Young Christians Show Love for Pot

Although there's no telling what Jesus would do, his newest generation of followers appear to be on board with ganja. A new poll finds that 45% of self-identified Christians, ages 18 to 29, are in favor of legalizing marijuana, whereas only 22% of older believers think it should be legal. “While most religious Americans overall continue to oppose the legalization of marijuana, the generational sea change on this issue is also shifting the ground inside churches,” says Robert P. Jones, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute (PPRI), the group which conducted the survey. “Christian young adults are twice as likely as Christian senior adults to say both that marijuana should be legal and that using marijuana is morally acceptable.” Interestingly, more young Christians surveyed believe pot smoking is "morally acceptable" (52% of those surveyed) than the rest of the population (only 49%). Of the young believers who had smoked pot themselves, most "appear to have enjoyed the experience." And of those surveyed who oppose legalization, a majority (60%) still support the drug being used for medicinal purposes. “Marijuana, like the issue of same-sex marriage, appears headed for broader cultural acceptance,” says Daniel Cox, PRRI research director. “Six in 10 Americans do not believe that new laws legalizing the use of marijuana signal widespread moral decline in the country.”