While in the morning, after the crazy November 2020 election here in the States, there were

several culture commentators who observed that amidst all of the confusion over who won

the presidency, there was no mistaking who won the night, marijuana.

Four additional states passed ballot measures to legalize recreational use of pot for adults

and none of the votes were even close.

Those states included Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota, bringing the total

to 15 total states and many remaining states have decriminalized it, showing where the cultural

trajectory is headed.

Thirty-seven states in total have legalized medical use marijuana, something that you support

Pastor John if governed by appropriate physician oversight and prescriptions.

You explain that way back in APJ-77, episode 77, back in the day.

But just a decade ago, I believe recreational cannabis was illegal in all 50 states,

and that's being overturned very quickly in each year. This is growing as a bigger and bigger

issue for Christians and pastors, and parents, and churches. Do you have anything new to say

as recreational use gains widespread support in red and blue states across our country?

It's not exactly new, but I do have something I want to say in regard to the fact that

10 years ago, recreational cannabis was illegal in all 50 states, whereas this is increasingly,

not the case today. And what I want to draw attention to by way of exhortation and encouragement,

even though it may sound pessimistic to some, is that this fact, the legalization of pot,

draws attention to something that we need to be aware of, and we need to adjust our thinking

about, namely, that the church for a long time has leaned too heavily on the overlap between

the state and the church, for the strength of our conviction concerning what is right and wrong.

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