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What is the church's view on smoking marijuana for recreational use? With the recent legalization of marijuana for both medicinal and recreational use, the new wave of thinking is that marijuana is harmless and maybe even beneficial. What is our church's view?

The use of marijuana, whether for medicinal or recreational purposes, is still not legalized throughout the United States. From the perspective of the Coptic Church, marijuana is still perceived to be exactly what it is—a mind-altering substance. Marijuana and similar drugs are in the same category as alcohol. The use of these kinds of substances is dangerous, spiritually debilitating, can become habitual, and may lead users to more toxic substances. There are many other effective prescription medications for ailments that are used without resorting to marijuana for solutions.