23, 24. (a) Is it only the personal use of harmful addictives that raises questions of Christian conscience? (b) Does the fact that these plant products result from God’s creation remove all objections regarding their commercial production and distribution today? Illustrate.

²³ What, then, of the person who farms, prepares or sells such things as his means of livelihood? Certainly the matter of conscience is involved here. What principles should guide us?

²⁴ Some may argue that these things are all part of God’s creation placed here on earth, and that hence there is no reason to object to anyone’s growing them. True, they are God’s creation, but things that are correct in themselves may be put to bad uses. Mushrooms are part of God’s plant creation but only some are edible. If we make a mistake and eat one of the poisonous types this could cause our death. Jehovah provided minerals and metals, too, but when men convert iron into destructive weapons for political warfare, is this a good use of God’s provisions?

25, 26. (a) Is it only the seller of harmful addictives who bears responsibility for the damage they cause to humans? (b) What questions will the Christian conscientiously consider in this regard?

²⁵ Consider the matter of hard drugs, such as opium and heroin. People addicted to these do not simply pick them up from the earth. There are many steps involved. Poppies must be grown, the juice extracted and refined into opium powder. To obtain morphine or heroin, further distilling must be done. Then there is the marketing and sale of these addictive drugs. Where along the line does responsibility for the immense harm and crime involved in drug addiction begin or stop?

²⁶ Though tobacco, betel nut and coca leaves may be slower in their destructive effects than these hard drugs, the same question may be asked as to their production and sale. These plant products may have legitimate uses​—tobacco nicotine, for example, is used as the base for an insecticide—​yet the fact remains that the legitimate usage forms a very minimal portion of the total usage. We can never forget that the second-greatest commandment is that we love our neighbor as ourselves. If we willingly and knowingly contribute toward serious damage to his health for the sake of gain, are we doing this?​—Matt. 22:39.

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Is it consistent to talk of neighbor love and yet to produce tobacco that may ruin your neighbor’s health?