LEGALIZE METH!!!

[Moloch]

No, not really.... It just makes me sick that people are focused and spend all their resources on marijuana when meth and other really harmful drugs are being used at epidemic proportions.

[Downtown Hound]

1. Legalize weed...

medicalize harder drugs. Do what they do in Switzerland where if you're an addict you can get it from a legally recognized distributor. That way you don't push addicts into the criminal realm, they can get the help they need, and you don't clog prisons with non-violent drug offenders.

[mrbassman03]

2. Yes, because marijuana is relatively harmless...

I really don't get what you are trying to prove... that we should spend money on drug prevention? Because there are plenty of groups out that there that are focused on that. Why should a pro-marijuana group even talk about other drugs?

[ret5hd]

3. meth, ecstacy, cocaine, crack, acid,heroin...

there is ALWAYS an epidemic, civilization is about to fall, 8 year olds hooked for life...yet, strangely, the percentage of people who do illegal drugs always stays about the same. Addiction levels stay about the same.

yes,some drugs are truly destructive and dangerous. but, like a fad, the popularity of any particular drug will rise, then fall, then be resurrected again by the media and government to stoke our fears.

[Warpy]

4. Maybe if the more benign drugs were legal

people wouldn't be driven to use bathtub drugs like meth. It's not a good drug. It's in the category with PCP. People who insist on using it generally act as object lessons for the majority to stay away from it, if there is another option available.

Grass is being focused on because it's the closest thing to a harmless psychoactive drug that we know. Yes, people can run into trouble with heavy use. No, it is not addictive.

Even opiates are kinder to body systems than the legal drugs nicotine and ethanol.

The current prohibition makes no sense, is unconstitutional, has been the cause for the destruction of our fourth amendment rights, is ruinously expensive, has made us enemies worldwide as we interfere in other countries, and causes more problems for addicts than the drugs themselves do.

Just legalize it all, spend the money we now squander on international interdiction and the imprisonment of peaceful drug users to fund rehab for those people who run into trouble.

The present system doesn't work.

[thegreatwildebeest]

8. Actually..

people wouldn't be driven to use bathtub drugs like meth. It's not a good drug. It's in the category with PCP. People who insist on using it generally act as object lessons for the majority to stay away from it, if there is another option available.

This assertion is absurd, as a person whose has used meth myself. Meth as well as aphentamines, and the chemically similar Adderol, basically keep you up for days at a time. They increase blood pressure/heart rate, cause profused sweating, an aching feeling due to overuse without rest of your body, dehydration, and also extreme nervousness and skittishness.

PCP (or angel dust) on the other hand, is a whole 'nother ballpark. It is a hallucinogen, and an incredibly potent one at that. Like Datura, PCP has an incredibly long up time, and a complete and utter disconnect from reality at almost all dosages. PCP is almost regarded by anyone as a drug one never does, and certainly very few adopt an addiction to it.

Even opiates are kinder to body systems than the legal drugs nicotine and ethanol.

Actually nicotine is not particuarly harmful to the body. It's addicting yes, and it does create a change in brain chemistry and acelerates heartrate/blood pressure. But most of the damage comes from the cigarette smoke, not the nicotine itself. Alcohol is also very damaging. But more than opiates? Opiates are incredibly addictive and are incredibly damaging to the nervous system, as well as causing constipation, stomach problems, and atrophy of muscles.

[BBradley]

11. PCP is a dissociative not a hallucinogen, Meth is a stimulant.

Two different effects on the body and mind.

[nephalim]

13. Quite a misrepresentation.

But more than opiates? Opiates are incredibly addictive

Nicotine is more addictive than heroin.

and are incredibly damaging to the nervous system,

No. Not unless you count addiction as 'damaging to the nervous system.' In which case nicotine is more so.

as well as causing constipation,

So what? That's not some serious health effect.

stomach problems,

Nope. Not unless you count nausea amongst naive users.

and atrophy of muscles.

Where in gods name did you hear that? It's false.

Opiates have no serious proven long-term health effects. Two of the only side effects that don't disappear are constipation (easily solved with laxatives and/or stool softeners) and sexual disfunction.

Nicotine, on the other hand, directly raises blood pressure and the likelyhood of heart attacks. Opiates DO lower the seizure threshold, however, but not enough to induce seizures in those who aren't epileptic.


You people in these arguements against legalizing hard drugs take principle over practicality and reason. The point is that prohibition does more harm than good, and on top of that that prohibition doesn't even necessarily lower drug use. That has yet to be proven. In fact, where they decriminalized use and allowed for legal outlets, hard drug use plummetted.

But the end-all is that prohibition does more harm than good. Period. It greatly increases the harm done by drugs, and inflicts numerous harms upon society. Keeping it in place is taking principle over reason. See my current diary, http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/2/6/05124/67978, for more information. Actually, I am thinking of cross-posting it since it didn't get much noise over at DKos - it doesn't say all that much that isn't a given. Yet people tend to forget it when getting into a conversation about drug legalization.

[realisticphish]

5. agreed

look at a meth lab... a medium sized one could destroy a LOT of buildings if it went up. and what the hell could happen if a weed grower blew up?


:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat

[Maurkov]

7. Why would anyone make their own meth?

If it were legal, there's no way an individual could make it cost effectively. Big pharma could produce it for a fraction of the retail price of the precursers. No sane person would use bathtub meth when they could buy it from a reputable source. But then, if meth were legal, I don't image very many people would use it because there are better drugs.

To answer your question, a weed grower could just as easily burn down an appartment building if he screws up his grow light setup. Neither scenario is likely enough to justify specific prior restraint.

[SweetLeftFoot]

6. Meth is sort of legal

Doctors can prescribe dexadrine - which is effectively oure meth.

[thegreatwildebeest]

9. Similar, but not the same..

Dexadrine is in the same class of dextro-amphetamine based drugs like Adderall (though NOT Ritalin, which has a amphetamine backbone, but is comparitively more complex), but is comparitively purer to Adderall, which has other things thrown in to balance things out. Unlike meth-aphetamines, however, your body breaks down dextro-amphetamines faster, leading to a quite shorter time span of alertness in comparison to methaphetamine.

[BBradley]

10. Doctors can prescribe Desoxyn. Which is Methamphetamine.

[waz_nc]

12. Do they still make Desoxyn?

I haven't seen any of that in almost 30 years. I didn't know they still made that.

[Needtodosomething]

14. on legalizing drugs

I realize that marijuana is the most commonly called for "legalization" drug. Other substances have too many painful side effects. However, it is an established fact, through the government's own ill timed studies, that most if not all of the worst effects and deaths are caused by the drugs being illegal. Legalize, offer treatment, and regulate. Your local drugstore couldn't sell the "laced" drugs like sold in the cities as they would face criminal charges and GREAT civil liability. Buy from the local street dealer and you are taking your life in your own hands. The Constitution of the United States says NOTHING about regulating actions that cause the user alone to be harmed. If drugs were legal they would be far cheaper. Hence eliminating the argument about how people steal to get their fix. Give the average man a chance to buy his drug using revenue from just a part time job, offer him treatment for his addiction and many problems will be solved. It is that simple.

[WhatHappenedToTheGOP]

19. War on Drugs

The WOD is causing more harm to society than the drugs. Why can't the average Joe see this? Or is there some out there making huge amounts of money keeping some drugs illegal? After all, the entire piss test industry has been created because of prohibition.

[Sugarbleus]

15. QESTION about Meth....Help!

I'm raising my teenage grandson. He has been a pot smoker for a few years. I told him it wasn't good that he used it SO MUCH as he'd need to be clear headed for school AND clean for piss tests given for employment positions. We don't worry so much about pot in the long run..but you get the picture.

NOW, however we have suspicions he has moved into harder substances and it isn't pretty. We are worried and a bit frightened. It's been many moons since we were young and running amok. Times have changed a bit; it's harder to tell when someone is using as the technique is a bit different. We KNOW by his behavior and his appearance that he IS doing something harder.

I wonder if anyone in here has any knowledge about the paraphenalia, habits, and types of drugs plus usage techniques the kids are involved with today???

We've noticed (on and off) that our kid has lost his ENORMOUS appetite. He gets moody and aggitated every so often (he goes on "runs" of this type of behavior then it stops). His personal hygeine went downhill: unbrushed teeth, no showers, stained clothing, dirtier than normal room, red eyes with dark circles.

I smoke so I buy lighters in multi packs. I'd open them, then they'd pretty much disappear in a few days. We are constantly "losing" lighters. Then I commented one day: what is happening to all my new ink pens....... several weeks later I found the inside part of the ink pen/the ball point w/ink in my bathroom waste basket ALONE. I noticed some days later a hole poked out in the top of one of my clear BIC pens with teeth marks at the ball point tip.

Next, I found a spoon on the floor inside the doorway of our bathroom. I looked at it and it was obviously bent with a "pooled stain" in it and a burn mark on the bottom. Hubby said he'd found a spoon in bathroom some days earlier but didn't examine it. I kept that spoon to show to someone. I've noticed a few more bent spoons in my kitchen sink with no other oddities (washed clean or?)

I went to peel some veggies( I rarely cook ) a few days ago and both of my paring knives were gone, along with a long, narrow bladed fish knife.

The boys recovering mother says she thinks he is doing meth. Some of the paraphenalia looks familiar but some of it has her stumped.

I talked to him one night and told him I hoped he wasn't using heavy substances. Told him it was worrying me and breaking my heart. I told him I hoped that whatever he was doing he would be able to stop it now. We've talked before about addictions et al. I didn't press him for more info; I and his mother just let him know that WE KNOW he is up to something and let HIM worry about what we may do about it.

His mother and I discussed the probable cause for why at nearly 17 he hasn't found and kept a job yet. He may be too lazy, but more likely he may be too toxic to pass a drug test....hmmm! I put that scenario to the boy also. He blushed.

I've been watching that show: "Intervention" to see if I can get a glimpse of what this kid may be into before I pounce. I also watched the court TV channel where they discussed Meth epidemics and showed a tiny clip of HOW the people "use" the substance. Some of that looked pretty darn close to what I'm finding around this house.

I saw a quickie where someone was using a cylinder type thing to breath in the smoke from a heated meth out of a piece of foil. I also saw a quickie of someone using a spoon to either do the same or mainline it. I need some answers...

What do any of the informed of you think of this? Thank you in advance.. If there is a site I can go to to help me get a better idea of what might be happening, please let me know. :hug: SB

[Pepperbelly]

16. spoons commonly used to cook a mixture of whatever ...

liquifying it for injections. Mixed with water and heated til whatever disolves, then draw it back through a cotton wad or cigarette filter to cleanse the chunks of whatever.

As to what it might be, I have no way of knowing. Meth can be hit but so can cocaine and heroin. So can barbs, most narcotic painkillers, and other things as well, I'm sure.

[Sugarbleus]

17. Thanks for replying... I VERY much appreciate it.

After I posted I searched the net. Found a site called crystalrecovery.com Wow, it's full of info and a bit graphic. My hunch is that the kid is using crystal meth, based on the info I gleaned from the site. All the indicators seem to fit, unfortunately.

Many thanks again...:hug:

[RegexReader]

18. one of the things tweakers do is

take things apart. Does he have a pile of disassembled radios && clocks?

If so, then it is meth. But the signs that you're describing could be either heroin or meth. More like heroin with the spoons.

Regardless, it is time now for professional help.

RegexReader
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