CVS last week decided to stop selling tobacco products. A good decision, from my perspective – especially as they move to offer more health care with their minute clinics. The reaction to this has been general applause. Some worry about the economic effect (CVS stands to lose 2 billion in revenue), but others see this as another step toward taking nicotine away. On Morning Edition it was suggest by former Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher that tobacco will be eventually outlawed.

At the same time the Star’s faith section had an article about the increasing acceptance of marijuana in the church community. This is in the wake of two states, Colorado and Washington, legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

Which caused Megan to ask if CVS would start selling marijuana? I suppose they have the self space…

Now in many ways I realize this is apples to oranges. The drugs, while both inhaled, have very different effects and health risks. At the same time, I am surprised and wonder why we ostracize one group of users while growing more accepting of another?

There is not a clean answer to this question. For legalizing marijuana, some want new tax revenue, others just want to smoke. But why is the church changing views? I wonder if it has more to do with fitting in with popular opinion than anything else?