Question:
Answer:
We counsel against both the recreational and medical sale of marijuana, as well as related personal consumption.
Some will argue that marijuana is similar to alcohol, that people consume both to get drunk or high, respectively. Getting drunk with alcohol and high with marijuana are both obviously sinful. However, people often drink without sinning, i.e., enjoying the taste and the social exchange that takes place between friends. In the process, the consumption of alcohol can help people relax without their getting drunk. St. Paul also wrote about the medicinal benefits of wine (1 Tim. 5:23).
In contrast, people typically consume marijuana to deliberately get high or experience a “buzz.” Again, this is equivalent to getting drunk, in which inhibitions are lowered and people don’t have full control of their mental faculties.
In addition, as the U.S. Bishops have noted, there are other health hazards with the legalization of marijuana. There also has been significant fallout in Colorado since marijuana was legalized in 2014, including for those who use medical marijuana, which has a nine-percent addiction rate.
Further, not consuming personally doesn’t exonerate one from blame, especially if that person is selling it to others. Rather, such sales exacerbates one’s culpability, given their role in negatively impacting by virtue of those sales.