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<\/a>\nI originally wrote this piece in 2010.<\/a> Since then, my fellow Colorado voters have voted to legalize medical marijuana and have even more recently authorized recreational marijuana. Perhaps my words made a difference. I\u2019m posting it today to help inspire more of my fellow Christians \u2014 in particular, fellow pastors, to come on board with this sensible way of viewing these matters.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u2013 What should a Christian pastor make of this unacceptable situation? What is an appropriate pastoral response to this injustice?<\/strong><\/p>\n Can a Christian pastor advocate for legalizing drugs?<\/strong><\/p>\n This one does.<\/strong><\/p>\n Personally, I\u2019m not in favor of drug use. I think it\u2019s poor stewardship of one\u2019s body and prevents people from embracing reality, but enough is enough! <\/em><\/strong> My moral opinion isn\u2019t worth 28,000 murders<\/a> (and rising), way too many people behind bars<\/a> and a massive waste of taxpayers dollars. The United States now has 1 out of every 31 of our adult citizens either behind bars, or on parole or probation and the lion\u2019s share of them are in the system due to drug related offenses. Mexico is looking at legalizing drugs <\/a>as the most sane and effective way to respond to their problems. This will be even more effective if the U.S. joins them and shares this approach.<\/p>\n Legalize, or at least de-criminalize, drugs now!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Note:\u00a0 this should not be spun as \u201cUnited Methodist pastor favors drug use.\u201d What I\u2019m saying is that the status quo ain\u2019t working and the war on drugs has been lost and it\u2019s partly because of people trying to legislate morality. You\u2019d have thought we would have learned our lesson during the failed (and similarly violent) Prohibition Era.<\/p>\n It makes much more sense to legalize drugs, regulate them, tax them, and help the people with their problems that are causing them to resort to drug use rather than making them into criminals. Granted, anything that can be used as a date rape drug shouldn\u2019t be legalized or even decriminalized. And there may be good reasons to put limits on crystal meth because of how dangerous it is. But folks wouldn\u2019t likely use crystal meth if other drugs were legally available. I say regulate them, tax them and use the money for drug use prevention and addiction programs. Indeed, for years, advocates of legalized pot have said, \u201cIt\u2019ll bring in new taxes\u201d as part of their rhetoric to help sway the public to their side. It\u2019s time to take them on their word<\/strong> and tax and regulate pot just like we do cigarettes and alcohol.<\/p>\n In particular, it is hypocritical for our government to allow alcohol but not to allow marijuana use. Both are mind altering substances and marijuana is in no way worse than alcohol. While marijuana use is not recommended for people under 25 (while human brains are still developing), more human organs are damaged, and more severely, by alcohol than marijuana. In fact, it\u2019d be far better for our society if more folks smoked pot than consumed alcohol. There would be far fewer motor vehicle accidents and deaths and far fewer domestic acts of violence. This would also mean lower insurance costs and less costs to taxpayers for police, emergency, ER services, and court processes. This ought to be a no-brainer for economic conservatives.<\/p>\n Moreover, legalizing drugs would single-handedly reduce crime and violent death rates in both Mexico and in the US, and dramatically reduce the amount of governmental corruption. It would also cease the major source of funding for the Taliban and terrorism.<\/p>\n Alas, my guess is that our nation\u2019s prison industry<\/a> would lobby against decriminalization however. They have a vested interest in keeping as many of us behind bars as possible. sigh.<\/p>\n But I will not be resigned to things the way they are. The collective power of the people trumps those of the prison industry.\u00a0 All we have to do is to face the facts, embrace common sense, and work together to change the laws.<\/p>\n Who\u2019s with me?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n abstainently yours (well, aside from an occasional glass of beer or wine),<\/p>\n Roger<\/em><\/p>\n p.s. I am in favor of the medicinal use of marijuana and know several people who are benefiting greatly from such use (though I know many more who feign a medical problem and simply use it recreationally, and\/or to try to escape from and numb their problems in life). I also think that as long as such drugs are only allowed to be sold in a medicinal capacity, it\u2019d be better if said drugs were sold from behind the counter of established pharmacies and drug stores (natural or commercial). The town I live in has become pocked with many, rather seedy looking, \u201cmedical\u201d pot emporiums which clearly glorify hippy drug culture and recreational use \u2013 and are hardly the sorts of places one would expect to purchase medicine. That said, the learning curve about the many strands of marijuana might be steep for pharmacists to learn. Many of the clerks who work at pot shops are highly knowledeable. Perhaps they should be hired by pharmacies. xx \u2013 Roger<\/em><\/p>\n Rev. Roger Wolsey is an ordained United Methodist pastor who directs the Wesley Foundation at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and is author of Kissing Fish: christianity for people who don\u2019t like christianity<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nEVERY police officer <\/a>in a town in Mexico recently quit their jobs for fear of their lives. One out of every three African American males will be sent to prison<\/a> at some point in their lives.\u00a0 Something is wrong \u2013 and that something is U.S. drug policy (and, yes, with a goodly number of U.S. citizens and their tragic demand for drugs \u2013 who crave and seek them despite the many lives being senselessly taken).<\/em><\/p>\nCan I get an Amen?!<\/em><\/h2>\n
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\npps. since I wrote that piece, I\u2019ve come around to also being more okay with the recreational use of marijuana. It\u2019s not my cup of tea, but \u2013 employing Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience \u2013 I can see no reason why Christians should view it differently than alcohol.<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n