Question:

A friend I am studying the Bible with is growing marijuana in his back yard and says he sells it for medical purposes only. . I am calling him to relinquish his  marijuana business and he is willing to give it up eventually, but not right now. He is saying he wants to make one last sale in October before he can close out his business. I am asking him to do it immediately  by showing him repentance scriptures like Acts 19:19 that calls for immediate and decisive repentance. I  am  worried about his heart condition.   What would your advice be?  Thanks a lot,

Answer:

You failed to tell me whether it is illegal to grow the stuff where he is growing it.   Is it legal?  Is this in a state in which it is used for medical purposes (at least in principle)?   If it is, then I would say it might be similar to a Christian who brews beer or who grows hops, or even grapes which are used to make wine.   I agree with you that this would be a grey area, in which case I think you should allow him to make his own decision.   If he has firmly decided to leave this business forever after bringing in this last crop, then I might be willing to accept that decision (even though I would not make this decision… I personally disagree with it).  It would be like a person who had a job as a bouncer at a bar.   I would suggest he quit the job, but not until he had a new job to replace it.   This is not an exact analogy, but it might be helpful.

I have a close friend in the church here who has a prescription for marijuana.  If you knew this guy, you would also know that he has the prescription on very legitimate terms.  Other legal drugs, such as opiates make him higher than the marijuana.  I do not feel I can demand he not use the marijuana.   However, I am thankful to report that it is his personal conviction that he never fills the prescription and he has no intention of doing so in the future.  Personally, I agree with his conviction.  However, this is a grey area, and I prefer to let people make their decisions.

However, more likely your friend is doing something clearly illegal.   In this case, it is not a grey area, and he should immediately repent and pull up the plants.  In most states this is not a grey area, and I personally would not baptize a person in this situation who is not willing to end his blatantly illegal activities.

I hope this helps.

John Oakes