Cannabis cultivation and processing represents the upstream foundation of one of the fastest-growing legal industries in the Western world. As legalization has expanded across the United States and Canada, publicly traded companies have moved aggressively to build commercial-scale cultivation operations, indoor grows, greenhouse facilities, and extraction laboratories, to supply a retail market increasingly normalized in the public imagination. For the biblically responsible investor, that normalization demands a deliberate and principled response.
The cannabis plant itself is not inherently sinful; hemp has been cultivated throughout human history for fiber, food, rope, and industrial uses. However, the cannabis cultivation and processing industry as it exists today is not primarily an agricultural enterprise serving neutral ends. Its dominant commercial purpose is the production of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound responsible for the intoxicating effects of cannabis, for retail distribution. Companies in this category are the foundational suppliers of that intoxicant. Whatever the downstream packaging, branding, or retail channel, the cannabis that reaches the consumer traces its origins to the cultivation and processing operations this screen targets.
Scripture does not mention cannabis by name, just as it does not mention tobacco. Yet the Bible’s teachings on the body as God’s temple, the imperative of sobriety and clear-mindedness, love for one’s neighbor, and accountability for harms that flow from one’s financial choices provide a clear and coherent basis for why growing and processing an intoxicant for commercial distribution stands in tension with biblical values. This is not a reflexive rejection of an emerging industry. It is a deliberate application of timeless principles to a contemporary commercial activity whose consequences, documented addiction, measurable harm to developing brains, and well-established links to psychosis and mental illness, demand a principled response from investors who take their biblical stewardship seriously.
It should be noted that Inspire does not extend this screen to hemp cultivation or to pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoid medicine. Just as Inspire recognizes nuance in the alcohol category, Inspire acknowledges that cannabis as a plant is not inherently sinful and that certain of its derivatives serve legitimate and compassionate purposes. It is the deliberate commercial cultivation and processing of cannabis for its THC content, for retail or wholesale distribution that places a company in violation of this screen.
As of the 2026 research update, Inspire Insight cites 77 instances of Cannabis (Cultivation/Processing) violators matching this definition.
Americans who reported using marijuana in 2022, the highest recorded prevalence in U.S. history, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (SAMHSA).
Estimated global legal cannabis market value in 2022, with cultivation and processing operations representing the core upstream infrastructure of an industry projected to exceed $102 billion by 2026.**
* Inspire's engagement with public companies is part of its Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI) philosophy and aims to promote biblical values through corporate dialogue. Engagement outcomes are not guaranteed and may not directly impact investment returns. Shareholder advocacy is based on Inspire's internal values and may not reflect those of every investor.
**Inspire Investing, LLC serves as the investment adviser to certain proprietary ETFs used in Inspire portfolios. Inspire receives management fees from these ETFs, creating a potential conflict of interest. Inspire seeks to mitigate this conflict through policies and procedures that ensure recommendations are made in clients’ best interests and consistent with their unique goals and risk profiles. Additional details can be found in Inspire’s Form ADV Part 2A.
