ARTICLE: 'Ending the war on all drugs'

[unodelacosa]

To me, the definition of a crime must include there being a victim.

Well then all so-called drug crimes—and indeed, all vice crimes, including "sex work"—should not be categorized as crimes. The trouble is: what about selling illegal arms? There's no direct victim in that crime either, yet it's still illegal and I have to consider that while I support basic gun rights for personal and familial protection, obviously no one needs to be collecting enriched uranium, ya feel me? At least, I see no compelling argument for it yet

However, I agree with you 100% on drug prohibition; let's end it. Arms are the one category that is the exception to prove the rule. Whenever a sovereign state-level power criminalizes victimless actions and arbitrarily makes a certain set of selected drugs into contraband, that is definitely a sign of government overreach.

 

[lillye!izabeth]

Codeine is an opiate; since it is a morphine pro-drug I would even venture hard opiate. Heroin was invented as a cure for morphine addiction (as goofy as it was).

I respectfully, and I do mean respectfully disagree and (after decades of use on all ends of the spectrum, including none, w/ds etc) I still feel like drugs are more or less tools and all should be legalized and regulated.

I don't think too many people would CHOOSE to do meth and crack even if it was on the market. Daily marijuana use is now associated with a 42% increase of stroke. (noone is more shocked or less happy about this than me, trust) but I saw no holes in the study that is now on page 1 of cannabis discussion.

Maybe make "hard drugs" and I would include ethanol in that list like pseudophed; where there is some small barrier to purchasing more than the alotted amount. Than I feel the stigma would be more on people who are abusing the tools presented to them.

I agree with your viewpoint, and I enjoyed the article. I function very well on hard drugs. I recently had my house searched, lost my state job and am looking at two felonies and a handful of other charges, for the first time. At 47. Ex-husbands current partner called turned me in. Humiliating and, while ultimately my fault, I am struggling and feeling way too sorry for myself.

It just sucks, I didn't do anything wrong, like as in actual right and wrong. Plus, once people know, that's all they see. That's all you are. I lay and screamed like a little whiny bitch for two days I was and am not noble or one to bear things without significant complaints. I just spent like $20,000 on my mouth getting teeth pulled and Bone put in for implants and I don't want to f****** my teeth even more and plus I hate Suboxone so that's not an option. Possibly subutex but it really doesn't do it for me I had like seven of them in 2 days and really you're only supposed to need like one a day right? And then methadone's even harder to get off than heroin but then my friend gave me some to try it and I think it might actually be well I mean you don't ever get off it but short of going down to Mexico and screaming cartel cartel cartel I don't know how else I'm going to be able to use heroin so I think I'm going to go to the methadone clinic tomorrow. And If I can ever pull my head out of my ass from this far enough to have any sort of motivation I am going to b**** to a lot of people about the prison system in our country it is f****** disgusting and atrocious and pointless and if I try really hard I have to be able to do something but I just hope I can f****** get through this. Drug should be legal it's just stupid.

I really miss sleeping I haven't slept in a week. I haven't gotten out of bed but I haven't slept it's s***** and I know it's only for like a couple weeks but really the psychological aftermath is worse and it really doesn't get better. Supposedly after 8 months but I've only ever tried it before I think three and then 25 years and I am doubtful about that I think people who say that are just f****** lying to themselves or me or both

 

[fairnymph]

I agree with your viewpoint, and I enjoyed the article. I function very well on hard drugs. I recently had my house searched, lost my state job and am looking at two felonies and a handful of other charges, for the first time. At 47. Ex-husbands current partner called turned me in. Humiliating and, while ultimately my fault, I am struggling and feeling way too sorry for myself.

It just sucks, I didn't do anything wrong, like as in actual right and wrong. Plus, once people know, that's all they see. That's all you are. I lay and screamed like a little whiny bitch for two days I was and am not noble or one to bear things without significant complaints. I just spent like $20,000 on my mouth getting teeth pulled and Bone put in for implants and I don't want to f****** my teeth even more and plus I hate Suboxone so that's not an option. Possibly subutex but it really doesn't do it for me I had like seven of them in 2 days and really you're only supposed to need like one a day right? And then methadone's even harder to get off than heroin but then my friend gave me some to try it and I think it might actually be well I mean you don't ever get off it but short of going down to Mexico and screaming cartel cartel cartel I don't know how else I'm going to be able to use heroin so I think I'm going to go to the methadone clinic tomorrow. And If I can ever pull my head out of my ass from this far enough to have any sort of motivation I am going to b**** to a lot of people about the prison system in our country it is f****** disgusting and atrocious and pointless and if I try really hard I have to be able to do something but I just hope I can f****** get through this. Drug should be legal it's just stupid.

I really miss sleeping I haven't slept in a week. I haven't gotten out of bed but I haven't slept it's s***** and I know it's only for like a couple weeks but really the psychological aftermath is worse and it really doesn't get better. Supposedly after 8 months but I've only ever tried it before I think three and then 25 years and I am doubtful about that I think people who say that are just f****** lying to themselves or me or both

I agree you did nothing wrong. It will get better though! PAWS can last many months but it won’t last forever. Sorry you’re going through so much right now. When it rains it pours. The person who turned you in is the one who should be punished, imo. What a bitch.

 

[Rectify]

The War On Drugs is absurd.

 

[unodelacosa]

The War On Drugs is absurd.

Catchy Title though…

 

[Flynnal]

I agree with your viewpoint, and I enjoyed the article. I function very well on hard drugs. I recently had my house searched, lost my state job and am looking at two felonies and a handful of other charges, for the first time. At 47. Ex-husbands current partner called turned me in. Humiliating and, while ultimately my fault, I am struggling and feeling way too sorry for myself.

It just sucks, I didn't do anything wrong, like as in actual right and wrong. Plus, once people know, that's all they see. That's all you are. I lay and screamed like a little whiny bitch for two days I was and am not noble or one to bear things without significant complaints. I just spent like $20,000 on my mouth getting teeth pulled and Bone put in for implants and I don't want to f****** my teeth even more and plus I hate Suboxone so that's not an option. Possibly subutex but it really doesn't do it for me I had like seven of them in 2 days and really you're only supposed to need like one a day right? And then methadone's even harder to get off than heroin but then my friend gave me some to try it and I think it might actually be well I mean you don't ever get off it but short of going down to Mexico and screaming cartel cartel cartel I don't know how else I'm going to be able to use heroin so I think I'm going to go to the methadone clinic tomorrow. And If I can ever pull my head out of my ass from this far enough to have any sort of motivation I am going to b**** to a lot of people about the prison system in our country it is f****** disgusting and atrocious and pointless and if I try really hard I have to be able to do something but I just hope I can f****** get through this. Drug should be legal it's just stupid.

I really miss sleeping I haven't slept in a week. I haven't gotten out of bed but I haven't slept it's s***** and I know it's only for like a couple weeks but really the psychological aftermath is worse and it really doesn't get better. Supposedly after 8 months but I've only ever tried it before I think three and then 25 years and I am doubtful about that I think people who say that are just f****** lying to themselves or me or both

Time to kick some ass. If someone did that to me they might as well have signed their own death warrant.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

This is awesome.

I've been seeing & pointing this out for a couple years now too. So many "pro-marijuana/psychedelic" people completely bash anyone who says opioids should be legal too. And I don't get it. All of us drug users need to keep open minds & look out for one another. They also tend to downplay the side effects of cannabis & psychedelics. Like the fact that these drugs can cause psychosis, anxiety, etc.. It's irritating seeing people who should have open minds, clearly being closed minded about other drug users.

Society is just also very ignorant in general. So many people believe that opioids are actually "bad for your health" compared to bullshit like alcohol or sugar or fast food, with the latter 3 doing significantly more damage to your brain & organs in the long term. Yet the latter 3 are totally legally & socially acceptable.

Being on opioids has kept me from being an alcoholic for many years now. When I'm on opioids, I have zero desire to drink alcohol. Which is good, because alcohol turns me into a suicidal, crazy asshole. Not to mention alcohol impairs your judgement in a way where you can be totally sloshed but think you're still fine to get behind the wheel of a car.

Alcohol, cigarettes & even "medical errors" kill way more people annually in the US than any other drug, especially opioids.
Most opioid overdoses are preventable & are a direct result of prohibition & black market sources.

Alcohol killed my sister in her 50's due to alcohol induced liver-failure. Which is pretty upsetting, yet I can't even go to the store or watch a youtube video without alcohol being pushed in my face.

Why is society so fucking idiotic & hypocritical about this shit? I can only assume it's the 80 years of brainwashing & societal conditioning that's been put on people.
20 years ago people actually believed "marijuana fries your brain cells!".... Except some studies show that the exact opposite is true. Yet ignorant myths & lies are ripe amongst the general population, most likely due to government propaganda.

I could go on & on about this subject all day. Thanks for posting! Dr. Carl Hart has some really open minded views about heroin & stuff. I once tried to email him & ask him what I could do to help get involved in changing something, but never got a response. But I'm glad to see somebody is out there advocating for opioid users like me.

Long term clean heroin use (especially if you're not IV'ing it) is 1000x safer on your organs & brain than being an alcoholic. And that's just a stone cold fact that the average moronic citizen can't seem to fathom.

I really hope to see something change in my life time. Though with all the ignorance & brainwashing around this topic, I'm not very optimistic about it unfortunately.
I think other countries are progressing way faster than the so called "Land of the free". Can't even get on damn methadone without becoming a clinic-slave. It's absolutely arbitrary & ridiculous.

 

[4DQSAR]

The interesting thing is that EVERY SINGLE person I know who has become depedent on opioids began with other drugs. So saying drug X is fine while drug Y is BAD, is entirely based around their subjective opinion i.e. 'if I use it, it MUST be fine'.

Nicotine is the most common gateway drug with alcohol a close second. But it's been my experience that eventually heavy psychedelic users begin to need bendodiazepines to come down with. The fact that benzodiazepines are every bit as dependence forming as opioids appears lost on them.

ON guy I knew was a big LSD fan but eventually ended up taking the odd diazepam for the come down. One week the dealer had no benzos but did have a handful of Physeptone (methadone) tablets. And the rest is history.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

The interesting thing is that EVERY SINGLE person I know who has become depedent on opioids began with other drugs. So saying drug X is fine while drug Y is BAD, is entirely based around their subjective opinion i.e. 'if I use it, it MUST be fine'.

Nicotine is the most common gateway drug with alcohol a close second. But it's been my experience that eventually heavy psychedelic users begin to need bendodiazepines to come down with. The fact that benzodiazepines are every bit as dependence forming as opioids appears lost on them.

ON guy I knew was a big LSD fan but eventually ended up taking the odd diazepam for the come down. One week the dealer had no benzos but did have a handful of Physeptone (methadone) tablets. And the rest is history.

Cigarettes & alcohol were my gateway drugs.

Hell even caffeine was somewhat of a gateway drug. Especially being a 12 year old & drinking 2 pots of coffee before going to school.

Shit, I had already done meth, MDMA, shrooms, cocaine & cannabis long before I even got into opioids.

I like opioids because you can get a nice strong buzz from them while also still being able to function & go about your daily routine. In fact it increases my motivation in some cases & makes doing physical things easier (since I can't feel all the aches & pains I normally feel in my body).

Nothing helps my depression or makes me feel "normal" better than a good dose of tramadol or heroin. All the psychiatric drugs given out for depression feel like straight up poison & have never helped me.

Shit, I wish opium dens were still a thing. I'd love to go sit in an opium den, get high & converse with like-minded people. Drunks have their bars, so why can't the rest of us have places to socialize & use?


The US is fucking gross, hypocritical, predatory country that has no qualms murdering & enslaving their own citizens.

My heart goes out to everyone whose ever been affected by the drug war, whether it's been through jail/prison sentences or dealing with withdrawals every month or whatever issue it may be.... Some of you guy's on here are clearly VERY educated & intelligent folks too. Bluelight has taught me so much about medicine, biology & pharmacology. So many wonderful minds here. I love you all!

 

[unodelacosa]

Cigarettes & alcohol were my gateway drugs.

There's no such thing as a gateway drug. The term was made up by prohibitionists as a reason to keep cannabis illegal despite the fact that it's a safer drug than alcohol and regardless of the fact that cannabis is not carcinogenic the way tobacco is… sorry to nitpick; I just feel like that term is inaccurate and has hindered the progress of the the End Prohibition/End the Drug War movement overall & I cringe when I hear/see it.

Hell even caffeine was somewhat of a gateway drug. Especially being a 12 year old & drinking 2 pots of coffee before going to school.

I'll bet you had to pee constantly afterward Some say the first psychotropic experience is when we get dizzy for the first time. Just say no to pirouettes, kids!

I like opioids because you can get a nice strong buzz from them while also still being able to function & go about your daily routine.

Right on. It's weird how opiates can do that though. Years ago I used to pop Vicodins and it would somehow jolt me into cleaning the house and getting shit done for like three or four hours. Ultimately though I loathe the nausea, motion sickness, spins, and constipation that can come as unwanted side effects whenever I do opioids. It's kind of inconsistent for me and opioid tolerance builds too rapidly and drops back off far too slowly for my tastes. It's no wonder people become dependent.

Nothing helps my depression or makes me feel "normal" better than a good dose of tramadol or heroin.

They make me feel apathetic and it's interesting how it affects the experience of pain. I.e.: I still experience pain, I just don't care about it as much. I think there's a tendency to underrate the anxiolysis effect in opioids.

All the psychiatric drugs given out for depression feel like straight up poison & have never helped me.

Hmmm. You ever had food poisoning? That's poisoning, lol. No but I'm with you and I don't like SSRIs either, but they seem to work for others and really help them out, so if they do that, I can't knock it…Different strokes & everything

Drunks have their bars, so why can't the rest of us have places to socialize & use?

Because prohibition. Until public support for prohibition goes away, we're stuck in this Drug War nonsense.

The US is fucking gross, hypocritical, predatory country that has no qualms murdering & enslaving their own citizens.

Well is the US its citizens or is the US its government? Who runs that government? Are they the US, or is it "We The People"? And if you're singling out the US and calling it "fucking gross", then what are some non-gross alternatives in your mind?

My heart goes out to everyone whose ever been affected by the drug war, whether it's been through jail/prison sentences or dealing with withdrawals every month or whatever issue it may be.... Some of you guy's on here are clearly VERY educated & intelligent folks too. Bluelight has taught me so much about medicine, biology & pharmacology. So many wonderful minds here. I love you all!

I appreciate that. Much love right back to you, my G.

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

This is awesome.

I've been seeing & pointing this out for a couple years now too. So many "pro-marijuana/psychedelic" people completely bash anyone who says opioids should be legal too. And I don't get it. All of us drug users need to keep open minds & look out for one another. They also tend to downplay the side effects of cannabis & psychedelics. Like the fact that these drugs can cause psychosis, anxiety, etc.. It's irritating seeing people who should have open minds, clearly being closed minded about other drug users.

Society is just also very ignorant in general. So many people believe that opioids are actually "bad for your health" compared to bullshit like alcohol or sugar or fast food, with the latter 3 doing significantly more damage to your brain & organs in the long term. Yet the latter 3 are totally legally & socially acceptable.

Being on opioids has kept me from being an alcoholic for many years now. When I'm on opioids, I have zero desire to drink alcohol. Which is good, because alcohol turns me into a suicidal, crazy asshole. Not to mention alcohol impairs your judgement in a way where you can be totally sloshed but think you're still fine to get behind the wheel of a car.

Alcohol, cigarettes & even "medical errors" kill way more people annually in the US than any other drug, especially opioids.
Most opioid overdoses are preventable & are a direct result of prohibition & black market sources.

Alcohol killed my sister in her 50's due to alcohol induced liver-failure. Which is pretty upsetting, yet I can't even go to the store or watch a youtube video without alcohol being pushed in my face.

Why is society so fucking idiotic & hypocritical about this shit? I can only assume it's the 80 years of brainwashing & societal conditioning that's been put on people.
20 years ago people actually believed "marijuana fries your brain cells!".... Except some studies show that the exact opposite is true. Yet ignorant myths & lies are ripe amongst the general population, most likely due to government propaganda.

I could go on & on about this subject all day. Thanks for posting! Dr. Carl Hart has some really open minded views about heroin & stuff. I once tried to email him & ask him what I could do to help get involved in changing something, but never got a response. But I'm glad to see somebody is out there advocating for opioid users like me.

Long term clean heroin use (especially if you're not IV'ing it) is 1000x safer on your organs & brain than being an alcoholic. And that's just a stone cold fact that the average moronic citizen can't seem to fathom.

I really hope to see something change in my life time. Though with all the ignorance & brainwashing around this topic, I'm not very optimistic about it unfortunately.
I think other countries are progressing way faster than the so called "Land of the free". Can't even get on damn methadone without becoming a clinic-slave. It's absolutely arbitrary & ridiculous.

Hard agree.

The current classification of drugs was never based on objective facts about their relative harms, but on politics.
Here in the UK, a few years ago Dr. David Nutt, a neuropsychopharmacologist, was fired from his government-appointed job on the ACMD (Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs) for... doing his job. (He published a health-risk analysis of commonly consumed drugs and put alcohol and nicotine top of the list.)

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

@unodelacosa , agree on the concept of 'gateway' drugs. It was originally come up with to condemn cannabis. They asked a bunch of junkies what their first illegal drug had been. Obviously for the majority that was cannabis, for the simple reason that if you want to dabble in illegal drug use, it's the easiest to come by and the most socially acceptable. You won't exactly be offered a casual shot of smack at a party the way you'll be offered a casual toke on a joint. This fact wasn't taken into account. They also didn't use a control group, in this case that would have been long-term cannabis users, and asked them if they'd ever done heroin. The majority of stoners have never done and have no interest in ever taking heroin. Instead they just ran with 'almost all junkies say they first took cannabis' and concluded that cannabis use somehow leads to an inevitable 'progression' to IV heroin use. Cue parental panic, where you find a crumb of weed in your son's bedroom drawer and already picture him dying of an OD in a squalid public bathroom with a needle in his arm.

 

[unodelacosa]

Hard agree.

The current classification of drugs was never based on objective facts about their relative harms, but on politics.
Here in the UK, a few years ago Dr. David Nutt, a neuropsychopharmacologist, was fired from his government-appointed job on the ACMD (Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs) for... doing his job. (He published a health-risk analysis of commonly consumed drugs and put alcohol and nicotine top of the list.)

'Equasy' is a brilliant argument. David Nutt is one of my personal heroes on this topic, and Alan Johnson can go fuck himself for terminating the man for doing his job and speaking the truth. Johnson is a real knob for this.

Cue parental panic

Yeah I grew up in the 80s and 90s in the U.S. who was busy waging their own war against its citizens in the guise of the so-called War on Drugs, a term heavily laced in American warmongering. In terms of substance banning, the UK is worse than the US. But when it comes to sentencing, US statutes are excessive, cruel, and Draconian.