Thanks for linking this. I've had this view for many years, it's good to see something scientific does in fact back it up.
It only makes sense logically. There has never in the history of humanity been a totally sober society. Our current society may very well be the most anti-drug in history (what's that country where there's literally kill squads going after drug users again?) but yet we don't realise prohibition of psychoactive substances is a very novel idea. You can even go to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in London and see they have a little museum in there containing original Bayer Heroin bottles, various cocaine based medicines including cough drops, even speedball cough drops, cannabis tincture, laudanum, chlorodyne, and all of it was sold OTC.
And what I especially like is they put the old medicines next to the new, so you got Heroin cough syrup next to bottles of Oramorph and they have a jar of opium poppy pods as the common origin, they have boxes of Ritalin next to cocaine, and all that basically says that we use the same essential drugs in medicine today just in different forms. It is actually pretty interesting to me just how little things have truly changed. There has been more change in social views than the actual drugs themselves.
Phenibut is perhaps the best social and sexual drug about imo. It keeps you clearheaded but gives you a shitload of confidence, no anxiety, and enhances physical sensation. Also helps you sleep like a baby. Lasts all day long easily too. Used to be able to get it off eBay as a "nootropic" before the PSA fucked that one up.
It's a brilliant piece. It made so much sense (still does) and helped me understand that the activities I was engaging in at that time (weed, acid, shrooms, ket, MDMA... when I was in my early 20s) weren't 'bad' or wrong despite one friend giving me constant grief and our country's fucked up laws/the war drugs. My parents never judged me thankfully. I think I was lucky in that respect.
I agree it seems recently (relatively speaking) like we've taken a step back regarding drug legality. It's a shame. But I cant decide whether it's by design, the war on drugs. Wearing a tinfoil hat right now. Are they really so stupid or arrogant to think this 'war' can be won? Perhaps it's not meant to be won.
Big pharma doesnt want drugs legal due to competition, especially from weed. Alcohol and tobacco industries don't want competition.
Entire government agencies in the USA (the DEA) would be shut down or massively downsized. I have a feeling these 3 letter government agencies have a huge amount of influence. Their head guys dont have 8 year term limits like the president. Countless peoples jobs depend on the war raging on. The prison population which is sadly in many privately run operations, a lucrative slave labour force in the USA, is a huge industry. The country with the highest % of their citizens incarcerated in the world right? Aren't most inmates in for drug related charges? Would they be pardoned if drugs were made legal? If not that would cause some outrage I'm sure. If non violent drug offenders were released that would disrupt the cash cows that have been built up. If no more incarcerations occurred due to drug use being legal that too would further effect their bottom line.
whenever large industries with clout and earnings are at risk or peoples jobs/livelihoods are threatened, they will fight back. They may already be greasing politicians hands, or just making their stance known... behind closed doors. People/companies with loads of wealth can just donate vast sums to a candidate they want to see win an election.
then theres the admitting they got it wrong all these years. Countless deaths, imprisonments, lives ruined, police time wasted. People in jail for what would no longer be considered a crime, wanting freedom maybe even payouts. It would be a huge admission of failure and the government doesnt like to admit failure. It would be a huge task too. It's far easier to stick to the failing but familiar war on drugs than to literally tear apart the rule book and start again.
finally there is fear, often created as a result of the war on drugs and consequences of prohibition, that there will be people ODing everywhere, addicts will litter the streets and everyone will be off their merry chops 24/7. Society itself would collapse! People wouldn't go to work, just take drugs, there would be far more drug driving too. The amount of drug users would skyrocket etc.
I'm sure all these fears are either massively exaggerated or just aren't substantiated at all, but I think politicians believe them and probably the majority of the public?
you aren't going to get to be PM or the president if you run with one of your manifesto promises being 'we are going to legalise all drugs'. I just dont think it's a vote winner.
The very idea that I should be told what I can and cant put into my own body, and punished for choosing not to listen, is beyond disgraceful, frankly. Its downright criminal. The burocrats making the laws, the police enforcing them, the courts convicting drug users are all far more guilty of immoral acts than a consenting adult choosing to ingest a chemical. Its nauseating when you really think about it. Ugh
