Social Which one street drug should they make legal?

[Big Nasty Edison]

All of them.

 

[BFoe]

Making these things legal doesn't help anything sir.

I’m going to respectfully disagree. Firstly, it keeps people with substance abuse issues who need help and treatment from being criminalized, and further disconnected from society. It’s very difficult to fully rehabilitate someone when they can’t get a job because they’re a convicted felon, or are stigmatized as a criminal or lowlife.

Secondly, legalizing drugs also allows them to be regulated, not cut with all manner of terrible shit.

There are places in Europe that have supervised drug consumption rooms where addicts can inject drugs with sterile equipment under medical supervision for harm reduction, and then typically counseling and job placement services are provided as well. These have been pretty successful.

Portugal is probably the best known success story. They handled their opioid epidemic by decriminalizing basically all drugs, and then took the money they would’ve spent on the needless “war on drugs” and spent that on treatment, mental health services, helping recovering addicts learn skills and trades, job placement, and reconnecting addicts with loved ones. They saw a massive reduction in heroin use, and about a 90% reduction in HIV spread by needles. They now have about 1/50th the mortality rate that we have in the US.
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2018/10... to a New York,fiftieth of the United States'.

 

[StonedLemur]

I’m going to respectfully disagree. Firstly, it keeps people with substance abuse issues who need help and treatment from being criminalized, and further disconnected from society. It’s very difficult to fully rehabilitate someone when they can’t get a job because they’re a convicted felon, or are stigmatized as a criminal or lowlife.

Secondly, legalizing drugs also allows them to be regulated, not cut with all manner of terrible shit.

There are places in Europe that have supervised drug consumption rooms where addicts can inject drugs with sterile equipment under medical supervision for harm reduction, and then typically counseling and job placement services are provided as well. These have been pretty successful.

Portugal is probably the best known success story. They handled their opioid epidemic by decriminalizing basically all drugs, and then took the money they would’ve spent on the needless “war on drugs” and spent that on treatment, mental health services, helping recovering addicts learn skills and trades, job placement, and reconnecting addicts with loved ones. They saw a massive reduction in heroin use, and about a 90% reduction in HIV spread by needles. They now have about 1/50th the mortality rate that we have in the US.
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2018/10/portugal-opioid#:~:text=According to a New York,fiftieth of the United States'.

I was a drug addict for 15 years, and I don't think its a disease, its a choice.
I made the choice and I suffered the consequences.

This doesn't help, and it won't make people get help sir.

 

[Yorick]

hm, dunno.
if all those substances were legal, driving or conducting business of any kind would be pretty weird.
Some people tolerate being drugged up, many clearly do not.
Let's just take it easy on legalizing shit, decriminalizing is fine though.

 

[Yorick]

*now I have the image of a stoned lemur in my head.

 

[Starman]

So if they made aspirin illegal and you go and take it for a headache you are weak, stupid, and immoral?

You’ve met two of the criteria thus far. Stupid, because you lack even the most basic reading comprehension skills (confusing illegal drugs with legal drugs), and now immoral with your second post.

There is zero moral or legal equivalency between aspirin and Heroin, Crystal Meth, or Crack Cocaine. To even imply there is demonstrates just how deceitful druggies like you are. People don’t take aspirin to get high, and they don’t smoke crack cocaine to relieve a headache.

If you were honest and concerned whatsoever with truth, you would have used another legal recreational drug which is far closer to those hard drugs in terms of addiction, and the deleterious effects it has on oneself and those around them, which is alcohol.

If you asked me that question, which would be a far more honest comparison, my answer would be yes. Legality aside, those who smoke and drink are also weak and stupid, though not necessarily immoral (though in many cases they are.)

Go ahead and post again. Hit the trifecta. Tell me your drug of choice, and how you got started doing it. And don’t lie.

 

[BFoe]

I was a drug addict for 15 years, and I don't think its a disease, its a choice.
I made the choice and I suffered the consequences.

This doesn't help, and it won't make people get help sir.

I didn’t say anything about it being a disease. One doesn’t have to subscribe to the disease model to see value in harm reduction, counseling, mental health services, or job placement.
And what I laid out does help, it’s been proven to help. It may not “make” anyone get treatment, but building relationships and treating addicts like people, rather than stigmatizing or criminalizing them, at least allows for the opportunity for successful rehabilitation.

But you’re entitled to your opinion, so that is fine.

 

[StonedLemur]

I didn’t say anything about it being a disease. One doesn’t have to subscribe to the disease model to see value in harm reduction, counseling, mental health services, or job placement.
And what I laid out does help, it’s been proven to help. It may not “make” anyone get treatment, but building relationships and treating addicts like people, rather than stigmatizing or criminalizing them, at least allows for the opportunity for successful rehabilitation.

But you’re entitled to your opinion, so that is fine.

When you're a drug addict, you to do illegal things sir, and no amount of friendship will stop that...I know from personal experience.

I understand what you're saying but unless you lived like that you're kinda out of your depth.
I made the choice to get clean on my own, no amount of help really helped me.

If anything it enabled me is what Im getting at.
No hate towards you, you know that brother.

I think my thoughts on the matter are more than opinion.

 

[BFoe]

When you're a drug addict, you to do illegal things sir, and no amount of friendship will stop that...I know from personal experience.

I understand what you're saying but unless you lived like that you're kinda out of your depth.
I made the choice to get clean on my own, no amount of help really helped me.

If anything it enabled me is what Im getting at.
No hate towards you, you know that brother.

I think my thoughts on the matter are more than opinion.

I did live like that. I was an addict too, not as long as you were, but for close to 10 years. After I overcame my addictions,I took some specialized education courses and got involved in substance abuse treatment by working at a treatment center. So I know what it’s like to be an addict, I know what it takes to overcome an addiction, and I also know what it takes to help others do the same in a residential treatment center setting, which I did for several years. I know what you mean when you say someone who hasn’t lived it is out of their depth discussing it, or wouldn’t truly understand it—but that wouldn’t be the case with me.

I only occasionally mention working in the field of substance abuse treatment, and even more rarely mention my own past issues. Partially because of the stigma that addicts face, but mostly because it just isn’t anyone’s business.

 

[StonedLemur]

I did live like that. I was an addict too, not as long as you were, but for close to 10 years. After I overcame my addictions,I took some specialized education courses and got involved in substance abuse treatment by working at a treatment center. So I know what it’s like to be an addict, I know what it takes to overcome an addiction, and I also know what it takes to help others do the same in a residential treatment center setting, which I did for several years. I know what you mean when you say someone who hasn’t lived it is out of their depth discussing it, or wouldn’t truly understand it—but that wouldn’t be the case with me.

I only occasionally mention working in the field of substance abuse treatment, and even more rarely mention my own past issues. Partially because of the stigma that addicts face, but mostly because it just isn’t anyone’s business.

I don't let that stigma dictate how I discuss these things, because I feel like people want me to hide my thoughts.
You can see that I never hide who, or what I am or was.

We all have a story and by sharing that story, we help people that we didn't even intend on helping.
It also helps us deal with all the things we did to ourselves and those around us.

I have been clean for 16 years, and every time I talk about it I learn something new about everything.

I went through many programs, and ended up doing it myself, which of course I almost died from.
I tell you that doing it myself and having nobody there to hold my hand is what made me stop.

Much love brother, don't ever take this as me being a cunt to you, as I assure you that its not.




"Peace is not the absence of chaos, its how we deal with the chaos that creates real peace." ~HH

 

[I Am Legion]

I say none. We legalized weed and now everyone is driving high. Legalize it emboldens people, I don’t need these coked up fiends driving. We should take the money we are spending on Migrant housing, and close the border and reopen treatment facilities and mental health facilities we closed for budget issues.

 

[Fadetoblack918]

Coke

 

[Bobby00]

None besides weed since i have a family member who struggles with this. He has been on and off stuff now off also prescription drugs. Some shady dudes instead of taking their medicine are selling it. I can easily take something and not take it for years and im fine. I will have addictive thoughts but just dont give in but its not easy for everyone. Its good that its not just available to buy somewhere legally. All dealers get caught or stop selling eventually which makes for a good hurdle.

 

[NoSmilez]

I’m going to respectfully disagree. Firstly, it keeps people with substance abuse issues who need help and treatment from being criminalized, and further disconnected from society. It’s very difficult to fully rehabilitate someone when they can’t get a job because they’re a convicted felon, or are stigmatized as a criminal or lowlife.

Secondly, legalizing drugs also allows them to be regulated, not cut with all manner of terrible shit.

There are places in Europe that have supervised drug consumption rooms where addicts can inject drugs with sterile equipment under medical supervision for harm reduction, and then typically counseling and job placement services are provided as well. These have been pretty successful.

Portugal is probably the best known success story. They handled their opioid epidemic by decriminalizing basically all drugs, and then took the money they would’ve spent on the needless “war on drugs” and spent that on treatment, mental health services, helping recovering addicts learn skills and trades, job placement, and reconnecting addicts with loved ones. They saw a massive reduction in heroin use, and about a 90% reduction in HIV spread by needles. They now have about 1/50th the mortality rate that we have in the US.
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2018/10/portugal-opioid#:~:text=According to a New York,fiftieth of the United States'.

I read something about Portugal regarding mixed results. They are getting burnt out. It's a drug entry point to EU so it is going to be flooded with drugs. I thought they had a giant program but it's like 350 people in treatment now. Funding is cut short and it's mostly handled by NGOs now. It's not really about treating people now. They got rid of all those job placement programs. It's about the right to be an addict. They will give you a safe place to get high.

"The number of Portuguese adults who reported prior use of illicit adult drugs rose from 7.8% in 2001 to 12.8% in 2022 — still below European averages but a significant rise nonetheless. Overdose rates now stand at a 12-year high and have doubled in Lisbon since 2019. Crime, often seen as at least loosely related to illegal drug addiction, rose 14% just from 2021 to 2022. Sewage samples of cocaine and ketamine rank among the highest in Europe (with weekend spikes) and drug encampments have appeared along with a European rarity: private security forces."

 

[StonedLemur]

*now I have the image of a stoned lemur in my head.

 

[Wetarmpits]

Coke is pretty destructive even if it's pure.

The effect is also overrated I'd rather take 2 grams of good mdma instead one gram of coke and add a little bit of medical amphetamines.

 

[TheTickG]

I believe Marijuana is pretty much legal now in many places. So I'd say MDMA. Would love cocaine, but I think it's too intense for people.

Feel free to suggest what drugs.

Ban them all.

 

[ferrisjso]

Fentanyl.

It's the only way to clean up our streets.

The streets don't need to be cleaned out the mansions do.

 

[Doomer]

Literally none.

 

[Long Dark Blues]

From that list:

1.) MDMA
2.) Cocaine
3.) LSD
4.) Mescaline

Really:

1.) MDMA
2.) Shrooms
3.) Cocaine
4.) LSD
5.) Mescaline