What does your ideal drug world look like in 2050?

[FlyingDutchman342]

I agree that we should make sensible decisions in the legalisation of drugs. In the legislation of alcohol and tobacco many mistakes were made. We should avoid these in the process of legalising currently illegal substances.
As an example, alcohol is far too available. It's not sold in specialised OTC stores only, but in supermarkets (24 hours a day), right next to grocery items. A very strong dose of vodka (1 bottle) can be bought for under 10$/? and cheap drugs increase consumption. Additionally, alcohol is far too accepted in society and many people don't even see it as a "drug", even though numerous scientists classify alcohol as a hard drug.

Some really good points were made here, concerning proper drug education. We ought to tell people exactly which drugs inherit certain risks (addiction potential, cardiotoxicity, neurotoxicity, etc.) and definately stop lying about dangers that stem from prohibition. If a person is going to use substances, he/she should know for example, that heroin isn't harmful to organs (no tissue damage) and doesn't automatically turn you into a lying, agressive thief. At the same time, he/she should be educated that the biggest dangers of opioids are addction and overdose (which would be rare if you knew your dose).

What are your ideas about realizing education programs. Are schools the right place or should it happen at the mentioned OTC stores?

 

[Pickledlemons]

I think a big reason why alcohol is so accepted, is because it is the easiest recreational drug to make, and thus has been part of most cultures. I think thats what makes it socially accepted. I don't think if heroin was sold in pharmacies it would become a social norm. Though, both should be labelled for their dangers.

Also, in Canada there is no alcohol anywhere other than liquor stores, bars & restaurants.

Education should happen at school, and at pharmacies. And wherever developing brains are located. It needs to be 100% accurate though... if kids find out you are lying they will disregard everything else you said. In canada, with legalization around the corner, the federal government has been talking about adding warning labels to cannabis. A lot of people are butthurt about it. The warnings are like 'regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia' which sounds pretty fair and accurate to me. I don't know why its a big deal.

 

[BeachBum4u]

I'd like to think that even though Marijuana is becoming not only medically legal and available in the US but recreationally as well, it would be nice to see the DEA/FDA finally properly schedule it. Marijuana has no business being a Schedule I drug, not by a long stretch! Time for them to wake up and take a strong hit of "reality"! I really think we're way past the point of viewing it as having "no medicinal value whatsoever". I'm not sure what the proper designation should be but obviously not Schedule I, at least not IMHO. And this is coming from a gentleman who has not used it in nearly 40 years, and despite that fact, still feels this strongly on the matter.

 

[belligerent drunk]

I'd like to think that even though Marijuana is becoming not only medically legal and available in the US but recreationally as well, it would be nice to see the DEA/FDA finally properly schedule it. Marijuana has no business being a Schedule I drug, not by a long stretch! Time for them to wake up and take a strong hit of "reality"! I really think we're way past the point of viewing it as having "no medicinal value whatsoever". I'm not sure what the proper designation should be but obviously not Schedule I, at least not IMHO.

Seeing as alcohol and nicotine - both recreational drugs with significant harms and hardly any medicinal value - are not scheduled in the Controlled Substances Act, neither should be cannabis. It should be regulated in a manner similar to the two aforementioned drugs instead.

And this is coming from a gentleman who has not used it in nearly 40 years, and despite that fact, still feels this strongly on the matter.

I don't use cannabis or even like it, still I also feel strongly on the matter. It's called being a sensible human being who can see reason.