Trigger Warning People are still ignorant about drugs and drug use

[M!$TER-ED]

What can you do about social ignorance surrounding drugs? I was talking with a friend, a woman near my age at the laundromat this morning. I showed her Bluelight.org site and my role as a moderator. I mentioned my support for psychedelics and the website I had for seniors regarding psychedelic use. She immediately responded against drugs and psychedelics as result of having history dealing with drug use by her son. She adamant in her belief opposing casual psychedelic use, however was ok with psychedelics for medical use and purposes.

There was no use in having a dialogue about psychedelic use with her as she already had her mind made up. The title of this "people are still ignorant about drugs and drug use" I use the term ignorant not because they oppose drugs or drug use, but because they are stuck and refuse to look objectively at why they feel the way they about drugs. In this particular incident my friend's experience with her son overrides any other possibility. Ignorance in this case is making a global assumption based on a single incident.

Ignorance is also closed minded and refusal to change even if new evidence points otherwise. Humans cling to old narratives and tradition because they are safe and more widely accepted than new information. Most humans would rather be stuck than to process new information because it is work to introduce new info.

This is why it is up to use to educate society about drugs and drug use. If you are involved with drugs in any capacity and feel drug laws are outdated and need to be changed it is your obligation to step up. The old AA saying "nothing changes if changes" is an absolute fact. Do you think drug education is going happen on its on? We have much to do if we are serious about changing societies views on drugs. We know that drug use was once considered a health condition that turned into punitive action from governmental policy through taxation in the beginning and later to full criminalization. Do you like being a labeled a criminal just because the government decided to condemn drug use based on ignorance, fear, racism and control.

You and I can make a difference, I would love to go down history as someone responsible for this much needed change in society.
M!$TER-ED

 

[spypilot]

You and I can make a difference, I would love to go down history as someone responsible for this much needed change in society.
M!$TER-ED

if theres one person that should be responsible for such a revolutionary change it should be you
you got support from me, hopefully some day we will live in a tolerant society

 

[M!$TER-ED]

if theres one person that should be responsible for such a revolutionary change it should be you
you got support from me, hopefully some day we will live in a tolerant society

that's the thing. one person's voice is not as loud as many voices united

 

[spypilot]

that's the thing. one person's voice is not as loud as many voices united

yeah but there has to be a leader to accomplish something this big

 

[Cheshire_Kat]

that's the thing. one person's voice is not as loud as many voices united

That's might be a pretty tough job. The way society has been splintered, everyone is encouraged to be increasingly divided into smaller and smaller special interest groups. We are encouraged to find "own own truth" instead of finding truth that we can agree on.

This sounds great on the surface but does not mitigate towards building genuine grass root solutions. It can be pretty hard to start getting people to agree to and actually work towards a solution, most people are basking in the warm of their own personal freedom and will not do anything that doesn't benefit them directly.

 

[M!$TER-ED]

Drug Policy Alliance - No More Drug War

National Coalition For Drug Legalization /https://www.nationalcoalitionfordruglegalization.org/

National Family's In Action https://www.nationalfamilies.org/legalization/index.html

Drug Legalization Handbook https://reason.org/wp-content/uploads/drug-legalization-handbook.pdf

MAPS https://maps.org/

Psychedelic Drug Policy Reform https://psychedelicnews.co/insight/psychedelic-drug-policy-reform-movements/

Psychedelic Medicine Coalition https://www.psychedelicmedicinecoalition.org/

Make your voice heard, join the cause. There is strength in numbers.

 

[M!$TER-ED]

That's might be a pretty tough job. The way society has been splintered, everyone is encouraged to be increasingly divided into smaller and smaller special interest groups. We are encouraged to find "own own truth" instead of finding truth that we can agree on.

This sounds great on the surface but does not mitigate towards building genuine grass root solutions. It can be pretty hard to start getting people to agree to and actually work towards a solution, most people are basking in the warm of their own personal freedom and will not do anything that doesn't benefit them directly.

Sadly but true, if it's not directly urgently affecting me and my personal freedom, someone else will surly take my place and be heard. You don't get it, either you are on the bus, or you're not.

 

[Cheshire_Kat]

MAPS https://maps.org/

Bluelight.org works closely with MAPS

Working with already established organizations is the way many of us have been applying our efforts, some of us for decades.

And for the record, I was and continually have remained literally "on the Bus" That is the sole reason for my being present at Bluelight.org

 

[M!$TER-ED]

Complacency never solved anything.
There is another thing about speaking out in favor of drug reform. Drugs are still a criminal offense, speaking out in favor of drugs risks being considered a drug user or perhaps worse. Know your audience. This is why joining a group is safer and more productive.

 

[M!$TER-ED]

Bluelight.org works closely with MAPS

Working with already established organizations is the way many of us have been applying our efforts, some of us for decades.

And for the record, I was and continually have remained literally "on the Bus" That is the sole reason for my being present at Bluelight.org

Wasn't referring to you, I know you're on the bus,

 

[M!$TER-ED]

I saw you there...I was the one with Tombstones in my eye

 

[Ki3ly]

I still don't understand how alcohol just slides under the radar. Prohibition for alcohol
was a breeze.

Cigarette addiction and Alcohol absolutely rule in the majority of social mentality just about everywhere

and are portrayed as the norm and are so acceptable

while everything else must be put on the back burner and is so

forbidden and practically unmentionable.

I would swear if I looked up the statistics

that more lives were ended by drunk drivers than in the world wars. It's quite astronomical.

Not to mention so many other types of alcohol related tragedies.

However, drugs, marijuana

and psychedelics will never be acceptable in our psychopathic society. Along with its power

and control manipulation and scheme tactics.

It's a sad dysfunctional world and would be even without any drugs at all. It just wouldn't matter

considering the ' nature of the beast. '

There will never be any help with the drug situation what so ever. In a perfect world maybe.

It will just be exploited with everything and all else that is. While cigarettes will continue to be more addictive

than heroin along with alcohol that continues to destroy every last brain cell that it possibly can.

And it's all so cute and funny. Hee hee hee hee ha ha. Drunks. Acceptable. Drugs always equals heinous losers.

It's just nature. As natural as that. Everything is backwards and always will just be a complete Lie.

Sad sad sad world. It's just Sad. That is the way it is.



But we will have to definitely

keep praying for that to change. Do you think people aren't skid row drunks laying in a ditch from alcohol !!

Also, it doesn't take drugs to become a psychopath either or at all for that matter. It is what the world is made of.

Prayers and

Faith is all we have for sure. Mental illness can be helped. Evil and deceiving cannot or never will be allowed to subside.

Ever. It's just life as we will always know it and is just what it is now.

 

[M!$TER-ED]

Sadly what you say is accurate, however, without any hope whatsoever in the world why exist at all? Hope helps to persevere, to believe the impossible is possible. It gives us strength and sometimes even super powers. Hope is everything when there is nothing at all you can do.

 

[Ki3ly]

Sadly what you say is accurate, however, without any hope whatsoever in the world why exist at all

I do. THANK YOU.

 

[placebonaut]

Working with already established organizations is the way many of us have been applying our efforts, some of us for decades.

There is another thing about speaking out in favor of drug reform. Drugs are still a criminal offense, speaking out in favor of drugs risks being considered a drug user or perhaps worse. Know your audience. This is why joining a group is safer and more productive.

To both CK and Monsieur Ed, the big issue for lots of people will be fear of repercussions.

I would love to do something positive to contribute to an objectively made balanced discussion on drug policy, but not at the risk of my personal freedom - Maybe if I weren't using it would be a different story as less risk.....

The war on drugs did so much damage to set the debate and discussion back it's ridiculous.

Any ideas or suggestions for how us cowards can do something anonymously to help?

I still don't understand how alcohol just slides under the radar.

lobbying

 

[M!$TER-ED]

Any ideas or suggestions for how us cowards can do something anonymously to help? You're not a coward, what you say, your concerns are very real. Group involvement might be the answer.

 

[Cheshire_Kat]

Any ideas or suggestions for how us cowards can do something anonymously to help? You're not a coward, what you say, your concerns are very real. Group involvement might be the answer.

Especially those groups which touch both grass roots and academic communities. Grass roots, to keep the group on course; and the academic to lend legitimacy and try to get legislature past the "gatekeepers".

 

[M!$TER-ED]

Whether you choose to be on the front lines or with the support of a group organization, stay informed.

 

[lexxbell]

i absolutely agree. proper understanding and education on substances is vital to ending the stigma that gets people locked up for personal possession and gets addicts treated like subhumans. i feel like we’re a long way from broad societal acceptance of drugs, and some people will refuse to become more educated and change their opinions. i think it’s important to educate and help who we can tho.

drugs/meds/pharmacology has always been my #1 topic that i’m the most interested in. and when i was a teen i didn’t understand just how stigmatized drugs were. i’d simply talk about this thing that i thought was cool (albeit sometimes more like an autistic infodump) and people would pull back. lost a fair number of friends due to the fact i didn’t hide my use and interest in it. nowadays my current friends, romantic partner, and family are much more understanding. over time tho, even as a teen, if someone in my life had a question about drugs i was the one they’d call every time. some of my past friends would dabble, some of whom i opened their mind to about it (usually in regards to psyches and weed.)

currently my friends are largely accepting of my interest and use, letting me freely discuss it (even if i dial it back a bit.) and even if they’ll never use certain substances, most are now properly educated. i’ve informed and educated a lot of people over the years. and it takes a lot to dispel the misinformation that society has drilled into them.

my younger sibling is a great example. they’re a few years younger than me and they saw me firsthand deal with addiction. and i’ve made it a point to educate them on safety and harm reduction and they very openly listened and now understand the reality behind drugs, addiction, etc. they know to talk to me if they’re ever interested in trying anything, they know how to be safe about it and will talk openly with me about it.

i’ve changed a lot of people’s minds about psychedelics especially often just by recounting the many beneficial effects i’ve had from them. im particularly open about my past addiction to amphetamines as well as the LSD trip that got me off them. some people will forever be unwilling to open their mind to them. can’t change everyone’s minds. but i think it’s important to try where you can to educate and dispel misinformation. i find you usually have to start small, give them a crumb of understanding before the whole cake. a lot of people are the most receptive to learning that they’ve been wrong and lied to about drugs. but even just changing one mind is improvement. my struggles with addiction have helped people break their preconceived notions and judgements about addicts by simply being open about them. i give out free narcan all the time to basically anyone and ive gotten people who dont use anything to keep it with them just in case. bviously you have to use some discretion in who you’re talking to about what tho, i’ve had run ins with 5-0 for talking to the wrong person about stuff.

all that is to say that i do my part in helping to end the stigma. i probably could’ve said it in less words, but i tend to be really long winded (which you can probably tell from most of my posts.) most people aren’t as radical and passionate about it as i, which is fine. but it’s important to educate people where you can, to help fight the stigma on drugs and addicts. ive found that my being open about my interest and struggles with drugs has turned a lot of people’s opinions around. and it warms my heart to see a change of perspective in people. we’re a longgg way from broad societal acceptance. but if you can change even one person’s mind, then that’s a positive in my book.

 

[lolis my thesis]

My son almost died from a fent overdose. Thanks to bluelight I know to have narcan on hand.
None of his friends carry narcan, but use whatever comes around.
Blues, pressed xanax, coke, meth. But not on the regular which makes it even more dangerous imo.
They dont know the difference between a stimulant, an opioid, a benzo.
My sons best friend died from taking a blue, that same batch was in our house.
At least my son stays safer with test kits, stays away from conterfeit drugs