Should Christians Support Legalizing Marijuana

Guest Bios Show Transcript Guest Bios Show Transcript Christians are divided over whether marijuana should be legalized. Some say the drug is an essential pain medication and even an aid in worship! But others claim it’s a dangerous, unregulated, gateway drug. This week on The Roys Report, Jonathan Merritt, who supports legalization, will be joining me to share how marijuana delivered him from chronic pain.  But challenging his position will be Dr. Richard Poupard, an outspoken critic of legalization. I really hope you'll join me for The Roys Report, this Saturday morning at 11 on AM 1160 Hope For Your Life, and at 7 p.m. Sunday evening on AM 560 The Answer. This Weeks Guests Dr Rich Poupard Dr Rich Poupard Earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Northwestern University Dental School.  He practices as a Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon in Michigan.  He has special interest includes medical ethics and Christian Apologetics.  It is this interest that led him to study and complete his Master’s degree in Christian Apologetics at Biola University.  He is published in the Christian Research Journal on topics such as ethics of cosmetic surgery, abortion, gaming, pornography and marijuana use.  He has been hosted on multiple podcasts including The Bible Answer Man and Hank Unplugged.  He is married and has five children.  He enjoys reading, golf and board games.  Jonathan Merritt Jonathan Merritt is an award-winning writer on religion, culture, and politics. He serves as a contributing writer for The Atlantic, a contributing editor for The Week, and is author of several critically-acclaimed books and has published more than 3500 articles in respected outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. As a respected voice, he regularly contributes commentary to television, print, and radio news outlets and has been interviewed by ABC World News, NPR, CNN, PBS, MSNBC, Fox News, and CBS’ “60 Minutes.” Jonathan holds a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Master of Theology from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. He is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including the Wilbur Award for excellence in journalism, the Religion News Association’s columnist of the year, and the Englewood Review of Books “Book of the Year” award. David E. Smith David E. Smith is a Christian husband and father to eight children. He is also an experienced Executive Director of two non-profit public policy organizations, including the Illinois Family Institute. David works to educate and activate Christians in Illinois to "boldly bring biblical perspectives to public policy" for the welfare of families in the turbulent culture of Illinois. David also serves as a GOP Township Chairman and is an ordained minister and elder in his local church. Show Transcript Note: This transcript has been slightly edited for continuity. Segment 1 JULIE ROYS:  What should Christians think of marijuana?  Welcome to The Roys Report, brought to you in part by Judson University. I am Julie Roys. And today, we’re going to be debating a hot topic in both the culture and the church. Some people say marijuana is a miracle drug that can bring relief for chronic pain and ease depression. Yet, others say it’s a dangerous drug, especially for young, developing minds. Plus, marijuana can be a gateway to harder drugs, and legalization can lead to the proliferation of social problems. In Illinois, where this show originates, we just legalized marijuana, but the law hasn’t gone into effect yet. That happens in January. But marijuana—both recreation