Craig Gross is a pastor from California, an author, and a speaker. He also founded XXXChurch, which is a ministry that helps those addicted to Porn break free. Now he is starting a new ministry to help believers get their hands on Cannabis.
@JonathanMerritt wrote a piece for the @nytimes on the Christian Case for Marijuana. Good stuff. The article talks about my story & #ChristianCannabis. Also features my friend, @prophiphop.
Read here: https://t.co/i7Irh7UmLa pic.twitter.com/2Hm6Gv1wVb
— Craig Gross (@craiggross) June 20, 2019
Gross recently sat down with the Church Leaders team, a resource for pastors, and recorded a podcast over his ministries and controversial opinion of marijuana.
An Interview with a Controversial Pastor
The Church Leaders Podcast sat down with Pastor Craig Gross discussing his creation of XXXChurch and his new interest in Cannabis.
Take our very first survey & be part of helping shape Christian Cannabis!
Here: https://t.co/5ytWGgkWnR pic.twitter.com/KZI3GQF47F
— Craig Gross (@craiggross) November 21, 2019
The questions asked were of a nature to garner conversation and dig deeper with the controversial paster.
The interviewers asked, “Through XXXchurch, what kind of stories have come out about people overcoming porn addiction?”
A Christian Case for Cannabis Legalization https://t.co/2KpNr6RzlE
— Canna World (@CannaWorld4) January 11, 2022
“What are your goals with launching Christian Cannabis? How do you justify what you see as the spiritual benefits of cannabis versus the medicinal benefits?” And lastly, “Do believe there are other substances people might consume that helps them draw closer to God, or is that quality unique to marijuana?”
The Key Takeaways
Pastor Gross did not disappoint with his answers. Here are a few key takeaways from the interview:
“When pornography hit the internet, I was working with young people…and I just remember having the thought, hey, there’s no way you could survive if this was around when I was a kid.”
I’ve referenced Hoffman here and there. Then, one of my best friends flew across the country to experience it. Then Jeanette. Then his wife followed in their footsteps.
Listen to the new episode of Craig Brain here: https://t.co/X5UFK1xGds pic.twitter.com/OpMaPBXKDn
— Craig Gross (@craiggross) November 20, 2019
“I have championed a ministry of transparency and authenticity and…due to some health problems and some things I was dealing with, I had gotten a medical marijuana card, and it was the type of thing where I didn’t share that with many people.”
“I think the church loses its influence when we avoid topics that the rest of the world is talking about.”
“As a pastor of a church, if you’re in a city today or a state where this is legal and you have a policy on alcohol, you have a policy for everything else but you’ve not addressed this issue with your staff, you have not talked openly about this with your congregation…what are you waiting for?”
“The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.” My friend Chris is the only other person I’ve found who can resonate with the level of mind chatter that Levi and I experience.
Listen to the rest of the podcast here: https://t.co/pS8Ka54e5h pic.twitter.com/RpwoFBa7Ou
— Craig Gross (@craiggross) November 14, 2019
“What happens if somebody comes up to you after church and says, ‘Hey pastor. There’s a medical marijuana shop up the road. Is that ok for me to go to?’”
“I think we’ve got it all wrong when it comes to cannabis.”
“I think the church doesn’t have biblical answers and we definitely don’t have sound answers on [marijuana], so we’re just avoiding [the conversation], and I think that’s a bad place to be in.”
Does He have a point? You decide. To listen to the full interview click here.