Pot Auction

Leo Gontmakher, a marijuana processor with Northwest Cannabis Solutions in Sultan, Wash., smells a bag of marijuana Saturday, Nov. 17, 2014, during the auction at Fireweed Farms in Prosser, Wash. Fireweed Farms auctioned off 300 pounds of marijuana in the first auction of its kind in the state.

(The Associated Press)

Update: This post has been updated to include the perspective of a Buddhist teacher and Muslim community leader.



Recreational marijuana might be legal in Oregon come July 2015, but is smoking pot moral?

That's a question many Oregonians of faith are already wrestling with, including religious leaders in the Portland area.

While some faith leaders surveyed in the aftermath of Measure 91's passage took a stand against any recreational drug use, most identified the issue of pot as a moral gray area that hinges on the distinction between moderation and abuse.

To complicate things, leaders said "to use or not to use?" isn't just a question of personal consequences — people of faith have an obligation to consider how their actions affect and tempt others.

Here's what five local leaders had to say. (Note: This is a question I'm asking faith leaders as I meet them on this new beat. I'll continue to add responses from other faith backgrounds as I connect with new leaders. Please let me know who else I should reach out to.)

Michael Cahana, senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in Northwest Portland:

"It's not a question of substance. It's a question of abuse."

Cahana considers recreational marijuana morally comparable to alcohol, he said. Social use isn't automatically immoral. For that reason, he said, his moral concern is about protecting people prone to addiction.

"Bodies are a gift from God, and we are responsible for taking care of that," he said.

For Beth Israel as an institution, that means being sensitive to people tempted to abuse substances like pot and alcohol, Cahana said. The congregation serves grape juice as an alternative to wine (and sometimes exclusively) at congregational events to help alleviate temptation, he said.

For individuals, that might mean thinking twice about who you invite over for a joint.

Sylvan Genko Rainwater, a teacher at the Dharma Rain Zen Center in Northeast Portland:

"Is it of benefit? Is it reducing suffering or is it increasing suffering?"

Rainwater said Buddhist teaching doesn't include an absolute prohibition on anything, though there is a precept against intoxication.

Moral decisions are up to the individual, she said, and should come down to a question of suffering. Is the action increasing your suffering or the suffering of those around you?

Using marijuana recreationally probably isn't a beneficial behavior for most people, Rainwater said, but it's not inherently different than other substances, such as alcohol.

"We take care of our temples and ourselves, our bodies," she said. "But our attitude to ethics and morality is that it's up to each person to decide."

T. Allen Bethel, senior pastor at Maranatha Church in Northeast Portland:

"The issue is what one morally wants to say about themselves and how they live their life."

Bethel doesn't drink or smoke for the sake of protecting his own integrity, he said, and he encourages other Christians to think seriously about how their actions might affect someone else.

By drinking or smoking pot – even in moderation – you could send the message to someone young or more susceptible to addiction that the behavior is worth trying.

Besides, he said, addiction can sneak up on users. No one starts drinking or tries a new drug with the intention of becoming addicted.

"My belief is that everything God created and placed on this earth, they are useful. When we take them and move beyond that, that's another issue," Bethel said. "When you start to abuse it, you need to ask if it impugns your character and your integrity."

Salma Ahmad, president of the Islamic Society of Greater Portland in Beaverton:

"Everything we do is for God. How can you praise and glorify God if you are high?"

Islam prohibits intoxicants, Ahmad said. "We cannot even drink alcohol."

She believes the Quran discourages any substance that alters your mind, and discourages Muslims from consuming alcohol or recreational marijuana.

Everything a Muslim does should be for Allah, she said, and getting drunk or high does not honor him.

She hopes that legalization will not tempt young Muslims to try pot, she said, and said adults should lead the youth by example.

Bill Sinkford, senior minister at First Unitarian Church in downtown Portland:

"If you have inherent worth and dignity, you don't want to compromise that."

Sinkford said he would have a few questions for anyone who approached him about the morality of recreational marijuana: Is it hurting your health? Is recreational use pushing you toward addiction? And lastly, what struggle is really behind your inquiry?

While Sinkford has no moral qualms with moderate recreational use, he said Unitarians believe every human has inherent value and should take care of his or her body.

Covenant is an important consideration as well, he said. Members of his congregation have a covenant with one another and shouldn't do anything to impair their ability to live up to their end of the social bargain.

Amy Piatt, senior pastor at First Christian Church in downtown Portland:

"The body is a holy temple. How do we honor that divine spark in us?"

Piatt doesn't care if people in her congregation use marijuana, she said, as long as consumption stays within a healthy limit. The body is a "temple," she said, and she believes Christians have a duty to protect their health.

"But if you're using it to numb emotions, that's a problem," she said. "That points to another issue."

If asked for guidance, Piatt said she'd be quick to share her own story. She "flunked out" of school her sophomore year of college after becoming a "party girl," she said. She laughs describing how much marijuana she smoked during that time.

"It didn't work out for me," she said. (Piatt went back to school after a few months at home with her parents.)

Todd Cooper, head of pastoral ministries and interim communications director at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon:

"Supporters won a major battle simply making alcohol the automatic comparison."

Cooper said he'd advise any Catholic to "just say no" to recreational pot – and he's finds the frequent comparison between alcohol and pot to be "ludicrous."

Alcohol has value beyond is physical effects, Cooper said. Wine can enhance a meal. Beer tastes good. People can experience those benefits with very moderate use, he said.

Recreational marijuana consumption, on the other hand, is all about the effects, he said. For the Catholic Church, that distinction is important.

The Catholic Church considers it immoral to seek impairment, Cooper said. Being drunk or high prevents people from making moral choices, he said, and it's often an attempt to escape underlying problems.

"Intention colors the action," Cooper said.

(Note: This is consistent with the message from Pope Francis, who discourages legalizing recreational pot.)

Does recreational marijuana raise moral or spiritual questions for you? Use the comments section to share your thoughts.

-- Melissa Binder