Colombia Is Considering Legalizing Its Massive Cocaine Industry

Nothing good has ever come from making drugs illegal

Its been forced on us this idea if drugs where legal everyone would start doing them but thats really not the case some people are addicts most are not the legal status wont change who is and who is not

originally posted by: network dude

And that's wonderful. I've always been told that coc aine is very addictive and hard not to do. I've seen friends who got into it, soon moved to selling to finance their habit, then crashed and burned. I chose not to try it so I wouldn't have any idea if it was any good. And amazingly enough, I don't crave it at all.

I'm not against drugs if that's what folks want to do, but when they are destructive ones, I think it's dangerous to portray them as less than harmful. There is a big difference between this one, and some others. It seems the one's that occur naturally are less likely to be damaging. nature for the win.

Typically the number of addictions go down, so making drugs illegal really doesn't stop anything, but it puts people in jail for only using which greatly compounds a person's life in a downward spiral that never ends. Addiction is also based on the person, just like drinking doesn't lead to everyone being an alcoholic even though they may drink their whole lives.

If we look at Pot in WA or OR where I live some people smoke too much but most smoke in a reasonable way like most drink in a reasonable way. Drugs like meth, crack, heroin and even coke are not only addicting but very bad health wise, but most people just do not want to use them in the first place. Coke is the most common and extremely expensive and that is what wipes people's careers, I seen it too. People spending 5k a week on coke is not good, where you can spend 20 bucks a week on pot. I know people who use coke a few times a month and not 10 lines a day, so I think that is more like comparing a alcoholic to a typical drinker.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

But it does f*** up your mind and your morals.

a reply to: Xtrozero

One of the rich girls in high school had access, so I partook a few times, never really saw the appeal. Then again I have tried just about everything under the sun with only a couple of exceptions, and for the most part it was experimentation with new things. There were a couple of things that I did regularly for a few years, however this was a 1-2 times a week thing and generally at a party or in a club setting. It's been 20 years since then, and haven't had the desire to pick any of it back up. It really is the difference between an addict and someone who has a few drinks when out with friends or special occasions.

originally posted by: 19Bones79
But it does f*** up your mind and your morals.

How does it effect your morals? It's not a de-inhibitor.

originally posted by: Hypntick

One of the rich girls in high school had access, so I partook a few times, never really saw the appeal. Then again I have tried just about everything under the sun with only a couple of exceptions, and for the most part it was experimentation with new things. There were a couple of things that I did regularly for a few years, however this was a 1-2 times a week thing and generally at a party or in a club setting. It's been 20 years since then, and haven't had the desire to pick any of it back up. It really is the difference between an addict and someone who has a few drinks when out with friends or special occasions.

My initial education is in psychology and it is very understood that 90% of addiction is environment based. Remove a person from the environment and their addiction goes away. Vietnam gave us a unique real time behavioral study with Heroin where they found that 90% of people who used it before they went to Vietnam and used it there came back home and continued to use it, where 90% of the people who started to use it first over there came back home and stopped using it. The problem is it is hard many times to get someone out of the environment that supports the addiction. With you, you moved on in life from the parties and or School and the shift was natural.

a reply to: dug88

Here's an interesting take from an article from 3 years ago, interviewing a certain relative of a certain Escobar.

"Answering questions from El Mundo in a recent interview — of many, pertaining to his new autobiographical book, “Pablo Escobar In Fraganti” — Marroquín provided the answer nations like Portugal found most effective in quashing the long-troubled drug war.
‘Is ending the war on drugs possible someday?’ El Mundo’s Hugo Sáenz asked.
‘The day [drugs] are legalized and regulated,’ Marroquín replied.
Asked whether Marroquín, himself, would be in favor of — assumedly — blanket legalization, the drug lord’s son offered a somewhat surprising, yet reasoned, response.
‘I am in favor of regulation,’ Marroquín explained, because ‘for me, drugs are already legal. They can reach any location, unimpeded.’ "

Source: thefreethoughtproject.com...

I think he may be right. It may end a lot of things.
But there will be a pivot to something else more sinister I bet for those standing to lose the most.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Psychosis.

a reply to: 19Bones79

Yeah, that's not exactly from recreational use. To get to that point you'll also be able to put a peanut M&M through your septum.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Recreational use is where it starts, it almost never stays there.

originally posted by: 19Bones79
Recreational use is where it starts, it almost never stays there.

Sure.

Cite some statistics.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Im speaking from a position as someone who saw firsthand what it did to someone. Go find your own statistics.

originally posted by: 19Bones79
Im speaking from a position as someone who saw firsthand what it did to someone. Go find your own statistics.

Anecdotal stories don't cut it, bruh.

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: underwerks
a reply to: dug88

Round trip tickets are less than $400 right now.

YEA! If they legalize it, you will no longer have to worry about the negative side effects like addiction and death!
Sounds like a win!

So as long as it is endorsed by an activist...
...with a sign...
...and crayons...

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Whatever

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: 19Bones79
But it does f*** up your mind and your morals.

How does it effect your morals? It's not a de-inhibitor.

I’ve personally seen people’s morals go right out the window due to the effects of coc aine. The stories of people selling out their own children for another hit of crack are numerous, sad but true. Morals what morals? Addicts will flush their morals down the drain at the drop of a hat. Cocaine controls you, you don’t control it. Sure, some can use it recreationally and be okay but others not so much. Don’t ask me how I know.

originally posted by: mtnshredder
I’ve personally seen people’s morals go right out the window due to the effects of coc aine. The stories of people selling out their own children for another hit of crack are numerous, sad but true.

Crack and coc aine are not the same thing. It's like comparing heroin and synthetic opioids.

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: Xtrozero

originally posted by: network dude

YEA! If they legalize it, you will no longer have to worry about the negative side effects like addiction and death!
Sounds like a win!

Countries that have legalized drugs saw significant drop in crime and addiction. With clean drugs and open programs to support abuse it ends up being better overall.

And that's wonderful. I've always been told that coc aine is very addictive and hard not to do. I've seen friends who got into it, soon moved to selling to finance their habit, then crashed and burned. I chose not to try it so I wouldn't have any idea if it was any good. And amazingly enough, I don't crave it at all.

I'm not against drugs if that's what folks want to do, but when they are destructive ones, I think it's dangerous to portray them as less than harmful. There is a big difference between this one, and some others. It seems the one's that occur naturally are less likely to be damaging. nature for the win.

As a South Floridian, I know/have known MANY users. I’m certainly no stranger to it myself. I know a HELL of a lot more casual users than addicts. I mean a staggering difference, like 1 addict to 75-100 casual users over the last 20 years. Hell, back in my early 20’s, I went a good 6 months where I had it in my pocket every day and used it throughout the day then one day just stopped without an issue. It’s definitely nothing like opiates, where you can take one tiny pill and feel GREAT for 5-6 hours straight. It’s almost a pain in the ass unless you’re in a setting where you can bust it out freely to use, if not, you’re making a lot of trips to the bathroom.

I’m all for legalizing drugs across the board. Not for my own entertainment (well, maybe a little) but it’s just a useless war. That stuff is so readily available down here that even if it were made legal, there wouldn’t be a rise in users because anyone who wants to use it can already do so easily.

The only drugs we need to be concerned about are getting pushed by doctors, which is how the majority of opiate addicts get hooked to begin with.

I support legalization.

Legalizing it would get rid of a lot of the ancillary crime associated with addiction. Crackheads wouldn't need to steal and rob to get money to get a high. In addition, a lot of the gang violence would be curtailed as well as dealers would no longer need to fight over territory.

The greatest TV show ever made, The Wire explored legalization in it's second season. A police captain tired of policing the drug gangs allowed them to sell legally in a few blocks they called Hamsterdam to help cut down on the associated violence.



All the money we spend on enforcement could be better directed to rehabs and helping these people turn their lives around.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: mtnshredder
I’ve personally seen people’s morals go right out the window due to the effects of coc aine. The stories of people selling out their own children for another hit of crack are numerous, sad but true.

Crack and coc aine are not the same thing. It's like comparing heroin and synthetic opioids.

Wrong, they are the exact same, just a different way of getting it into your system. I’ve seen the exact same behavioral traits with people that only put it up their nose. I’ve been involved with addicts and recovering addicts for about 35 years, this is a topic I unfortunately know all to well. I’ve been to the funerals and have seen families life’s completely devastated and destroyed by coc aine. They weren’t all smoking the #.

There are no pharmacological differences between powder coc aine and crack coc aine. This means that, chemically, they are nearly identical and hence, produce similar results. However, there is a difference in the way that the drugs are taken. Powder coc aine is snorted, injected or swallowed, while crack coc aine is smoked.