Does The Bible Talk About Weed?

The use of weed has been quite a controversial topic in every area of our lives, even religion. Yet, for many people, the debate on weed always goes back to what is in the holy book.

But, the question many people have is “does the bible talk about weed?” The weed plant has existed for thousands of years, therefore, it is logical for it to be discussed in religion. Want to know more about this topic? Check out this piece as it further dissects how the bible talks about weed.

Cannabis and Other Religions

Before we jump into how the bible talks about weed, it is worth examining how other religions view it. When it comes to secular religions, the most popular religion linked to cannabis is of course the Rastafarian religion. In this religion, cannabis forms an integral part of many rituals.

Additionally, many modern faith groups such as the THC ministries, Cantheism, and the Church Of The Universe distinctively celebrate religion and cannabis. A Chinese philosophical practice, Taoism has been using cannabis incense as a cleansing tool since the 4^th century.

The Germanic religion, Norse mythology on the other end celebrates the cannabis plant by relating it to beauty, fertility, and love. However, when it comes to non-secular religions such as Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, and even Judaism prohibit the recreational use of weed.

But, don’t make generalizations! For example, Hindus consume bhang (which contains cannabis flowers) during the Holi celebrations. The same is done Buddhist during their religious celebrations. In fact, the intake of bhang is believed to cleanse your body of sins. However, reckless bhang drinking without any rites is considered a sin by both religions. 

Another example is in Judaism.  Judaism strictly prohibits the use of cannabis. However, some rabbis reference kaneh-bosm, the anointing oil Jesus used to heal the masses in the scriptures as the ancient Hebrew word for kannabus (cannabis).  Other rabbis state that whilst cannabis is prohibited for recreational use, medical use of cannabis is kosher.

Cannabis and Christianity

Now let’s comprehensively break down what the bible talks about weed. When it comes to Christianity, the subject widens due to the different denominations and church groups. In fact, we’ve seen a rift between different Christian groups with some advocating against the use of marijuana whilst others support its use.

Yet, you must take note that whilst some Christian churches advocate for the legality of cannabis, they only do so for medical purposes and not recreational. Unlike religions such as Hinduism, Christianity does not use cannabis in any of the prayer rites. 

However, it is important to note that the bibble doesn’t directly quote cannabis anywhere. Thus, the beliefs and views are solely dependent on how each sect dissects and references the bible. 

In Catholicism, for example, the church has always held a staunch opposition against the use of recreational drugs including weed due to their destruction of health and life. However, over recent years, the Pope has expressed the openness to cannabis usage for medical purposes.

For protestant churches, however, you will find a divide.  Baptist Evangelical, Pentecostal, Mormon, and the Assemblies of God churches have all shown great opposition to the total use of cannabis.

However, presbyterian, United Methodist, United Church of Christ, and Episcopal churches have all shown support for the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

Circumventing back to the bible, as mentioned above, cannabis is not mentioned in the bible, however, you will find some references to hemp in passages such as Genesis (1:12, 29-31), Ezekiel (34:29), and Revelation (22:1-2). So, when you think of the likelihood of cannabis being used during the biblical time, it’s on the positive side.

This fact seems to support sects that believe the cannabis plant was created by God for people to use it. At the same time, it may very well support the argument that harmful plants were created by God but not intended for human usage. 

Conclusion

We must also draw distinctions when it comes to making penalizations about intoxication – drinking wine excessively will leave you intoxicated, however, the smallest whiff of cannabis will leave you intoxicated. So, if the bible sets precedent for the use of alcohol in moderation, how do we maintain the same standards with cannabis?

At the end of the day, The question “does the bible talk about weed?” has two answers – yes and no. Yes, the bible does talk about cannabis but not to the context we are looking for. Cannabis mentioning in the bible is more of a touchstone of the way of life during a certain time.

However, it doesn’t answer our more complex question about religion and cannabis. Therefore, we are left to deduce these conclusions based on how our religious groups dissect and regard holy books. But this is not to say that those who believe all things created by God are to be used are also right. Remember, as evident to the writings of the old and new testament, we’ve had an evolving relationship with the universe. At the end of the day, your views about cannabis ultimately depend on your beliefs,  and your perception.