how far we've come.
High on life,
Timothy Murphy
Executive Director