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Devoured by Cannabis: Weed, Liberty, and Legalization
Many conservatives are ready to give up on fighting against the legalization of marijuana. "Hasn't the war on drugs been a complete failure?" they ask. And libertarians turn this surrender into a "People should be free to do what they want, as long as they're not hurting anyone."; But as Christians, we must be ready to swim against the tide even when it's no longer cool. (And no, we don't do it by making unsubstantiated claims about Reefer Madness).
In Devoured by Cannabis , Douglas Wilson establishes from Scripture that marijuana usage is not comparable to alcohol consumption or to smoking cigarettes, and demonstrates that getting stoned is not an option for believers. Then he explains why keeping marijuana illegal is not a pointless battle but an important cultural watershed for every citizen. When we are deciding which laws are best, wisdom considers not just individual license but also which industries, penalties, and incentives we are putting in place. Liberty for potheads means tyranny for everyone, including the smokers enslaved by the drug.
In Devoured by Cannabis , Douglas Wilson establishes from Scripture that marijuana usage is not comparable to alcohol consumption or to smoking cigarettes, and demonstrates that getting stoned is not an option for believers. Then he explains why keeping marijuana illegal is not a pointless battle but an important cultural watershed for every citizen. When we are deciding which laws are best, wisdom considers not just individual license but also which industries, penalties, and incentives we are putting in place. Liberty for potheads means tyranny for everyone, including the smokers enslaved by the drug.
112 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 4, 2021
26 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Wilson
319 books4,562 followersI write in order to make the little voices in my head go away. Thus far it hasn't worked.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 15, 2021
As a preface to this review, I should mention that I attend Pastor Wilson’s church and love and respect him dearly. The critiques that follow are born out of—not in contradiction to—that love and respect: I think that Wilson is generally such a keen thinker that his writing deserves honest, thorough feedback, which is what I try to provide here.
~~~~~~
My wife and I read this book aloud, and while we found some of the content good and helpful, we were unimpressed with the book as a whole, and agreed that it could have been written with greater care and persuasiveness.
The book is divided into two parts, the first part (ch. 1-4) presenting Wilson's arguments that marijuana use is sinful, and the second (ch. 5-10) presenting his arguments that marijuana use/possession should remain illegal.
The main argument of the first part is that marijuana--unlike alcohol--cannot be used in moderation, but must always result in the intoxication of the user. While I tend to agree with this position and, like Wilson, view arguments to the contrary (particularly by those who identify as Christians) as attempts to merely justify sinful behavior, I do not think that Wilson's arguments would persuade someone who does not come to the table already sharing his position. The closest he gets to actually proving this position (and not merely asserting and reasserting it) is the fact he returns to several times throughout the book, that today's marijuana generally contains a much higher concentration of THC than the marijuana of the previous generation. However, this fact doesn't seem to prove that marijuana cannot be used in moderation, but only that it must be used in much smaller doses than previously if the user is not to become intoxicated. (Wilson also leaves the issue of medicinal marijuana virtually untouched, which seems like a pretty big oversight given the current rhetoric of marijuana advocates.)
The main argument of the second part is that laws should not only penalize previously perpetrated acts of aggression, but also acts that--while potentially resulting in no actual aggression--pose a real and present threat of danger to society (think drunk driving). It is for this reason that it is illegal to own/use "hard drugs" like crystal meth, drugs which have been proven to drastically alter the brain state of their users, thus disposing them toward violent crime. To allow people to use such drugs unpunished, Wilson reasons, is like forcing society to play Russian roulette: the drug users may not actually turn violent, but the chances are too high to tolerate. Yet because marijuana has not been proven to dispose its users so obviously toward violent psychosis (as Wilson himself admits), the best Wilson can do is argue that marijuana use/possession should remain illegal until it has been proven to pose no real and present threat of danger to society--a conclusion that will almost certainly not be proven, Wilson astutely points out, given the high incentive upon the government to conclude the opposite.
However, I think this line of reasoning should make Christians uneasy. After all, do we really want to encourage a civic atmosphere in which an action is considered illicit until it is proven licit? Haven't we had enough of those sorts of shenanigans this past year ("define 'public emergency'")? If a clear connection really hasn't been proven between marijuana use and violent psychosis, it seems that liberty-loving Christians should have no problem with the legalization of marijuana, at least until such a connection has been proved. (And note that this doesn't mean that Christians can't continue to discipline their children or excommunicate their congregants for using marijuana in the meantime; it just means that we want to avail ourselves of every opportunity to deny the government more power over its citizens than is absolutely necessary.)
That said, I think that ch. 10 is the best chapter in the book. In it, Wilson, concerned over the current issues related to marijuana IL-legalization, proposes a different means of punishing marijuana users/owners: the so-called "drug courts" (basically a mandatory rehab program, met with increasing fines for nonattendance or noncompliance). Granted, I don't think an institution like this will ever exist, but it is a nice alternative to the current "justice" system.
~~~~~~
My wife and I read this book aloud, and while we found some of the content good and helpful, we were unimpressed with the book as a whole, and agreed that it could have been written with greater care and persuasiveness.
The book is divided into two parts, the first part (ch. 1-4) presenting Wilson's arguments that marijuana use is sinful, and the second (ch. 5-10) presenting his arguments that marijuana use/possession should remain illegal.
The main argument of the first part is that marijuana--unlike alcohol--cannot be used in moderation, but must always result in the intoxication of the user. While I tend to agree with this position and, like Wilson, view arguments to the contrary (particularly by those who identify as Christians) as attempts to merely justify sinful behavior, I do not think that Wilson's arguments would persuade someone who does not come to the table already sharing his position. The closest he gets to actually proving this position (and not merely asserting and reasserting it) is the fact he returns to several times throughout the book, that today's marijuana generally contains a much higher concentration of THC than the marijuana of the previous generation. However, this fact doesn't seem to prove that marijuana cannot be used in moderation, but only that it must be used in much smaller doses than previously if the user is not to become intoxicated. (Wilson also leaves the issue of medicinal marijuana virtually untouched, which seems like a pretty big oversight given the current rhetoric of marijuana advocates.)
The main argument of the second part is that laws should not only penalize previously perpetrated acts of aggression, but also acts that--while potentially resulting in no actual aggression--pose a real and present threat of danger to society (think drunk driving). It is for this reason that it is illegal to own/use "hard drugs" like crystal meth, drugs which have been proven to drastically alter the brain state of their users, thus disposing them toward violent crime. To allow people to use such drugs unpunished, Wilson reasons, is like forcing society to play Russian roulette: the drug users may not actually turn violent, but the chances are too high to tolerate. Yet because marijuana has not been proven to dispose its users so obviously toward violent psychosis (as Wilson himself admits), the best Wilson can do is argue that marijuana use/possession should remain illegal until it has been proven to pose no real and present threat of danger to society--a conclusion that will almost certainly not be proven, Wilson astutely points out, given the high incentive upon the government to conclude the opposite.
However, I think this line of reasoning should make Christians uneasy. After all, do we really want to encourage a civic atmosphere in which an action is considered illicit until it is proven licit? Haven't we had enough of those sorts of shenanigans this past year ("define 'public emergency'")? If a clear connection really hasn't been proven between marijuana use and violent psychosis, it seems that liberty-loving Christians should have no problem with the legalization of marijuana, at least until such a connection has been proved. (And note that this doesn't mean that Christians can't continue to discipline their children or excommunicate their congregants for using marijuana in the meantime; it just means that we want to avail ourselves of every opportunity to deny the government more power over its citizens than is absolutely necessary.)
That said, I think that ch. 10 is the best chapter in the book. In it, Wilson, concerned over the current issues related to marijuana IL-legalization, proposes a different means of punishing marijuana users/owners: the so-called "drug courts" (basically a mandatory rehab program, met with increasing fines for nonattendance or noncompliance). Granted, I don't think an institution like this will ever exist, but it is a nice alternative to the current "justice" system.
January 2, 2022
Doug makes excellent arguments about why the recreational use of cannabis is not the same thing as drinking alcohol. Essentially, the point of recreational cannabis is to alter your state of consciousness, which the Bible expressly forbids. I particularly enjoyed the last section of the book and his suggestions for how governments can manage the present situation.
May 5, 2021
Excellent summary of the situation and a thoughtful, biblical response. Logical, as always!
April 21, 2021
As a former pot smoking libertarian, I am especially interested in this subject and have grown increasingly concerned about all the grown-ups in church reiterating the sad pro-legalization arguments I made in my teens. So I pre-ordered this & read it the day it came. I thought I would have heard it all before, but there were some good exegetical & an especially good economic argument (ch 6) that I had not heard before & thought was challenging to the libertarian crown. For skeptics, this could be fleshed out and turned into a much longer book, but I appreciated the brevity. I am glad someone is writing on this topic & hope it inspires more to do so. I would probably have given this 4 stars, but as it’s the only book of its kind, seems like the rating should reflect that it’s in a class of its own.
June 11, 2024
Well-reasoned and helpful, as to be expected with D. Wilson. I especially appreciated the differentiation between the uses of pot and alcohol.
I mostly wish he would have addressed the right use of the marijuana plant, under the principle that all things created by God are good--I've heard of medical cases where it's legitimately useful. He doesn't deny that there's a legit medical use, it's just not a topic that comes up in the short book. That said, obviously most "medical use" is recreational use with a wink and a nudge.
I mostly wish he would have addressed the right use of the marijuana plant, under the principle that all things created by God are good--I've heard of medical cases where it's legitimately useful. He doesn't deny that there's a legit medical use, it's just not a topic that comes up in the short book. That said, obviously most "medical use" is recreational use with a wink and a nudge.
January 11, 2023
I'm grateful that pursuing illicit drugs has never been a temptation, because I know my personality would have taken that temptation in very bad directions. There but for the grace of God go I.
I particularly appreciated the section on just responses to drug offenses. Wish he'd said more about medical marijuana, though.
Ably read, as usual, by Wade Stotts.
I particularly appreciated the section on just responses to drug offenses. Wish he'd said more about medical marijuana, though.
Ably read, as usual, by Wade Stotts.
July 12, 2023
It’s not that I disagreed with him, it’s just that he provided little to no research and facts. It’s mostly blanket statements and snarky lil comments. If you already agree with his position, it is okay, but I do not see how anyone who has a different disposition gaining much from it.
May 31, 2021
A sobering read.
I hope to see more brothers and sisters see getting high as a sin, and also more Christians that see weed as a medicine when applied as such and prescribed by, and under the supervision of, a doctor.
I’d love to also see more Christians discussing the medicinal aspect, and I pray we become more United on seeing recreation use as sinful.
I hope to see more brothers and sisters see getting high as a sin, and also more Christians that see weed as a medicine when applied as such and prescribed by, and under the supervision of, a doctor.
I’d love to also see more Christians discussing the medicinal aspect, and I pray we become more United on seeing recreation use as sinful.
April 12, 2022
Straight forward and short like a pamphlet. Didn’t see a problem at all. Very good.
June 4, 2022
Good stuff. Not the marijuana. As this will become an increasing problem for society perhaps this could be the outline for a more thorough book.
June 4, 2021
Wilson brings great questions and comparisons to some of the current discussion related to the legalization of cannabis and the push for it to be normalized. I think the chapter discussing drug courts is something that will likely never happen, but is a great thought and I certainly hope for something like that in our future. I love the common sense arguments and solutions that are made, but because of that, too many will disagree.
August 21, 2021
Brief and Fresh
Short and has a few new ideas, also gets to the heart of the matter. It’s Definitely worth the read.
Short and has a few new ideas, also gets to the heart of the matter. It’s Definitely worth the read.
June 4, 2025
I agreed with almost everything in this book. But they disagreements I had were the sort of disagreements two people who take God's Word and Law as the highest authority can have, and so at the end of the day, I find myself not wanting to put too fine a point on any criticisms I may have come away with.
Suffice it to say, my main disagreement with the arguments presented here were the legal/civil side of things, but they were minor and had more to do with a disagreement on interpretation *within* the Law of God than anything else.
Suffice it to say, my main disagreement with the arguments presented here were the legal/civil side of things, but they were minor and had more to do with a disagreement on interpretation *within* the Law of God than anything else.
October 23, 2021
Douglas Wilson’s Devoured by Cannabis: Weed, Liberty, and Legalization is a gateway book. (Pun intended.)
The question Wilson addresses in this book is whether cannabis should be legalized for recreational use.
Wilson begins by arguing that alcohol is not the same as cannabis (and other drugs) because alcohol is approved of, mandated, and recommended in the Scripture, whereas drugs are not. Of course, not every use of alcohol is approved of by the Scripture – drunkenness is a sin (12).
Wilson states that another difference between alcohol and cannabis is that one can have a little alcohol and be fine – and its effects dissipate within a couple of hours. However, it is not possible not to be deleteriously affected by cannabis (except for perhaps the most minimal amount) and that affect lasts for days interfering with the body’s function (13).
He argues that being drunk or stoned is incompatible with holiness (27).
Tobacco and cannabis are different because tobacco can be used without deleterious effect (35).
If one takes a libertarian view of using cannabis, the freedom use must exist alongside of an employer’s right to fire for use (53). (Or the employer’s right to fire for use must remain, as per the First Amendment’s provision for freedom of association.)
Economically, he argues that legalization of cannabis would cost the taxpayer in damage while “stoned” and rehab clinics (59).
He argues that the science shows that cannabis use causes mental health problems in numerous people (61). In fact, any use of cannabis is damaging to the body and mind (73).
While Wilson argues for the criminalization of cannabis use, he argues that possession of cannabis should be decriminalized. The convicted of possession ought to be given the option of a fine or rehab – on an increasing scale depending on the number of convictions (88). And, the treatment centers would be private, not government run, so that the goal is the repair of the hearts and souls of the user (90).
Ultimately, the problem in one of sin, and the need of repentance – for all of humanity. No one can ultimately be helped (do not read “cured”) without the intervention of God the Holy Spirit. So, in working with drug users – and with all others – the presentation of the gospel must be foremost in our work.
I began by saying this is a gateway book. What I mean by that is, as I began the book, I thought I knew what he was going to say and my response to it, but he took me up. He stopped me and got me questioning the views I have held.
Specifically, I have two questions that I need to learn more about to better form a solid option on this issue:
First, is it true that it is impossible not to become impaired with any use of cannabis?
Second, is it true that use of cannabis causes or induces a significant percentage of mental illness?
If the answer to these is “yes,” I agree with him that the recreation use of cannabis must be illegal.
[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].
The question Wilson addresses in this book is whether cannabis should be legalized for recreational use.
Wilson begins by arguing that alcohol is not the same as cannabis (and other drugs) because alcohol is approved of, mandated, and recommended in the Scripture, whereas drugs are not. Of course, not every use of alcohol is approved of by the Scripture – drunkenness is a sin (12).
Wilson states that another difference between alcohol and cannabis is that one can have a little alcohol and be fine – and its effects dissipate within a couple of hours. However, it is not possible not to be deleteriously affected by cannabis (except for perhaps the most minimal amount) and that affect lasts for days interfering with the body’s function (13).
He argues that being drunk or stoned is incompatible with holiness (27).
Tobacco and cannabis are different because tobacco can be used without deleterious effect (35).
If one takes a libertarian view of using cannabis, the freedom use must exist alongside of an employer’s right to fire for use (53). (Or the employer’s right to fire for use must remain, as per the First Amendment’s provision for freedom of association.)
Economically, he argues that legalization of cannabis would cost the taxpayer in damage while “stoned” and rehab clinics (59).
He argues that the science shows that cannabis use causes mental health problems in numerous people (61). In fact, any use of cannabis is damaging to the body and mind (73).
While Wilson argues for the criminalization of cannabis use, he argues that possession of cannabis should be decriminalized. The convicted of possession ought to be given the option of a fine or rehab – on an increasing scale depending on the number of convictions (88). And, the treatment centers would be private, not government run, so that the goal is the repair of the hearts and souls of the user (90).
Ultimately, the problem in one of sin, and the need of repentance – for all of humanity. No one can ultimately be helped (do not read “cured”) without the intervention of God the Holy Spirit. So, in working with drug users – and with all others – the presentation of the gospel must be foremost in our work.
I began by saying this is a gateway book. What I mean by that is, as I began the book, I thought I knew what he was going to say and my response to it, but he took me up. He stopped me and got me questioning the views I have held.
Specifically, I have two questions that I need to learn more about to better form a solid option on this issue:
First, is it true that it is impossible not to become impaired with any use of cannabis?
Second, is it true that use of cannabis causes or induces a significant percentage of mental illness?
If the answer to these is “yes,” I agree with him that the recreation use of cannabis must be illegal.
[This review appears on my blog, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com].
November 6, 2021
This lucid and brief book helped me think more broadly about this topic than I previously had. The economic and legislative unraveling and justice proposals were on point.
As a former cannabis connoisseur and current friend of some who partake in kind buds, I thought there an unfair cariacture of a typical pot smoker was painted - lazy, spacy, unproductive, leech, generally inept. I haven't smoked in over a decade, but I held down a 4.0 and loved physical activity while high. I know others who seem to avoid the typical traps of stonerdom as well.
This isn't to excuse weed smokin nor does it mean that I disagree with Wilson's conclusions. The cariacture hindered the overall force of the book and I cringed a little every time he low-key linked schizophrenia or psychosis to smokin weed (even if there is some study that does show a correlation, I'd say that weed most likely is the least of the factors contributing to such things. I wouldn't be surprised to find that many girls who get pregnant in their teen years smoke weed, but that would probably be the least of the issues contributing to the pregnancy..) I know many who would just laugh at the sentiment as ridiculous and not give any hearing to the rest of the book.
Other than that, I loved the book. It helped clarify my thinking and stretched me to refine some convictions.
The question I'm left wrestling with and that I would love to hear Wilson's thinking on is: If the scriptural prohibition against smoking weed is mainly due to the violation of remaining sober minded and weed, by its mind-altering nature, disallows us to follow this command, then what do we do with any number of pharmaceutical drugs that alter the mind in order to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD or any other number of mental health issues?
I know the idea with Zoloft isn't to take it to get a buzz, but it certainly falls under the realm of altering the mind to experience a calmer, even more euphoric state, in order to handle the everyday stress of existing. I know that is the way many use weed, too. They partake mildly in order to take the edge off their anxiety and depression.
Where do the differences lie? There are many, it seems, who use weed in this manner that seem to have much better effects than when they were on daily doses of anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds.
Do we just take a stand against all of it then?
Would love to hear anyone else's response to that as well.
Shout out to the Canon Press app. How wonderful it is to have this treasure trove of audio resources on the servant in my pocket to be summoned at any hour and for any duration that should I should so desire.
Tolle audi!
As a former cannabis connoisseur and current friend of some who partake in kind buds, I thought there an unfair cariacture of a typical pot smoker was painted - lazy, spacy, unproductive, leech, generally inept. I haven't smoked in over a decade, but I held down a 4.0 and loved physical activity while high. I know others who seem to avoid the typical traps of stonerdom as well.
This isn't to excuse weed smokin nor does it mean that I disagree with Wilson's conclusions. The cariacture hindered the overall force of the book and I cringed a little every time he low-key linked schizophrenia or psychosis to smokin weed (even if there is some study that does show a correlation, I'd say that weed most likely is the least of the factors contributing to such things. I wouldn't be surprised to find that many girls who get pregnant in their teen years smoke weed, but that would probably be the least of the issues contributing to the pregnancy..) I know many who would just laugh at the sentiment as ridiculous and not give any hearing to the rest of the book.
Other than that, I loved the book. It helped clarify my thinking and stretched me to refine some convictions.
The question I'm left wrestling with and that I would love to hear Wilson's thinking on is: If the scriptural prohibition against smoking weed is mainly due to the violation of remaining sober minded and weed, by its mind-altering nature, disallows us to follow this command, then what do we do with any number of pharmaceutical drugs that alter the mind in order to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD or any other number of mental health issues?
I know the idea with Zoloft isn't to take it to get a buzz, but it certainly falls under the realm of altering the mind to experience a calmer, even more euphoric state, in order to handle the everyday stress of existing. I know that is the way many use weed, too. They partake mildly in order to take the edge off their anxiety and depression.
Where do the differences lie? There are many, it seems, who use weed in this manner that seem to have much better effects than when they were on daily doses of anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds.
Do we just take a stand against all of it then?
Would love to hear anyone else's response to that as well.
Shout out to the Canon Press app. How wonderful it is to have this treasure trove of audio resources on the servant in my pocket to be summoned at any hour and for any duration that should I should so desire.
Tolle audi!
July 11, 2022
Doug is usually persuasive and fun, but this one was rather weak. He reasons for categorizing marijuana use as unequivocally sinful (except in some rare medical uses) might be plausible, but just barely. Where he really trips up is in his reasons for the criminalization of this particular vice; as opposed to his usual track record, he here comes across as an overt statist. The following excerpt is a case in point:
We have potheads and we have people who live virtuous, productive, and sober lives. And in the current set-up, both kinds of people are hassled and provoked in various ways by the political establishment. The potheads can be arrested and fined for possession, and the small business owner can be drastically fined thousands of dollars for starting a successful business and employing eight or nine people. The fact that we call these fines taxes doesn’t alter their economic impact, or the disincentives that come along with them. Now in this climate, if you legalize pot first, you are keeping all the restrictions on the virtuous and you are liberating those in the grip of a particular vice. What this is going to mean is that in effect you will be subsidizing vice and penalizing virtue. Or, to be more precise, you are forcing virtue to subsidize vice. And because you always get more of what you subsidize and less of what you penalize, the end result is going to be destructive.
This is a loathsome argument that, in principle, encourages state interference in every vice known to mankind. Who will be in charge of determining what constitutes a "vice" in such a framework? The same precedent could be used to argue that allowing parents to feed their kids Oreos is a public health threat and should be criminalized, or even that raising children with traditional values is threat to the "public wellbeing" and thereby custody should be given to our enlightened overlords at DHHS.
I love Doug, but I think he has a real blind spot here.
We have potheads and we have people who live virtuous, productive, and sober lives. And in the current set-up, both kinds of people are hassled and provoked in various ways by the political establishment. The potheads can be arrested and fined for possession, and the small business owner can be drastically fined thousands of dollars for starting a successful business and employing eight or nine people. The fact that we call these fines taxes doesn’t alter their economic impact, or the disincentives that come along with them. Now in this climate, if you legalize pot first, you are keeping all the restrictions on the virtuous and you are liberating those in the grip of a particular vice. What this is going to mean is that in effect you will be subsidizing vice and penalizing virtue. Or, to be more precise, you are forcing virtue to subsidize vice. And because you always get more of what you subsidize and less of what you penalize, the end result is going to be destructive.
This is a loathsome argument that, in principle, encourages state interference in every vice known to mankind. Who will be in charge of determining what constitutes a "vice" in such a framework? The same precedent could be used to argue that allowing parents to feed their kids Oreos is a public health threat and should be criminalized, or even that raising children with traditional values is threat to the "public wellbeing" and thereby custody should be given to our enlightened overlords at DHHS.
I love Doug, but I think he has a real blind spot here.
November 24, 2022
A concise book on how to view marijuana usage from a Christian worldview. DW lays out a helpful case for the moral differences between marijuana and alcohol. He also brings up an interesting issue that I have not considered - if the “libertarian” position encourages legalizing marijuana but employers aren’t allowed to penalize employees for using marijuana (i.e. firing them solely on the basis of using marijuana) then it’s really not libertarian at all, it’s merely promoting vice. I wish he would have addressed medical marijuana.
December 30, 2023
I appreciate this book.
I 100% agree that smoking pot is a sin, the church should preach against it, parents should train up their kids to not touch it, and that every business owner should have the right to not employ pot smokers.
I’m not sure I agree on how much the civil government should be involved in it. But at least Wilson’s drug court suggestion is much better than how the civil government is handing it now (not only in states that condemn it, but also in states that view it as a source of revenue).
I 100% agree that smoking pot is a sin, the church should preach against it, parents should train up their kids to not touch it, and that every business owner should have the right to not employ pot smokers.
I’m not sure I agree on how much the civil government should be involved in it. But at least Wilson’s drug court suggestion is much better than how the civil government is handing it now (not only in states that condemn it, but also in states that view it as a source of revenue).
April 28, 2021
It was fine.
Good information and seems decent on the biblical exegesis. Overall well argued and a quick read.
Definitely did not light me on fire for reform or concern. I am concerned, but I was before I read this book. Hard to know whether I would’ve been convinced if I’d read it as someone who wasn’t convinced already.
Good information and seems decent on the biblical exegesis. Overall well argued and a quick read.
Definitely did not light me on fire for reform or concern. I am concerned, but I was before I read this book. Hard to know whether I would’ve been convinced if I’d read it as someone who wasn’t convinced already.
April 28, 2021
“Legalizing marijuana will have the effect of incentivizing vice, moving our culture even further from capable self-governance.”
“Being drunk and being stoned are inconsistent with Christian holiness. Nevertheless, alcohol consumption is not inconsistent with holiness.”
Two little gems from the book.
“Being drunk and being stoned are inconsistent with Christian holiness. Nevertheless, alcohol consumption is not inconsistent with holiness.”
Two little gems from the book.
January 1, 2026
I strongly disagree!! it's the only thing that helps my husband with chronic migraines. He tried EVERYTHING and nothing worked. But, crappy morphine that's really bad for you.
It's not a sin unless it consumes your life, you commit sins while on it etc.
Don't like it then stay away from it but, don't ruin it for people that need it to get by in life.
It's not a sin unless it consumes your life, you commit sins while on it etc.
Don't like it then stay away from it but, don't ruin it for people that need it to get by in life.
March 25, 2022
This was not the straight-forward, black and white position that I thought I would read. Wilson gives complex answers to complex questions, rightly so. Although this book is short, you will want to take your time reading it.
#vtReadingChallange • A book about a current social issue
#vtReadingChallange • A book about a current social issue
December 11, 2022
As someone who was a serious pot head($300 in one sitting) turned Christian. After 5 years of being sober this book was a good read and I tend to agree with Wilson and that comes from experiencing the life of a pot head and seeing the effects on my self and those around me.
February 7, 2023
Listened to it as an audiobook via Canon+.
In this work, Wilson applies clear, Biblical thinking to the prominent cultural issue of the legalisation of cannabis.
In the first section, he argues that cannabis is a sin through proper examination of the evidence and avoidance of superficial comparisons (i.e. to wine), implementing Biblical principles to consider scientific and psychological evidence about cannabis intake (though this book is by no means a psychological textbook on the intricacies of cannabis addiction, nor was it intended to be). In the second section, the author seeks to take the additional step of arguing that cannabis possession (and by obvious lesser-to-greater implication, intake) should be criminalised, recognising rightly that not all sins should be criminalised by the government, arguing from the detrimental societal impacts of cannabis and the groundwork laid in the first section.
Clear and instructive.
In this work, Wilson applies clear, Biblical thinking to the prominent cultural issue of the legalisation of cannabis.
In the first section, he argues that cannabis is a sin through proper examination of the evidence and avoidance of superficial comparisons (i.e. to wine), implementing Biblical principles to consider scientific and psychological evidence about cannabis intake (though this book is by no means a psychological textbook on the intricacies of cannabis addiction, nor was it intended to be). In the second section, the author seeks to take the additional step of arguing that cannabis possession (and by obvious lesser-to-greater implication, intake) should be criminalised, recognising rightly that not all sins should be criminalised by the government, arguing from the detrimental societal impacts of cannabis and the groundwork laid in the first section.
Clear and instructive.
August 17, 2024
This is a good starting point for Christians wanting to begin getting their minds wrapped around the issue, but certainly isn’t the final word on the topic. The rhetorical skill of Doug’s writing seems to carry much more of the load in this short piece than actual persuasive reasoning.
October 8, 2024
Just ok. Wilson’s book provided a good synopsis of the abstinence view on weed but there really aren’t any novel arguments here. If you are looking for an introduction to this discussion this works well, but I didn’t find anything to move the needle one way or another.
May 20, 2021
Very good
November 10, 2021
I don’t necessarily disagree with his position but thought most of his arguments were weak.
Read
November 10, 2021I think the strongest part of this book is the last chapter and the afterword.
November 30, 2021
This is definitely worth a read. Gets the brain juices flowing in directions you might not have considered when looking at what is going wrong with the world we live in today.
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