# EP134 - Disease or Choice? — Addiction, Cannabis, and What Scripture Actually Says

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/r-b-talks-6474719/ep134-disease-or-choice-addiction-cannabis-and-what-scripture-actually-says.md
Podcast: [R&B Talks](https://stenobird.com/podcast/r-b-talks-6474719)
Published: 2026-06-22T15:38:46+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/randbtalks/2935112
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/217506/2935112/randbtalks/2026_06_22_15_14_53_b50f9cc1-3351-4b55-8d41-36d6fd64a2d7.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/r-b-talks-6474719/episodes/ep134-disease-or-choice-addiction-cannabis-and-what-scripture-actually-says
Duration seconds: 5097

## Resource

Is addiction a disease or a choice? Two guys work through the medical research, the neuroscience, the sociology, and what Scripture actually says — and land where most of the shouting misses: it's both. Cannabis as medicine for a dying parent, why "gateway drug" is looser than you've been told, the trouble with "once an addict, always an addict," and why grace and truth both stay on the table. KEY TOPICS: • Disease model vs. choice/learning model — and why both overreach • Rat Park, environment, and the limits of "just a choice" • Carl Hart's choice studies and what they do (and don't) prove • Cannabis: palliative medicine, Christian liberty, and the legality question • "Gateway drugs," nicotine, and medical-grade vs. street-grade substances • A Christ-centered frame: bondage, responsibility, and grace SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: 1 Corinthians 6:12, Romans 7:14–25, Galatians 5:19–23, Proverbs 23:29–35, James 1:14–15, Proverbs 31:6–7, 1 Timothy 5:8, Ephesians 5:18, Psalm 104:14–15, John 2 RESOURCES MENTIONED: • ASAM — Definition of Addiction ( asam.org ) • Volkow, Koob & McLellan, NEJM (2016) • Carl Hart — Nature Human Behaviour (2017); High Price • Bruce Alexander — "The View from Rat Park" (2010) • FDA — Epidiolex; Celebrate Recovery ( celebraterecovery.com ) This episode is a conversation, not medical advice. If you're struggling, reach out to a doctor, counselor, pastor, or a Christ-centered recovery ministry. — R&B Talks: 2 Guys. 2 Chairs. Real Christ-Centered Conversation.

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## Transcript

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