A PREACHER’S PERSPECTIVE ON PROHIBITION

I have just discovered this website and Rev. Becker, and it is reassuring to find other Christians and Christian ministers who share my views of drug prohibition.

I am an ordained Southern Baptist minister, and I have served as a pastor for 15 years. In those years I have had dealings with a number of people with substance abuse problems. I have seen first-hand the misery that drug addiction can inflict on addicts, their families and society. My experience with these individuals has led me to two conclusions which put me out of step with the majority of evangelical Christians.

My first conclusion is that our government’s current policy of prohibition is a failure and a waste of time, money and lives. The fear of arrest and jail is not and never will be an effective deterrent for most addicts. Some of the addicts that I have met had wrecked their marriages, had their children removed from their homes, had their drivers licenses revoked, got fired from their jobs, evicted from their homes and stripped of all self-respect. Some have done jail time. Compared to the sacrifices they have already made for their habit, another arrest and another line on a rap sheet are small potatoes. Prohibition has only served to make these addicts more secretive and more dangerous.
Not only is prohibition counterproductive, but affordable addiction treatment is in short supply. On numerous occasions I have succeeded in persuading someone to get help only to find that help was nearly impossible to get. Many drug treatment centers require payment in advance. Others require proof of insurance coverage. Some only accept referrals from the courts. The rest have waiting lists of six weeks to six months. The majority of addicts I have tried to help gave up out of frustration and are either still hooked or dead.
These facts have led me to believe that we need a complete overhaul of our drug policy. We need to stop treating addicts like criminals, and we need to stop wasting money and resources on a failed program. Instead, let’s invest in treatment, education and harm reduction. Portugal has had success with such a program and it’s time we should try something similar.

My second conclusion is that cannabis should be legalized. I cannot morally justify recreational pot smoking, at least not to the satisfaction of most conservative Christians. However, marijuana is far less addictive and much safer than alcohol. I have a good personal friend who is a recovering alcoholic. When he was drinking, he couldn’t keep a job and couldn’t seem to stay out of jail. A few years ago, he switched from alcohol to marijuana. Since the switch, he has not only found and kept a job, he is a dependable and valuable employee. And he hasn’t had a single run-in with the law. Over the years, I’ve met quite a few others with similar stories. These stories have led me to the conclusion that our society would be better off if we were more tolerant of marijuana use and less tolerant of alcohol abuse.
If my parishioners were to find out how I feel on this subject, I’d be out of a job, but I am convinced that this is the most logical and the most Christian approach.