Illicit Drugs

[Painwheel]

This is a very interesting thread to discuss and there's many questions about.


What're your opinions about the Illicit Drugs like Weed, Cocaine, MDMA, LSD, Meth, Psychedelic Shrooms, Heroine, Crack, Ayahuasca and many others? I know Weed is legal in some places of USA and at the Netherlands, but in general world it's illegal.
What're or was your experiences with these?
Do you think every drug should be legallized? Or just some of them? Or none of them?
Do you consider alcoohol and nicotine as drugs? It should be illegal? Do you think alcoohol or nicotine are worst than any drugs? If you feel like posting data, I personally would appreciate!
Do you believe on medicinal uses of drugs for treating some diaseases, depression? Why do you think that? You've researched about that?
Do you think decriminalize some kind of drugs would decrease traffic and violence or would be the opposite?
Do you know someone whose has been lost by the drugs? What I mean... the person turned someone completly different from whom you knew before.
If you're agaisnt drugs liberation, what actions should take the law reinforcements to deal with drugs?


I've found some topics about drugs here on CK, but they were too old, so I want to came up with this discussion and I want to see your opinions about it. If you don't want to answer any of the questions because privacy, feel free to avoid it! :$

[Erik.]

I apologize beforehand for my sucky English.

What're your opinions about the Illicit Drugs like Weed, Cocaine, MDMA, LSD, Meth, Psychedelic Shrooms, Heroine, Crack, Ayahuasca and many others? I know Weed is legal in some places of USA and at the Netherlands, but in general world it's illegal.
Yeah weed is legal here. Things like XTC are tolerated in a sense that people who are obviously high won't be thrown out (though I would sometimes like to when I'm working as bouncer) or arrested. The professional making of all drugs (sans weed for legal licensed farms) is forbidden though. But the problem is that with so many xtc, mdma, cocaine users, you have a lot of illegal labs and a lot of dumped toxic drug waste here. I think xtc/mdma should be regulated like weed, with licensed labs making those. The problem isn't gonna resolve itself otherwise (illegalization won't do shit, makes it only worse).

What're or was your experiences with these?
Did a lot of drugs when I was younger. Coke is by far my favorite. But I'm more of a booze guy (unfortunately I had huge problems with alcohol, still would if I would start drinking again).

Do you think every drug should be legallized? Or just some of them? Or none of them?
I do think "soft" drugs should be legalized wholly (so from the farm/lab to the customer, the whole chain). The main problem is hard drugs. But we are so fucking hypocrite for that matter, because alcohol IS a hard drug. It not only has the capacity to make you dependable mentally, but also physically. But everyone drinks and every store sells booze :S :S :S

Do you consider alcoohol and nicotine as drugs? It should be illegal? Do you think alcoohol or nicotine are worst than any drugs? If you feel like posting data, I personally would appreciate!
Like I said, yes. Nicotine as well. Makes you physically dependable, which is the definition of a hard drug. Shouldn't be illegal, but should be discouraged actively by raising a huge tax on both. And I say that as a smoker (tried soooooo many times to quit. Just couldn't quit both I guess).

Do you believe on medicinal uses of drugs for treating some diaseases, depression? Why do you think that? You've researched about that?
Well weed has been proven to be very benificiary for a lot of ailments, both mental and physical. But weed can be very dangerous as well. A cousin of mine ended up with schizophrenia triggered by smoking every day for a few years.... Never got over it :( Really sucks....

Do you think decriminalize some kind of drugs would decrease traffic and violence or would be the opposite?
Absolutely. You can clearly see this with weed when you compare countries that have legalized it and countries that put people in jail for years for having just a little bit of weed (looking at you USA)

Do you know someone whose has been lost by the drugs? What I mean... the person turned someone completly different from whom you knew before.
Yup... Like I said above.

Didn't answer the last one cause obviously I'm not against it.

Hope my answers are helpful to you! ^^

[My name is Yoshikage Kira]

What're your opinions about the Illicit Drugs like Weed, Cocaine, MDMA, LSD, Meth, Psychedelic Shrooms, Heroine, Crack, Ayahuasca and many others? I know Weed is legal in some places of USA and at the Netherlands, but in general world it's illegal.
Do you think every drug should be legallized? Or just some of them? Or none of them?

IMO any plants such as weed and shrooms should legalized.
For the rest I think they should be decriminalized and treated as a health/mental health issue. No one should be in prison because of an addiction



Edit:
Wanted to add in that weed should 100% be legalized because synthetic cannabinoids (spice) are already legal and have the potential to cause some serious damage.
My mom who worked as an ICU nurse for a poverty stricken area saw numerous people in the icu after they took spice. Spice was available at nearly every gas station and party store in the area and super cheap. When you couldn't get ahold of weed for whatever reason you could always just go buy some spice. (I do think part of the reason I am getting slower is because of years of smoking spice regularly)
If the harmful synthetic is legal then there is no reason normal weed should be illegal.


What're or was your experiences with these?

With weed I’ve had a positive experience overall and it seems like all my friends that partake in it regularly have also had positive experiences. For the other not soo hard drugs (lsd, coke, mdma, amphetamines, etc) I’ve had some positive experiences too but avoid taking them for the most part to not form a habit or addiction.


Do you consider alcoohol and nicotine as drugs? It should be illegal? Do you think alcoohol or nicotine are worst than any drugs? If you feel like posting data, I personally would appreciate!
Yes, it'd be good to consider alcohol and nicotine in the same category as drugs because of how addictive they can be.
Alcohol addiction is pretty awful and withdrawing from it can kill you. It causes insane amounts of damage to nearly every organ long term and is sadly seen as more socially acceptable than other drug addictions. Also much easier for people to be pressured back into (have known MANY people who went through treatment and relapsed hard because of pressure from others).


Do you believe on medicinal uses of drugs for treating some diaseases, depression? Why do you think that? You've researched about that?

Personally I have not done much research into this but from what I have read microdosing shrooms, ketamine and lsd is showing some pretty nice results. Would love to hear from anyone who has researched this more.
Weed/CBD have been shown to have some pretty great medical benefits. I take cbd sometimes for anxiety and it almost instantly calms me down, my roommate takes it to fight insomnia and back pain. Do I think it’s a miracle cure for everything like some claim? Fuck no


Do you think decriminalize some kind of drugs would decrease traffic and violence or would be the opposite?
I think violence and trafficking would remain basically the same, on a similar thought I don’t think there would be a significant amount of new people doing drugs if decriminalized.
Looking at Portugal, ([Only registered and activated users can see links]:~:text=Portugal%20decriminalised%20the%20persona l%20possession,as%20fines%20or%20community%20servi ce.) the first country to decriminalize drugs in 2001 there is not data about if violent crime has increased because of decriminalization.


Do you know someone whose has been lost by the drugs? What I mean... the person turned someone completly different from whom you knew before.
Yes, the one that had the biggest impact was my stepdad. Growing up he was addicted to crack and spent many years in and out of jail because of supporting his addiction and finally landed in prison for a few years. He is now starting his life over with a criminal record which worries my family greatly because that makes it much easier to fall back into old habits. He would steal things from everyone and go sell them, one time he sold our bikes that mom had bought us the day before. All that mattered to him was getting more crack. When my mom showed up to ask about the bikes he shoved her out of the car and tried to take off with us in the back seat.
He is much different now sober thank fuck

[Lindsay Lohan]

What're your opinions about the Illicit Drugs like Weed, Cocaine, MDMA, LSD, Meth, Psychedelic Shrooms, Heroine, Crack, Ayahuasca and many others? I know Weed is legal in some places of USA and at the Netherlands, but in general world it's illegal.

I think thatpeople should do whatever they want as long as they aren't hurting someone else.



What're or was your experiences with these?

[Only registered and activated users can see links]



Do you think every drug should be legallized? Or just some of them? Or none of them?

Legalize them all. Weed should 100% be legal, I don't feel like there is any legitimate arguement to keep it illegal. Everything should be legalized because that's the only way to guarantee that you are getting a completely pure product as there would be strict guidelines for a supplier to follow if the government was in charge. There should be legislation around who can manufacture/grow and supply, how much you can purchase within a period of time, and it should be a heavily regulated market rather than a black market or a free market. My country really stuffed up with vapes because there are so many ads everywhere which really seem targeted towards teenagers and all that does is give morons ammunition against legalizing drugs :mad:



Do you consider alcoohol and nicotine as drugs? It should be illegal? Do you think alcoohol or nicotine are worst than any drugs? If you feel like posting data, I personally would appreciate!

I definitely consider them to be drugs and I would love for my country to actually achieve their smokefree goals so we can get rid of cigarettes as they do far more harm than good. I don't think that nicotine itself should be made illegal. I also don't think alcohol should be it's illegal but I do think that it's a bit hypocritical of people, especially politicians to drink and have it available in supermarkets but heavily oppose the legalization of other drugs.



Do you believe on medicinal uses of drugs for treating some diaseases, depression? Why do you think that? You've researched about that?

Absolutely!!! Give the people the medical marijuana that they deserve!



Do you think decriminalize some kind of drugs would decrease traffic and violence or would be the opposite?

I don't know but I don't see why it would increase it. I think that legalizing drugs would allow for a reduction in recidivism rates as people who are arrested for other reasons wouldn't get longer sentences for having previous drug charges. Don't know about that though :bilmem:



Do you know someone whose has been lost by the drugs? What I mean... the person turned someone completly different from whom you knew before.

No, but I don't know many people. The only way to help people who struggle with addiction is legalization. Legalization means that people can seek the help that they need without fear of prosecution. One of the barriers to treatment is the fear of going to jail for admitting that you use.

Sorry don't have any references, I'm too tired to find some :(

[Gato]

I think discussions like these quickly die down because the nature of the topic lends itself to strong opinions (and judgements) on both sides of the spectrum, and the risk of social alienation is quite significant, especially in small communities like cK. For the sake of facilitating discourse and at the risk of completely destroying the few positive impressions I've made here, I'll be pretty frank and hope for the best :D



What're your opinions about the Illicit Drugs like Weed, Cocaine, MDMA, LSD, Meth, Psychedelic Shrooms, Heroine, Crack, Ayahuasca and many others?

Weed + MDMA + Psychedelics, when used in moderation = OK, everything else= not for me.

What're or was your experiences with these?

Overall, my experiences have been positive. I smoke herbs pretty regularly, tried LSD once, and MD a few times. Never touched anything else and don't intend to (other than maybe shrooms and DMT, just once for the latter). I didn't intend to start smoking but that's how the cookie crumbled, so to speak, and I have been smoking for about 4-5 years (with many extended breaks in between). MD and LSD have changed my life in many ways and I am glad that I was open-minded (and brave) enough to try.


Do you think every drug should be legallized? Or just some of them? Or none of them?

Decriminalization for 'hard' drugs and legalization for 'soft' drugs. I firmly believe that we must treat addiction as a health crisis, and there must be a strong support system for anyone who seeks or needs help overcoming it. I am for facilities with low-cost/free rehabilitation, therapy, and clinics where addicts have access to clean drugs and 'tools' to use in a safe and supervised environment.


Do you consider alcohol and nicotine as drugs? It should be illegal? Do you think alcoohol or nicotine are worst than any drugs?

Yes, and they should be highly regulated much like Class A-C substances. I have never smoked cigarettes and only drink on special occasions (with absolutely zero desire to do so, mostly to respect cultural traditions - like a glass of wine on the anniversary of a family member's passing, or a cocktail on New Year's Eve - you get it). I do not enjoy the effects of either of these substances and believe that they pose far greater risks than some of the drugs that society is so firmly against.

Do you believe on medicinal uses of drugs for treating some diaseases, depression? Why do you think that? You've researched about that?

Going to spoiler-incept this to avoid causing offense or triggers (depression/suicide/death), read on at your own risk. Or roll a J and keep goin' :D

Yes, I do believe the use of some drugs can significantly improve the lives of those suffering from depression. I will dive into this question more in-depth than the 'experiences' section to avoid sounding as if I am encouraging drug use or advocate for it. Please take this as a personal experience and nothing more.

In short, MDMA probably saved my life. If you were to meet me a few years ago, you wouldn't believe that it is the same person writing this response. I was extremely anti-drugs, I'm-an-athlete-and-my-body-is-a-temple sort of deal. And then life decided that I had it all too good and fucked me and everyone I love. Losing a job (or rather, not finding ANY employment), falling into poverty, relationship issues, loss of friends, family savings stolen, blah blah. All of this, just in a different order, also hit my SO. All that pales in comparison to how hard life punched me next. I lost four members of my family in four years. My father, my idol and my best friend, passed away minutes after my plane landed in his city. I did not see him for 12 years and I never will again. Cue a diagnosis of MDD that no amounts of therapy and no cocktail of antidepressants was able to combat. I was done. That's when my SO began research into alternative 'solutions' and we decided to try MDMA (he has before, I haven't). We were extremely careful and tried a very small dose in a controlled setting. For the first time in years, I felt happiness. I wouldn't really call it pure joy or euphoria, but I learned that I am still CAPABLE of feeling something positive, of feeling loved and loving those around me. Loving life, loving everything that I have achieved. It was a purely therapeutic experience and it changed my life in ways that nothing else could. That single experience gave me the motivation and drive to keep on fighting, because I once knew feelings like these before my all-encompassing pain, without the use of 'illicit' substances. Since then, my life went 180 and I have never been better. I'd be lying if I said I recovered fully, I don't think that I ever will, but my trauma no longer incapacitates me and my will to breathe. I landed my dream job, secured a promotion (just a few months after probation! yay me), my relationship with my SO has never been better and... get ready for it... my sex life is on fucking FIRE. Not that it was bad before (far from it), but: "thank you MDMA", if you know what I mean.

LSD was entirely different, and I would strongly advise against trying this out if you are suffering from depression, trauma, or any impedimental negativity in your life. It is an experience that can be transformative in the most beautiful of ways, and one that can absolutely destroy you. I've tried it (again, small dose and controlled setting) just once, and only months after I was certain that nothing can impede my recovery. It was pretty damn amazing, what can I say. It reignited my creativity and gifted me an appreciation of life in ways that are unparalleled by any other experiences I've had, MD included. After decades of surviving as a social and cultural chameleon, I finally found an identity of my own. That said, if I chose this substance over MD as a last-ditch effort to fight depression, it probably would have been the last straw. It was so influential and mentally taxing that I don't know if I could try it again, but I would like to one day. My mini-essay reads kind of sad, I'd imagine. Like "wow, look at this scrub who needs chemicals to feel what I have without making stupid decisions". I suppose that's accurate, but I don't regret a thing.

Consuming any substances of this sort is a great risk to mental and physical well-being, and one that must be made in full acceptance of the consequences, of which there are many. What I did was done after months and months of research and years of 'mental preparation' - a calculated decision, if you will. If you ever consider trying, do your own research and don't let stories like mine influence your judgement and decision-making.



Do you know someone whose has been lost by the drugs?

Yes. A few childhood friends, but long after our lifepaths have parted ways. The most significant 'loss' is a fairly recent one. I found out that a family member(not blood relative, but married to immediate family) is an addict (A from now). The kind that blows through six figures of savings and drains my family and their own of every last penny. Addiction is to a 'hard' drug, supplemented by just about anything A can get their hands on. I haven't lived with A, but chose to spend some time there to help out just a few years ago. Well, fuck. I saw a moderately-intellegent human being transform into nothing but a husk of a person. I didn't know how bad it was until I saw, for myself, the uncontrollable shaking and compete loss of character. One moment that stood out was when A asked me the same question 10 or 11 times in the span of a minute and a half. I couldn't believe what I was experiencing. I've lost count of how many rehabs A has been to, and I don't think there is any hope. It's tragic, really. A was one of the kindest and most selfless people I knew, alebit somewhat simpleminded. My family, A's family have tried time and time again but there is nothing left to salvage and we have all accepted it.

---

I've left some questions out, about policing drugs and the impact on crime/trafficking. I'm not very knowledgeable in these areas and am too lazy to look into it, in that way I am quite self-absorbed :D

[Mama Bear]

I think part of the reason it hasn't gotten much attention is 1) it's a Harrison of a thread (it's been done) and 2) the OP has SOOO many questions that it's not setting up for a debate. Debate, to me, is focused on perspectives of a single issue, not a Q&A on a bunch of them. Moreover, Painwheel, it's poor form to just post a topic without giving your own opinion. ;)

As I've made very clear before, I am anti-drugs. My earliest childhood memory involves drug use, and I never knew my father clean and sober a day in his life. So no, I have not tried drugs. I do not wish to replicate the selfish actions of my family. Personally, I think people who turn to substance use for pleasure/escapism/whatever are idiots.

I know that's a harsh perspective, but I'm not sorry for it. Drug use is idiotic and selfish. People who bitch about the legal ramifications, after knowingly breaking the law, are even more idiotic. The problem isn't with the laws. It's with the choices you made and, sometimes, the consistent and fair application of the laws. At the end of the day though, if you're not being an idiot engaging with drug use/dealing/trafficking/whatever, then hooray, you're not risking your reputation and freedom. Every day, we make choices. We need to live with the consequences of those. Boo hoo, you're an addict? Whose choice was it to begin using in the first place? Yours.

At the same time, I think that decriminalising is only going to make matters worse, because it then removes the incentive for some to not get into those things in the first place. You're going to increase ease of access to things which are then going to affect the physical, social and financial health of others. Bad plan.

You might be thinking "People make legal bad choices all the time. We can't be a nanny state and ban everything", and I agree. Unhealthy food is addictive and ruins the health of many, though I won't speak to this one here because there are underpinning issues of food affordability and poverty. Smoking and drinking are legal drugs that also fuck up lives. In Australia, they've made changes to the tobacco industry to discourage it: they put gross health warning ads on tv and on packets of cigs themselves; they have plain packaging so brand bragging didn't happen; most importantly though, they tax the ever-loving shit out of them. Pack/day habit costs $18,000/year here. The effect of these changes has been a steady decrease in smokers, from 27% in 1995 to 12.8% in 2019 ([Only registered and activated users can see links]). Still not the best, but getting there. My point is, societies need to think about what they can do to affect the perceptions of drug use (from cool to idiotic) and make them more difficult to obtain.

At the end of the day, are people who take drugs truly not hurting others? As in, do these people make choices that aren't affecting the financial, socio-emotional or physical wellbeing of others? They're not parents who need to care their children/partner? Or provide for them? They're not getting behind the wheel? Life is rarely as simple as that, Lindsay Lohan. I'm with you that people who truly do not harm anyone else in any way by their choices, whatever, do what you want, fuck yourself up, I don't care. But more often than not, it's not just them affected by their choices. No kid should have drugs as their earliest memory.

[Werewolf]

Caffeine is a drug. Sugar is a drug. The internet is a drug. A lot of things out there are addictive. I wouldn’t consider people addicted to any of those things as idiots. That’s a very black and white way of thinking, when the world is many shades of grey. I can respect your feelings toward drugs based on your personal experiences, but thinking everyone who even uses a substance for any reason is an idiot, just because there is the potential for abuse, is an unfair assumption, and judgemental.
Anyway, weed is legal in Canada. I’ve been smoking since even before that. The world hasn’t ended here yet.
Edit: also, you are factually wrong about decriminalization. I can find sources and studies when I get home. Horrid doing this on my phone.

[Mama Bear]

Caffeine is a drug. Sugar is a drug. The internet is a drug. A lot of things out there are addictive. I wouldn’t consider people addicted to any of those things as idiots. That’s a very black and white way of thinking, when the world is many shades of grey. I can respect your feelings toward drugs based on your personal experiences, but thinking everyone who even uses a substance for any reason is an idiot, just because there is the potential for abuse, is an unfair assumption, and judgemental.
Anyway, weed is legal in Canada. I’ve been smoking since even before that. The world hasn’t ended here yet.
Edit: also, you are factually wrong about decriminalization. I can find sources and studies when I get home. Horrid doing this on my phone.

Firstly, to clarify, I think you're exaggerating my stance. "even uses a substance for any reason" is not the same as "people who turn to substance use for pleasure/escapism/whatever". "Turn to" refers to choosing as a strategy. That's a bit different. Moreover, my examples of "pleasure" and "escapism" clearly indicate that I'm not talking about medical applications.

I acknowledged other addictive elements in society and that these also impact on people. Simply providing more examples does not provide counter-argument to what I've said. My view remains the same. Whether it's sugar, porn or crack: "people who truly do not harm anyone else in any way by their choices, whatever, do what you want, fuck yourself up, I don't care. But more often than not, it's not just them affected by their choices."

I'm not Henny Penny saying the sky is going to fall who would be surprised to hear that "The world hasn’t ended here yet." Of course it's not going to end the world.

Governments should be supporting people to kick their habits. Instead of punishing, providing medical treatment to rehabilitate them. The main argument for decriminalisation is about reducing the strain on the legal system. Yep, that's fine with me. But putting the money saved on the legal costs towards medical alternatives is a better long-term solution. There's a difference between a permissive attitude and one which still highlights that something is not what we want to be a part of our society, and providing support to get off it. Portugal had some wins and losses in their drug use after decriminalising in 2001; the main improvement was in health, which is good. However, I don't believe it goes far enough. Decriminalising alone, without a consequence (as in, mandated rehab), isn't incentive enough to change society. You're not being locked in jail as a punishment. You're being sent to mandated rehab for your own good.

Before posting the first time, I knew my views wouldn't be met with support. I know we have a lot of people in our community who partake in drug use, many quite proudly. You do you; that's your life, not mine. But if your choices are affecting others, I just can't agree with that. That is not to say I won't treat you with respect, or uphold my job as a mod impartially, or even like you. I'm friends with people whose choices I don't agree with. But the topic was about illicit drugs, and I've said my peace. I won't reply here again, because I know arguing on the internet is pointless. I won't change your minds, and there are no words that can erase my first-hand experience. I'd just like to challenge people to rethink their understanding of who it is they're actually affecting by their choices in life, be they illicit drugs, legal ones or other addictive habits.

[Werewolf]

@MamaBear Hey, you totally don't have to read this!. At all! But I really hope that you do. I just wanted to clarify a few things on my end now that I'm not on my godforsaken iPhone!
I want you to know perspective. No debate, no argument. Internet 'debates' are too hard. It's not about 'winning' or convincing someone you are right and they are wrong.
It's about presenting a well-balanced position while looking at both sides of the argument. And you seem reasonable! And hella liberal! And I really do respect you and everything you do for this forum.
I also respect your life experiences, and I really want you to know that I fucking empathize with you, dude. Legit. I'm not comparing at all but sounds like you and my mom went through similar traumas.
And again, definitely not comparing or trying to minimize what happened to you in any way. You didn't deserve the selfishness of those around you. Nobody does.
Also, forgive this incoherent rambling, 'cuz it's really all I'm very good at. At this point.
Anyway, what I'm TRYING to get at...
Your initial idiot comment really did rub me the wrong, and maybe it's that good old extreme social anxiety talking, but I won't deny I had instant thoughts of, 'oh what if she just thinks I'm just some idiot stoner now'.
Because hey, I already have done some dumb newbie shit, and gotten a couple of warnings. Maybe next time I might rub you the wrong way and this unconscious bias might come into play and I get another warning or even a ban.
I'm just being dumb, probably, but I won't lie and say that it isn't kind of a valid concern for me. At least now. I would hope you moderate impartially, but I'm still concerned.
also, to be clear on another point, I'm not 'proud' of smoking weed, it's just something I do once in a while. Just like I have a glass of white wine on Friday nights. There is pleasure in that and there's definitely nothing
wrong with anyone who finds pleasure in those things.
I wouldn't judge anyone for doing things they find pleasure in, and I guess that's where I'm getting at. I think it's unfair to judge HOW someone finds their pleasure.
Some of us find pleasure in going on bike rides. Some people find pleasure in having a glass of wine on a goddamn fancy boat. Some people find pleasure in video games and will spend countless hours grinding stupid meaningless shit on something that has no real-world impact other than getting those endorphins pumpin' and shit. But I don't judge anyone for those things! You do you! It's such an overused statement at this point, but it's so true!
And in the same vein, I would hope someone doesn't judge me for dating a transwoman. Or still being dumbly confused about my sexuality in general, even though I'm nearly fucking 30, dammit!
Still undecided. Raging lesbo, or demisexual.
BUT HO ShIT. I got off topic fast. I'll put this in spoilers so no one has to read my awkward sexual confusion. Wouldn't want to offend anyone.
ANYWAY, I agree that everything can be done in the excess. Though I also think that drugs are such a broad term, so subjective, anything that gives you pleasure can be a kind of 'drug', which can become a kind of addiction.
I like to use technology as a primary example, only because it's so subtle and insidious that most people ignore it, and it's also fairly recent in human history, which makes the long-term impacts EVEN scarier.
I believe the key is moderation. In every aspect of your life.
There are people that are capable of that. I see and talk to them every day. Successful, healthy happy people with loving families, and the occasional vice. I also think what can be defined as a drug is subjective, to a degree.
Obviously, there are hard drugs. But why do people care less about cell phone addiction than they do heroin? They have harmful impacts on different scales. I'm also not implying you don't care. Just speaking in more general terms.
Anything that gives you pleasure can potentially be a drug. Dat phat serotonin release yo!
Balanced people don't let vices consume their lives.
And there are definitely many people on this planet who clearly aren't capable of that. I won't deny that for a second. Sadly, the mentally ill are some of the most at risk, as well as minorities, for falling into the spiral of addiction.
But decriminalization goes a long way toward treating these people properly, and not just imprisoning otherwise harmless people for being addicts. Or letting them die.
Which is happening in Quebec, Canada right now. Native Americans being treated horribly, as we've treated them horribly for centuries.
A Native American woman died in a Quebec hospital while receiving medical aid. The nurses considered her 'some welfare drug addict' who deserved what she got... When in reality, the poor mother
is simply a victim of systemic racism, poverty and the near genocide of her entire people and culture.
Nurses and doctors allowed her to die by ignoring her cries for help, and how she was having a bad reaction to the drugs they were administering.
Prejudgement of anyone has never made for a better society. Nor has the war on drugs. You can prohibit something people want. JUST like abortion. People will find a way to get way they want, regardless
of legality. That's why legalization and decriminalization are important. And I truly do believe that. We need to treat addicts better. Just like we need to treat people with mental illness better, and people with disabilities.
The people most at risk though, are the ones we need to help, not condemn or judge.
I guess I just think it's a little unfair to prejudge anyone based on how they find their pleasure, ya know?
in the same way that I hope someone wouldn't judge me for my sexuality, I know you wouldn't, of course! Just being hypothetical.
Ugh just rereading this, it's all a jumbled mess of typos and grammatical errors, buuuutt I just got done a shitty 12-hour shift and I'm ready for bed. I'll edit this shit in the morning.

[LGK]

Firstly, to clarify, I think you're exaggerating my stance. "even uses a substance for any reason" is not the same as "people who turn to substance use for pleasure/escapism/whatever".

It looks like the distinction you are drawing here is that there are good reasons and bad reasons to take drugs. An espresso's worth of caffeine to jolt the senses on a sleepy morning is okay. A shot of vodka to loosen up on a Friday night is less okay. If we were to narrow the scope of the debate to that question, I'd be inclined to say (as long as the user is fully informed about the effects of the drug and is acting responsibly) there is no bad reason to take a drug.

A big problem that is closely tied to drug abuse is a lack of drug education. Young people receive an abstinence-based primer on drugs with not much nuance concerning harm reduction, safety, etc. Abusing drugs can doubtlessly have ruinous effects on personal health, family, and so on. But it seems unfair to wholly blame the user's motivations and not think about the circumstances leading up to the abuse.

I don't want to rehash the philosophy of Trainspotting entirely but to put it bluntly - life is tough. Many people live brutal lives with little to no chance at upward mobility. Even those of us who are more lucky have to deal with existential dread, unfulfillment, etc. Who would I be to judge their want for chemical pleasure / escapism? Them responsibly using a socially unacceptable drug (slot out 8 hours for a shrooms trip or an evening for a blunt) is the same as spending your time on any other vice.

That is all to say - I appreciate the personal background you gave and I see how you come to your conclusions. I also agree with your take on decriminalization and rehabilitation. I just disagree with your vice philosophy.

[empmirage]

This is a tough one. I believe in very little government control but grew up in the opoid belt and have seen quite a bit of destruction caused by them. It's kind of hard to have faith in humanity to freely use drugs. That being said--I think a lot of progress could be made with us being more open minded to psychedelic use--especially when it comes to treating addiction.

[Donatella Versace]

I don't think anyone should be able to tell me what I put in my body.

[Spohia]

I find this topic really interesting, so I thought I'd chime in with my own personal views.

What're your opinions about the Illicit Drugs like Weed, Cocaine, MDMA, LSD, Meth, Psychedelic Shrooms, Heroine, Crack, Ayahuasca and many others?
Weed is legal here (Canada), and to be completely honest I haven't noticed any difference between now and when it was illegal. My sibling is a big stoner, as is their spouse. They smoke just as much as they did when it was illegal, only now they feel less nervous doing it in a crowded campsite lol. I personally don't enjoy weed - I've tried regular thc sativa and indica, as well as shatter (synthetic weed) - I found both just made me lazy and spaced out at best, paranoid and nauseous at worst. I have also tried low THC/high CBD joints, I found these didn't make me high, just a bit more carefree I suppose? I tried it for menstrual pain/endometriosis - it didn't dull the pain so much as made me not care about the pain, if that makes sense. Unfortunately so far I've found stuff like tylenol and NSAIDs (over the counter) work best for my pain management.

I would love to try shrooms, but I doubt I ever will. I'm anxious at heart and I'd be worried about it not being a good time - which I've heard makes it more likely to not be a good time!

I haven't tried any other illicit drug, though I know people who had cocaine and MDMA issues in their early 20s. I personally didn't like how they acted when high. Can't say much on the other drugs you've listed, other than hearing from most that heroin/meth/crack et al is the really bad stuff.

Do you think every drug should be legallized? Or just some of them? Or none of them?
I'm very much for legalization of less addictive drugs, which can include weed (though I've met addicts of pot, definitely) and shrooms/ayahuasca/other hallucinogens', apparently. I do think users of ANY drug should not be treated as harshly by the justice system as they are. Addicts are not the bad guys - dealers and producers of 'bad' drugs are (by bad here I mean drugs that are tainted or impure, or cut with something like fentanyl that can cause great harm or death at low doses).

Do you consider alcoohol and nicotine as drugs? It should be illegal? Do you think alcoohol or nicotine are worst than any drugs?
Yes 1000% they are drugs. I grew up with an alcoholic father who has since quit - alcohol TRULY alters who you are when drunk, and the dependancy most people form on alcohol is horrible to see. My dad would go from funny, fun-locing guy to verbally abusive monster within a few hours.

As a previous smoker (quit in March of 2020!) I would also classify nicotine as a drug. I tried for a year to quit and it was insanely hard. I had only smoked for 4-5 years prior to this as well, so it wasn't a decade(s) long habit either. I ended up using a prescription drug to quit bcause cold turkey, patches, lozenges, etc wasn't working.

IMO they should be at the very least much more regulated than they are now, but like with my comment about illicit drugs above, production companies should face the most legal scrutiny, not addicts.

Do you believe on medicinal uses of drugs for treating some diaseases, depression? Why do you think that? You've researched about that?
I have seen CBD help my fiance's crohn's disease pain and a friend's social anxiety. I've also read very small anecdotes on microdosing psilocybin mushrooms for pain and illness treatment/general health. But I haven't done much research on anything.

Do you think decriminalize some kind of drugs would decrease traffic and violence or would be the opposite?
It would help, for sure. Dealers in my experience are the ones inciting violence, and producers of illicit drugs are the ones cutting them/mixing them with other stuff, like fentanyl as mentioned above. It's hard for me to say exactly how the effects of decriminalization would play out in my own country, as I said, legalization of weed didn't seem to make a big difference here in how many people used or anything.

Do you know someone whose has been lost by the drugs? What I mean... the person turned someone completly different from whom you knew before.
As mentioned (sorry lol, didn't go through the questions altogether beforehand!) my dad used to drink and was a terrible person when drunk. As for illicit drug use, I haven't known anyone personally that went through drug addiction to this extent (that I know of).

If you're agaisnt drugs liberation, what actions should take the law reinforcements to deal with drugs?
Not against it persay, but it needs to be done right. I don't think legalizing everything is the right way to go.

Something my city has done are supervised injection sites with medical staff on hand in case of overdose. Individuals can go in anonymously and use drugs using clean, sterilized equipment in a private environment with a nurse/EMT on hand should something happen. Pharmacies also give out naloxone kits for cases of accidental overdose. This is all more along the lines of responses to the problem though, rather than solutions. I can't say what should be done as I honestly haven't given it much thought.

[Yoon]

What're your opinions about the Illicit Drugs like Weed, Cocaine, MDMA, LSD, Meth, Psychedelic Shrooms, Heroine, Crack, Ayahuasca and many others? I know Weed is legal in some places of USA and at the Netherlands, but in general world it's illegal.

i've done just about everything you could imagine and it's left me thinking drugs are pretty missunderstood at large - a huuuge amount of damage that drugs do can be negated with harm reduction practices, but under a framework of prohibition this information is tucked away out of site, covered with a veneer of shock stories and scare tactics.

MDMA, for example, was invented by a guy alex shulgin who had a circle of close friends in various intellectual fields - authors, psychologists, etc and they would meet up to try it, and other drugs invented by him, for research purposes with usually very positive results because the drugs were done under professional supervision (literally with the guy who invented each substance). some of his therapist friends even gave mdma to clients during talk therapy, making breakthroughs due to the lowered inhibitions and general openness it provided, before the law pushed that all away. (source: Pihkal by alexander shulgin) we're only just seeing a return to looking into the true potential of illicit substances that researches have been too scared to touch for years - there's current research going on into MDMA, Ketamine, and LSD for therapeutic purposes, and from my personal experience, these substances when done 'safely' can provide alot for self development and personal insight, alongside treating addiction, breaking habits etc (psychedelics increase neuroplasticity, which allows the brain to "rewire" somewhat) it's important to remember that even amphetamines, a VERY stigmatized substance, can be life changing medicine for some people. what other substances have untapped potential? if you look at history, many.

from my personal experience, psychedelics have been a huge shaping factor in who i am today, and after about 6 years of experimenting with whatever i could get my hands on, the only times i've had negative consequences are when i've gotten slack with harm reduction practices. imo drugs are tools that can be used productively, or mishandled entirely.
unfortunately, i cant say much for heroin, coke, or meth - these substances cross the line psychedelics don't, and can cause physical harm and are addictive (weed, psychedelics, and mdma are not actually "Addictive' in a pharmacological sense, but can certainly be habit forming and psychologically addictive) opioids are very enjoyable for me, but that's why i avoid them, cokes fun, but unlike psychedelics i find myself having gained nothing the next day - no insight

i'm realizing i could literally go on forever here, so i'll stick to answering the questions from now!

What're or was your experiences with these?
i suppose i kind of answered this above - but to sum up, mostly positive
for amphetamines (have only tried this not methamphetamine) they make me super jittery and aren't my thing
for weed, its does me alot of favors and i smoke most nights for insomnia. it sure beats sleeping pills, but it can totally be a fast route to escapism if overdone. if i don't smoke until night time, i have productive well rounded days, but if i smoke in the morning the days likely gonna be a write off
for LSD, well i can't even sum up what its done for me, but i like to take some psychedelic or another every 6 months or so to keep my brain feeling fresh
mushrooms gave me the craziest trip of my life, i went to hell and back and wrote a letter to myself on the comedown - more personal insight than any therapy session has given me
DMT (main active ingredient in ayhuasca) is pretty sweet too, but i've still found more profundity in mushrooms, i suppose due to the longer length of effects. a sub breakthrough dose of DMT every now and then is enough to keep me in love with the world and keep seeing it with fresh eyes

Do you think every drug should be legalized?
not necessarily - it would be a shame to see large corporations profiting off of psychedelics, something that should always be free or very cheap. I see them as something that should be a right, not something that should be capitalized upon. im pro decriminalization of course

Do you consider alcohol and nicotine as drugs? It should be illegal? Do you think alcoohol or nicotine are worst than any drugs? If you feel like posting data, I personally would appreciate!
absolutely, it effects your receptors - the book food of the god makes a pretty compelling case for even sugar and spices being drugs - i absolutely agree with sugar. it just gets pretty hard to define a drug when you get down to brass tacks? something that is outside of your body that you consume which releases dopamine? sounds about right, but that includes tv!

Do you believe on medicinal uses of drugs for treating some diseases, depression? Why do you think that? You've researched about that?
absolutely - every used medicine is already a drug! it's just that when drugs also happen to have fun side effects they get prohibited rather than researched
look into the Auckland university micro dosing trails.
i briefly mentioned nueroplasticity above - imagine your brains play dough. as a kid, you have an abundance of neuroplasiticy - the playdoughs fresh, this is why kids learn so much faster than adults. as you get older, you live your day to day life, adopt your day to day habits, and your brain trods the same neural pathways over and over and the playdough becomes firmer and more stuck in its way. increasing neuroplasticity is like adding some water to it, it becomes more malleable - a more malleable brain can allow people to process trauma, learn new habits easier, change old ones, and overall "refresh" the brain a little. a CRT scan of both a childs brain and an adults brain shows a similar range of neural pathways, with a sober adult brain having far less.
this is in my mind the double edged sword of psychedelics - it's what can make you go "hold on, do i even like cigarettes?" halfway through a trip, but the same reason someone might suddenly think they can fly. (source: how to change your mind by Micheal pollen. and for further reading on neuroplasticy and trauma, check out "the body keeps the score"

Do you think decriminalize some kind of drugs would decrease traffic and violence or would be the opposite?
it would decrease traffic and violence for sure
lets look at heroin, before heroin was outlawed in England back in the day, opium was widely used and to little ill effect, prohibition meant that importing opium was hopeless - it was too bulky to smuggle for value for money, so traffickers had to start importing stronger stuff, in smaller batches to not get caught. this is still true today, and i see the new kratom tend as almost full circle for opioid use (source: opium for the masses by jim hogshire)
in terms of violence, well most drug related violence is coming from dealers - if these people we're on a public register as a licensed weed dealer for example, they'd be much less likely to pull a gun for a pound - my source on this is pure personal experience, i couldn't count on all fingers and toes the accounts of drug related violence i've been aware of, and almost all have been deals gone wrong type situations. obviously people on drugs can get violent, but i believe hard reduction around dosage and usage can hugely mitigate this

Do you know someone whose has been lost by the drugs? What I mean... the person turned someone completely different from whom you knew before
surprisingly, not many. most of my friends are regular users of weed and occasionally psychedelics and other stuff, but we've all been living normal productive lives since we began, of course theres a patch here and there were some of us smoke too much, but when you're sensible about things it doesn't tend to go too far. i see drug abuse as reactionary to environment, things really get out of hand when they provide escapism from an unhappy life situation - look into the rat park experiment.
two cages of rats were set up, with one being a rat paradise and the other being the opposite - both groups were offered both regular sugarwater and that with morphine in it, and the rats in the "unhappy" cage were far, far, more likely to abuse the morphine, which obviously has some implications about society and which kinds of socio-economic situations make people more prone to addiction

If you're against drugs liberation, what actions should take the law reinforcements to deal with drugs?
a entirely harm reduction based approach should be adopted by law enforcement - if someones freaking out on drugs in public and not necessarily breaking other laws or under medical duress, they should be taken to a safe cosy place to sober up and have the option of talking to a drug counselor in the future. a bit of a pipe dream when the mental health system is already so strained lol but hey we can dream

and thats a veeery long post. drugs are somewhat my main area of interest. if anyone would like harm reduction advice etc feel free to chuck me a pm
lastly, i highly recommend Micheal Pollans "How to change your mind" for a no bullshit modern history of psychedelics

[datalore]

What're your opinions about the Illicit Drugs like Weed, Cocaine, MDMA, LSD, Meth, Psychedelic Shrooms, Heroine, Crack, Ayahuasca and many others? I know Weed is legal in some places of USA and at the Netherlands, but in general world it's illegal.

* Love them: MDMA, Shrooms, Ayahuasca (different story though)
* Like them: LSD, Weed
* Never want to try them: Cocaine, Meth, Heroine, Crack

What're or was your experiences with these?

Kinda answered above based on how much I like them lol.

Do you think every drug should be legallized? Or just some of them? Or none of them?

This is difficult because I think most people who are pro-legalization want them all to be legal. I'd be happy to have the ones I love/like legalized and not the other ones, because I personally think they're more harmful, although that will always come down to personal judgement... Honestly, they should probably all be legalized or at least decriminalized, but we need much better public support systems to deal with addiction, etc (like in the Netherlands)

Do you consider alcoohol and nicotine as drugs? It should be illegal? Do you think alcoohol or nicotine are worst than any drugs? If you feel like posting data, I personally would appreciate!

Yes I think they're drugs, but I don't think they should be illegal. I think alcohol is worse than multiple drugs based solely on how much harm it consistently causes through addictions (ie I think it's worse than non-physically-addictive drugs). Nicotine seems to mostly harm the user and not as much people around them in the same violent ways that Alcohol does, so I'm personally less inclined to think of it as bad.

Do you believe on medicinal uses of drugs for treating some diaseases, depression? Why do you think that? You've researched about that?

Yes! I'm actually really interested in the use of Ketamine to treat depression, and I'm all for safe and therapeutical settings to experience other drugs as well, particularly MDMA/LSD/Mushrooms.

Do you think decriminalize some kind of drugs would decrease traffic and violence or would be the opposite?

Yes and I think there's enough data to support that as well.

Do you know someone whose has been lost by the drugs? What I mean... the person turned someone completly different from whom you knew before.

Yes but not anyone I'm close with. I'm married to a recovering alcoholic though but I've only known him since he's been sober.

If you're agaisnt drugs liberation, what actions should take the law reinforcements to deal with drugs?
I'm in favor of it... We don't need to put more people in jails especially not for personal use of drugs.