Misc If all drugs were legal and OTC would drug abuse increase? Would people use more responsibly?

[Branggen]

What do you guys think? I think there is a certain part of the illegality that makes drugs enticing, especially to younger people, and Im sure the deaths and illness caused by drug use would go down if people could get a safe supply.

As far as the prices of the drugs im not sure if they would go up or down but obviously if someone is set on using drugs they are gonna get more if the price goes down so that could be a negative I suppose.

Another positive would be an age restriction, we all know right now most dealers are just looking for the cash and will sell to a 15 year old if they have the money. Also would be eliminating a lot of money for gangs, you dont see people dealing alcohol and cigarettes on the street and I would imagine the same would happen with every other drug.

 

[Gaffy]

Us oldschool users will be looked at differently. We'll be seen as Pioneers in a society where more people have turned to enjoying themselves differently. We'll be asked to help proffessionnaly and give advice

 

[FuckinAcidMan]

I would probably use less and go on fewer binges and switch up my drugs more often.

Scarcity and stashes of one compound end up contributing to a binge/regular use mindset. If I knew I could pick up quality product of various variety I would definitely not have that little "use it while its here!" impulse as often.

Would also be easier to introduce newbie-friends to psychedelics and such since it's a regulated product from a reliable source with ingredients /dose and such listed

 

[December Flower]

I actually have some data about this (from 2008~ give or take)

I wrote a paper for my studies about the stigma of illegal drugs, and what we can learn from it. I made a chart listing countries where THC was legal(basically the Netherlands back then), and countries where it wasn't. I pulled a lot of info from the web about consumption, and came up with this one:
"How many people between 20-30 have TRIED marihuana at least once?"
30% difference. Not higher, lower. 30% lower in the Netherlands.

 

[Joey]

The populace would absolutely have a lower rate of addiction and irresponsible drug use if it was all regulated and medical grade, yes. There would be no culture of criminality and abuse to facilitate the level we have now. There would be more money made on taxes which could and would be used towards addictions medicine and treatment rather than the trillion spent on the US war on drugs alone.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Not a single person I know who doesn't do anything more than coffees, darts, and liquor is staying away because of legal status. They're all just too ignorant of the nature of most drugs and thus scared to try them.

So, I'm going with....use would stay the same. Though, if we look at the example of Portugal, where personal possession was decriminalised some time ago we see that use actually decreased.

It'd be interesting to see what the rate of use of ganja in Canada is now that it's been legal for two years. Anecdotally, rate of use is up slightly due to some oldsters jumping on board.

 

[OpiateKiller]

They say drug use would decrease, but I’m not sure I believe that. I do believe crime, deaths, overdoses, gangs, etc would all decrease. But if cocaine and heroin could be purchased at a pharmacy I kind of think it’s usage would be desensitized and more people would try it. Ultimately I don’t know about you but if pure lab grade drugs were as easy as the corner store I think recreational use would sky rocket? It’s really a tough debate.

No question the war on drugs Has failed and drugs should be legal for our decision to consume or not with harm reduction instead of criminal punishment as the view point

 

[SunriseChampion]

A prerequisite of legalisation is education and information. There is no way more people would do relatively unsafe drugs such as cocaine and heroin if they were fully aware of their effects on the body. For example, ion channel blocking with cocaine that blocks signalling from brain to heart and indirectly damages heart tissue...as just one example of something that would have to be widely disseminated to potential users.

 

[OpiateKiller]

A prerequisite of legalisation is education and information. There is no way more people would do relatively unsafe drugs such as cocaine and heroin if they were fully aware of their effects on the body. For example, ion channel blocking with cocaine that blocks signalling from brain to heart and indirectly damages heart tissue...as just one example of something that would have to be widely disseminated to potential users.

I disagree many people are fully educated on the dangers of cocaine and heroin and still use it. Even those who are heavily uneducated or in poverty stricken areas know these drugs have health consequences I mean it’s common sense. It is drilled into society’s brains that these drugs are “BAD” drugs are bad don’t use drugs bad bad bad bad.

I’m fully aware of cocaine and heroins detrimental health effects but it’s never stopped me

 

[Hylight]

Well, I mean is liquor better than drugs . . .

When someone buys liquor they don't get lectured about trying to obtain it by listening to being scolded about how it can't be sold because it leads to addiction and leads to wanting more because after a while of usage it won't work because you will be needing more because less won't be enough anymore.

And also it is an epidemic and can't be sold anymore because everyone is dying from it and it is killing everyone because they are dying from it and it can ruin your liver too

Oh and not to mention everyone that has been killed by drunk drivers

And it stinks and is causing a breakdown in society and ruining whole families lives and is on the black market for those under 21

And is causing brain trauma and damage and all kinds of health and mental issues BECAUSE IT'S LIQUOR

And I can go on and on. However, it used to be said about marijuana also how bad and horrible that it was destroying the world and human race, but now it's alright if you have a card.

So I am confused and wondering if there just might be a drug shortage for certain ingredients and maybe not enough to go around for everyone or the sources are cut off for some reason and supply is too low. And maybe that is why the virus is out to cull the population so that there can be more " supplies" for less of the population that will survive.

It's about personal survival and taking care of your own health and being responsible enough to try to stay as healthy as possible at all times

It's very confusing to why junk gets invented in a laboratory somehow and all kinds of medication is being prescribed to everyone but yet certain medication is rationed and not given out at all.

I guess everyone is just eating what is trying to be shoved down their throats and then need to be fixed from all of the problems it will cause.

There is allot of wonderful medication but much of it can not be prescribed by doctors when requested. So no I do not understand how alcohol can be sold freely when it is the most dangerous poison around. Maybe this is why everyone realises how bad alcohol is and would prefer not to have any. However it can be sold all over the world it seems and is not being prevented from use.

So comparing the alcohol to drugs makes me think that the drugs aren't even that bad but just adulterated.

I am sure that many use the drugs responsibly but for those who don't should be offered help assistance support and rehab to elliviate the situation maybe.

 

[deficiT]

fuck yes: clean supply = less bs diseases and deaths: Prohibition is criminal itself.

 

[SunriseChampion]

I’m fully aware of cocaine and heroins detrimental health effects but it’s never stopped me

Yeah, I also do cocaine knowing full well that it's cardiotoxic.

I just believe that people who aren't already into it, given full information, wouldn't go jumping in just because it's available at the pharmacy down the road.

 

[SunriseChampion]

For the record, since the comparison has been brought up: I believe that people should indeed be getting more information on the effects of alcohol at point of purchase. That shit is fucked yet all we're told is "Please Drink Responsibly".

Wtf does that even mean? It's out of all context.

 

[emkee_reinvented]

I actually have some data about this (from 2008~ give or take)

I wrote a paper for my studies about the stigma of illegal drugs, and what we can learn from it. I made a chart listing countries where THC was legal(basically the Netherlands back then), and countries where it wasn't. I pulled a lot of info from the web about consumption, and came up with this one:
"How many people between 20-30 have TRIED marihuana at least once?"
30% difference. Not higher, lower. 30% lower in the Netherlands.

The reason Weed is still illegal, its tolerated but illegal!, in the netherlands. Is rumored to have to do with a treaty with France.

Guess what the France where its actuallly illegal smoke more then we Dutch with our failing semi legal system.

 

[December Flower]

The reason Weed is still illegal, its tolerated but illegal!, in the netherlands. Is rumored to have to do with a treaty with France.

Guess what the France where its actuallly illegal smoke more then we Dutch with our failing semi legal system.

Yeah but technically "illegal" but decriminalized is legal in my eyes,
no matter how they call it..
I mean you can go into a coffeeshop, get 5g, go into the next coffeeshop, get another 5g, it's not rocket science and there's like 60000 coffeeshops in Amsterdam :D

 

[Gormur]

I definitely think legalizing illegal drugs would help society more than it would hurt it. Sure, alcohol is a drug but it's a cheap drug. Most illegal drugs are expensive; LSD is an exception, but marijuana is relatively pricey. So using that reasoning, few people will ever use them

 

[December Flower]

I definitely think legalizing illegal drugs would help society more than it would hurt it. Sure, alcohol is a drug but it's a cheap drug. Most illegal drugs are expensive; LSD is an exception, but marijuana is relatively pricey. So using that reasoning, few people will ever use them

Weed is the thing I especially can't understand. It's a HUGE market, and that market entirely goes to growers, smugglers and/or cartels. In the Netherlands you can easily see: it's not going to create some sudden crime wave or anything. I mean people are smoking it anyways. Hell, you can get busted here for having 0.025g of weed on you here. Still every other person my age I meet smokes weed..
All countries have high debt, but instead of making money they give free money to drug cartels(who buy illegal weapons to fight other cartels xD). It just boggles the mind.

 

[yubacity]

I noticed in Punjab india where your pharmacy never checks for prescription and you get what you want prescription drug abuse is huge. Would that mean everyone would be fucked or is it the poverty that makes people look for an escape? I feel drugs should be otc and the money saved in policing spent on healing people with addiction. I don't think you should go to jail for altering your mind and not cause trouble and for people like me who can't be a responsible drug taker service should be there to help . The war on drugs is a mistake and they know it but if someone ran on a platform of all drug legalisation they would lose that the reason billions after billions will carry on being spent.

 

[December Flower]

I noticed in Punjab india where your pharmacy never checks for prescription and you get what you want prescription drug abuse is huge. Would that mean everyone would be fucked or is it the poverty that makes people look for an escape? I feel drugs should be otc and the money saved in policing spent on healing people with addiction. I don't think you should go to jail for altering your mind and not cause trouble and for people like me who can't be a responsible drug taker service should be there to help . The war on drugs is a mistake and they know it but if someone ran on a platform of all drug legalisation they would lose that the reason billions after billions will carry on being spent.

No that's just shoddy work.
Especially opiate (ab)use would have to be checked very strictly.
The process would have to be guided by professionals..(you know, professionals that actually work I mean)

 

[deficiT]

I'd still get high