Why are drugs hated so much in the U.S?

[chrisinabox]

History View: I think it's also about history. Historically alcohol has been around since the agricultural revolution (1700's). It is much more difficult if not impossible to replace without consequences and 'special interests'. Same for Tobacco which has been around for centuries.

All of our present drugs are really from 1900's upwards. The old stuff is too ingrained.

Blackmarket View: Allowing a certain market to become legalized means someone is going to make a lot of money and the mafia's are going to lose out big time. This causes a security 'balooning' effect as the gangs spread to other tasks. Who gets to choose which pharmaceutical starts to hand out ecstacy like candy?

Also this would result in a HUGE problem for customs (as evident in amsterdam) as the country it is legalized in would start exporting / leaking to other countries where it is illegal placing strain on foreign relations

Fatality Potential
I think the most important is overdose fatality potential. You can 'technically' overdose and die from alcohol but you'd have to drink an awful lot very quickly. If you just kept drinking you'd eventually throw up and pass out so no more drinking You also can't die (immediately) from smoking too many ciggarettes. Probably get very ill first ... 8)

With drugs like ecstacy there's a high potential for overdose. You feel good, take another, have some more and then die or Serotonin Storm and end up in a wheelchair or in a box.

Ecstacy in various forms (eg. ritalin) is available as a prescription drug. To make ecstacy as easily available as, say alcohol would really spiral things out of control.
My View:
I think goverments need to get past the political and religious bullshit and maybe provide some sort of legalization to drugs like weed and MDMA. One needs to be able to control it in a way - maybe invent a breath-alyzer for Ecstacy

I'd personally spend most of my time tripping balls

sorry for the double post but i had to post this horrible piece of mis-information and thanks to "xtc " for pointing it out to me.

 

[Lady Codone]

America hates drugs because it's been fed propaganda, lies, and other forms of brainwashing for decades. The question is WHY are we being told so many lies regarding drugs, who's doing the lying, and what do they stand to gain by spreading their propaganda? Anyone who truly believes in their heart of hearts that it's for the "good of the nation" or "to prevent addiction" should have their head examined, or at least do a little research.

There are several motives behind drug prohibition, chief among them being money and control. Of course racism also played a part in prohibition of mj and coke, but more as a scare tactic than an actual reason for a policy change. Because of the versatility of cannabis, the hemp industry threatens the paper, cotton, alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical industry's profits, and some of the key players in outlawing it either had investments in these industries or were good buddies with people working for them (Harry Anslinger and his connection with the pulp/paper industry is only one example). The private prison industry in the U.S. also profits immensely from locking up non-violent drug offenders, which make up over 50% of many prison populations. The free labor provided by prisoners is how modern-day slavery has been kept alive in this country as well, not to mention the disproportionate number of minorities locked up on drug charges.
Link: http://www.420magazine.com/forums/i...mation/79470-anslinger-mellon-connection.html

The second motive is control. The U.S. government wants to be the only group with the legal ability to possess and study illegal drugs. They grow marijuana farms and have even been known to dose masses of unwitting citizens with potent drugs like LSD, ditran, barbiturates, and speed in order to find a "truth serum" and other selfish motives (see MKULTRA for more info on the decades-long human experiment carried out by the U.S. govt.)
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MKULTRA

They also want to be able to more easily control the minds of citizens for the purposes of getting us to support their wars and other agendas. They even refer to what happened with LSD, pot, and the anti-war protests of the '60s as "The Vietnam Syndrome". Obviously they don't want a repeat of the hippie culture, and drugs are linked to dissent and protest.
Just look at the drugs that ARE legal and overprescribed in this country--SSRIs, anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers, and other "mental health" meds that are capable of turning a person into an emotionless zombie. Fluoride, which is in much of our water supply and dental products, was used by the Nazis to cause apathy and lower IQ. Mercury in vaccines and dental fillings is also capable of doing terrible things to the human brain, but instead the focus is on recreational drugs and their threat to society. (Not to mention the health consequences of drugs like Vioxx, Fen-Phen, the Gardasil shot, thalidomide, and countless others, or the death toll caused by tobacco, alcohol, and OTC pharmaceuticals).

People outside the government who hate drugs are usually grossly uninformed or misinformed by religious leaders, parents, and programs like D.A.R.E. The remainder are people who've become disenchanted with drugs because of a bad personal experience with them--addiction or losing a loved one to OD, etc.

Sorry so long, but I can't stand to see the whole "it's for our own good" argument...especially on a drug forum!!!

 

[Sentimental]

If drugs were legal, more people would do them. If too many people ended up doing them, than motivation and work ethic would drop significantly, which would cause unemployment rates to shoot up (no pun intended.)

 

[chrisinabox]

America hates drugs because it's been fed propaganda, lies, and other forms of brainwashing for decades. The question is WHY are we being told so many lies regarding drugs, who's doing the lying, and what do they stand to gain by spreading their propaganda? Anyone who truly believes in their heart of hearts that it's for the "good of the nation" or "to prevent addiction" should have their head examined, or at least do a little research.

There are several motives behind drug prohibition, chief among them being money and control. Of course racism also played a part in prohibition of mj and coke, but more as a scare tactic than an actual reason for a policy change. Because of the versatility of cannabis, the hemp industry threatens the paper, cotton, alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical industry's profits, and some of the key players in outlawing it either had investments in these industries or were good buddies with people working for them (Harry Anslinger and his connection with the pulp/paper industry is only one example). The private prison industry in the U.S. also profits immensely from locking up non-violent drug offenders, which make up over 50% of many prison populations. The free labor provided by prisoners is how modern-day slavery has been kept alive in this country as well, not to mention the disproportionate number of minorities locked up on drug charges.
Link: http://www.420magazine.com/forums/i...mation/79470-anslinger-mellon-connection.html

The second motive is control. The U.S. government wants to be the only group with the legal ability to possess and study illegal drugs. They grow marijuana farms and have even been known to dose masses of unwitting citizens with potent drugs like LSD, ditran, barbiturates, and speed in order to find a "truth serum" and other selfish motives (see MKULTRA for more info on the decades-long human experiment carried out by the U.S. govt.)
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MKULTRA

They also want to be able to more easily control the minds of citizens for the purposes of getting us to support their wars and other agendas. They even refer to what happened with LSD, pot, and the anti-war protests of the '60s as "The Vietnam Syndrome". Obviously they don't want a repeat of the hippie culture, and drugs are linked to dissent and protest.
Just look at the drugs that ARE legal and overprescribed in this country--SSRIs, anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers, and other "mental health" meds that are capable of turning a person into an emotionless zombie. Fluoride, which is in much of our water supply and dental products, was used by the Nazis to cause apathy and lower IQ. Mercury in vaccines and dental fillings is also capable of doing terrible things to the human brain, but instead the focus is on recreational drugs and their threat to society. (Not to mention the health consequences of drugs like Vioxx, Fen-Phen, the Gardasil shot, thalidomide, and countless others, or the death toll caused by tobacco, alcohol, and OTC pharmaceuticals).

People outside the government who hate drugs are usually grossly uninformed or misinformed by religious leaders, parents, and programs like D.A.R.E. The remainder are people who've become disenchanted with drugs because of a bad personal experience with them--addiction or losing a loved one to OD, etc.

Sorry so long, but I can't stand to see the whole "it's for our own good" argument...especially on a drug forum!!!

GREAT post!!

If drugs were legal, more people would do them. If too many people ended up doing them, than motivation and work ethic would drop significantly, which would cause unemployment rates to shoot up (no pun intended.)

typical response for ppl on here that don't think drugs should be legalized. this increase in usage you speak of would most likely not happen, and even if it did increase a little, it would be a small problem compared to all the extreme good that ending prohibition on drugs would do. drugs being illegal does nothing to stop ppl from doing them now for the most part. people that want to do them do them, they dont not do it just b/c its illegal. ppl that don't do drugs now are not just gonna start doing stuff like cocaine or heroin or anything just b/c its suddenly legal. theres a reason they don't do them now, b/c they dont want to!! they are not just gonna start doing them b/c they are legal! plus there have been many studies in places where drugs are more tolerated or, for example, in Switzerland, where they have the legal heroin for addicts to go to and shoot up for free and safely. and this has cause crime rate to go down and many of the addicts now have jobs and are completly normal members of society. if drugs were legalized and taxed in a manner similar to alcohol and tobacco, they would be a shitload cheaper, which would make it easier to sustain a habit so ppl didnt lose their houses and lives b/c of the inflated drug prices and they wouldnt be looked down upon so much b/c of stigmas. even in places like Amsterdam where weed and other drugs are tolerated fairly, the main problem is with alcohol. there are just sooooo many reasons why drugs should be legalized and so little reasons why they should not be. and the whole drug usage increase seems to be the main reason ppl use on here, all the time!
so you say work ethic and motivation would drop significantly? if ppl were able to get drugs at normal prices like alcohol and tobacco are and easily(if drugs were legal), they wouldn't have to spend all their money on drugs and they wouldn't have to spend their day wondering where, when, and how they are gonna get their next fix! they would not have to focus all their time on getting drugs or money, they could focus on things they should be focusing on, like work. yes they could do too much drugs and be fucked up at work or not wanna work but ppl already do this now, and if they want to, then they will but overall i strongly believe motivation and work ethic will at the least remain stagnant and probably will rise.

 

[angelsmoke]

Interesting thread, with many good points.

I understand the points made about why governments keep drugs illegal. What I still don't understand is why normal people buy this propaganda!

Surely every intelligent person hears an absolute truth: "drugs are bad" and seeks to justify it with some sort of evidence/research. Yet with drugs (excluding alcohol, which the English drink for breakfast) it seems to have sunk in.
"Drugs are bad"
"Why?"
"They'll kill you"
"Actually, more people die of blah blah blah. Common causes of death on E are.. blah blah... easily avoidable, etc etc"
"People who use drugs are stupid and irresponsible. My friend's cousin knew a guy who was a heroin addict, and he beat up his kids and stole from kitten orphanages to get money"
"..."


I wouldn't mind if it was just the dim and easily lead. But intelligent people who should be capable of forming their own judgement trot out this crap!


Anyone have any ideas about the people side of it?

 

[Z Y G G Y]

oxy=heroin in strength
most people don't get 100% pure heroin, so usually oxy is stronger than street heroin

MDMA is not a soft drug, it does IMO more damage to the body than heroin, its an amphetamine by chemical family

While I do drugs and think they should be legal, your argument that some drugs should be ok cuz they are soft is just not that logical.

if heroin, meth is a hard drug then so is oxy and MDMA

 

[Sentimental]

this increase in usage you speak of would most likely not happen, and even if it did increase a little, it would be a small problem compared to all the extreme good that ending prohibition on drugs would do.

(Sorry for not reading the whole post yet, I'm supposed to be working on my HW.)

It most likely wont happen, but there's a chance that it could. I'd hate to be the guy to legalize drugs and have the whole idea collapse on me.

 

[blondchic]

^agreed.

who posted that second quote? whoever did is a fucking idiot. MDMA has nothing to do with ritalin(methylphenidate). that is a stimulant similar to amphetamines. ugh fucking ignorance like that pisses me off!

you should write that one over in the pet peeve thread!! LOL!
could you see the kiddys at school taking MDMA before they get on the bus for school?
GEEZ!

 

[hOusEs]

i personally think legalizing drugs it self is pretty dangerous and unecessary but if the gov was to legalize lets say possession of an ounce of marijuana is okay.
or possession of 500 mg of MDMA is okay would be so much better on our society.

i personlly think it is completely okay to legalize MDMA, as long as there is a limit to possession.

also if mdma prescription pills were available, there would be so much less ecstasy related hospitalization too. it would be pure mdma pills = not much bardily harm compared to the cut bullcrap batches around the world.

 

[drug_mentor]

Good thread with a few great responses. That post by neurofall is just fucking ridiculous though. LOL.

 

[drscience]

its an illusion. illegslity drives up prices?

 

[chrisinabox]

^u mean illegality? are you saying that you don't believe illegality drives prices way up? if so, you have no idea what your talking about. by the time drugs get into the U.S., they have gone up over 300% in value. these high prices cause ppl to run out of money much quicker and make it harder to maintain a habit. if drugs were legalized and taxed in a manner similar to alcohol and tobacco, they would be WAYYY cheaper and ppl would be able to maintain habits much longer and since the drugs would be legal, ppl wouldn't be scrutinized for using, ppl would know exactly what they are getting, there would be no dangerous cuts, the drug cartels wouldn't be able to run the drug business anymore, i mean why would ppl still buy from them if they could go to the pharmacy and get what they want for cheap prices. yes this wouldn't solve everything, there are ppl that still lose everything with alcohol even tho it is a legal drug and is cheap. this would still happen with drugs but it would be dramatically reduced.

 

[TwistedReality]

"Ecstacy in various forms (eg. ritalin) is available as a prescription drug. To make ecstacy as easily available as, say alcohol would really spiral things out of control."

Wait, what? Ritalin = MDMA? Shit d00d, let's get some Ritalin and roll our asses off!!!!oneone!!!!1 PLURRRRRRRRR

 

[ChemicalSmiles]

The gov. has launched new TV ads saying "Marijuana - you don't know what it'll to do you"
????! What! It's a fuckin plant.

Yes its a plant, but its how you use it that matters. I find marijuana to be a very damaging drug to those whole let it become destructive. (And this is coming from a daily pot user as well as grower) If you let marijuana control your life, and use it to make daily life enjoyable.... it will destroy a large amount of motivation and become a crutch.. .definitely....

and another thing. One of my dealers in high school always use to tell me, its not drugs that make you stupid, or slower. It's using drugs everyday and not stimulating your brain. If you sit around and smoke pot and watch the tube, your not gaining any new knowledge or really stimulating yourself at all. But if you smoke pot and write, draw, read, or participate in other constructive activities, it will keep your brain sharp. And I have found this to be true.

I just read that quote and wanted to comment ... because although its a plant that isn't refined into something else and is completely natural... it can become as harmful as many other "hard" drugs out there. %)

 

[doveshavedied]

The population of the US does not hate drugs at all. We're the biggest drug consumers in the word! But the US government hates drugs because they interfere with its ability to control the population.

So true. It's depressing as hell, but as shown by the attitude of Americans if they want their shit they will get it one way or another.

 

[njsurf121]

In a short, simple response, drugs are hated by the U.S officials because they are all so goddamn ignorant. There's really nothing else to it, they are ignorant and unwilling to change their viewpoints. It is as if they cannot find a way to accept the truth that some drugs are harmless. I also think that they are afraid. I feel that they are afraid to accept and say that some "drugs" such as marijuana are harmless because then all the citizens who feel it is extremely bad will have riots. They are unwilling to change and until we get some new, open-minded officials that hold positions in our high offices, we should not get our hopes up to see marijuana legalized.

 

[Sentimental]

????! What! It's a fuckin plant.

This argument is very flawed. Datura is a plant, but it's frowned upon even here. Lightning is natural, but it can fuck your shit up if it hits you.

Now, I'm not saying that weed will kill you and make your brain die and bla bla bla, but there are other things that are just as natural and can harm you, and it annoys me a little bit every time I hear something along the lines of "it's just a plant" or "it's natural" because that doesn't mean it's safe (even though weed is pretty safe.)

 

[Coolio]

If everybody was allowed to take any drug they desired for the euphoria then society would be nothing like it is today. Legality does actually stop people from using and if that was not a barrier anymore then we would be surrounded by addicts everywhere. Im with you in that marijuana should be legal but I definitely dont think that ecstasy or oxy's or any of the other drugs along those lines should be. IMO society would definitely not function as well as it does today(if you can call it well) if a lot of the illegal drugs were made legal.

Then why did it function so well before they were banned throughout the 1900s? Did you realize that methamphetamine, amphetamine, cocaine, opium, morphine, heroin, etc. were OVER THE COUNTER drugs for decades each, some of them available OTC for more than half a century in the USA, and the addiction rates were almost the same as they are today (the number of addicted is very low compared to total amount of users). None of the drugs which today are controlled substances have a history of causing dysfunction in society, except in cases where they have become a problem only after being prohibited (like cocaine).

 

[Mikachu]

I say make drugs legal, and if so many people become addicts that our society and economy completely go down the tubes, well, then the human race didn't deserve to live probably. lol

 

[The_Chef]

I think a lot of you have a warped perception of American culture. Granted, it is true that a large portion of our population is vehemently anti-drug. However, what you fail to realize that this is just one facet of America's proud tradition of saying one thing while doing another. Considering the fact that this is a nation founded on the tenants of petty bourgeoise liberalism and myopic entitlement, much less one whose government is populated primarily by lawyers, you can't be too surprised either. Keep in mind that while Uncle Sam is pointing his finger at you with one hand he is most likely cutting up another line with the other