A recent Economist article reported on a start-up marijuana delivery service in Washington state and further noted: "Dope-delivery services are also popular in states with stricter laws. In New York, dealing is banned but possession has been decriminalised. More than a dozen illegal delivery services now serve tokers [marijuana users] in Manhattan and Brooklyn" ("Why Pot Is the New Pizza: Dope to Your Door," June 21, 2014).

What is legal isn't always what is moral. Abortion has been legal in the United States since the 1970s, but clearly it isn't acceptable to God. Socially we hear the phrase "recreational drug use," which minimizes the seriousness of the matter. Using mind-altering drugs for "fun" is not safe.

What does God think about the use of such drugs? Our Creator has given us the ability to choose His way of life. He has never forced us. Our God-given minds, our ability to think and reason, distinguish us from animals. The problem with such drugs is that we don't make sound decisions under their influence.

"The Bible doesn't condemn alcohol," one might argue. And God does allow the consumption of alcohol—but to a point. Scripture clearly prohibits drunkenness, which impairs reasoning. In a 2011 Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center study, "researchers observed that marijuana users performed poorly on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), which is a complex decision-making task in which participants make choices under ambiguous conditions and win or lose money based on their choices" ("Decision-Making Processes Blunted in Chronic Marijuana Smokers," press release, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, June 21, 2011).

God wants us to make sound judgments in our life with a clear mind. Just because drug abuse is declared legal under man's laws doesn't mean that God approves of it.

Our Father has always given us the choice between life and death, blessings and curses—with the directive that we choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19). Our minds need to be clear to make sound judgments. (Sources: The Economist, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.)