American Drug War -- CIA Involvement in Drug Trade Yadda Yadda

The average drug dealers DOES NOT PAY ATTENTION. They don't give a shit, they don't fucking care. Alright?

If you want to talk about the larger politics of the trade, the big-time wholesalers and the traffickers -- yeah, they probably care. They probably care SO MUCH that they're willing to give a hefty cut to the U.S. Government, which is why it is not...gasp.... legalized.

On the street level? No one gives a shit. They're selling drugs, the users are using the drugs -- life is good. What happened in the news? They don't know.

As far as users? I was talking about this same issue to a friend of mine the other day. This friend, who still uses blow occassionally and who I have done quite a bit of drugs with over the years, said that he would hate for drugs to be legalized. Although he realizes that it would be for the better, he admitted that... yeah... he wouldn't be able to get as much as he wants, whenever he wants and the potency would be reduced -- he's not even a HEAVY user!

The heavy, heavy losers would all be going into withdrawel at once if drugs were legalized -- you better believe they'll be angry. They won't be able to go and buy an 8 ball of coke or smack every two days. No, more like (I would imagine in a legal sense) they would only be able to buy two or three grams of coke or blow a week.

An 8 ball is 3 1/2 grams. Heavy users will eat that up in about 2 days. Imagine making them do less-potent stuff at the rate of only 3 grams a week max, and having to pay more money per-G.

Come on, give me a break. It's they're worst fucking nightmare.

Now, if you want to talk about the average pot smoker? Yeah, it would be fine for them.

Yet, the dealers, even on the lowest of the low level, would all hate it. They don't have any easy way to make money. They're done. They have to get a real job now, start paying taxes, which will be difficult for a lot of them, since many are most likely ex-cons.

Look, I saw a video, thought it was interesting. I had a thought, the thought was about my old days deep in the drug-scene. So, I thought "hey, wonder what the SG folks think". I came over here, I wrote some quick thoughts down, asked what other people think, and posted the video that spurned the thought.

Nothing is fucking regurgitated. This isn't a fucking piece of writing. It is a goddamn ramble -- it is just some thoughts.

For christ's sake, please insult me when I actually decide to post something here that I consider an article. This isn't anything.

If I'm going to write an article trying to prove a point, then I do the research, I check my facts. It's why i'm a published magazine writer. It is why I've been published in Paste, it's why I'm on staff with a large industry-only Atlanta music publication, it's why I was requested to write a feature for a goddamned Polo (sport) magazine in South Africa.

What I post here are just thoughts for discussion.

However, when I post something with some brief thoughts and leave it open ended on what I perceived to be a discussion forum, then I'm obviously not spending a great deal of time going out and doing hours of research. That's why it's left up to discussion.

If/when I ever post a professional article on here, you'll know it.

The special "Hooked: Illegal Drugs and How They Got That Way." on the history channel (DVDs are available) did a great job talking about issues brought up in that article.

Um, I didn't read much of this thread, but it seems like the perfect opportunity to pimp one of my favorite professors of all time: Alfred W. McCoy. His class blew my mind and he taught me many valuable, um, skills; nobody knows better how to disappear and/or keep his head down.

"I favor regulation because if cocaine and heroin are commodities let's deal with them as such. You don't repress commodities, you regulate them."

The marijuana illegalization concerning Latinos was literally an attempt to demonize them to shift public opinion so people would push for their deportation -- interesting fact.

There is a lot more that goes into this stuff, though. For example, Harry Anslinger and the Marijuana Tax Stamp and also the crazy propaganda like Reefer Madness and Coke Fiends.

I've spent many, many hours researching the history of drugs, legalization and so on. It's a really interesting subject.

It's just crazy, the reasons for illegalization. Another obscure example is Absinthe. Absinthe became incredibly popular when the vineyards were being destroyed and wine was scarce. In an attempt to repair the wine industry, propaganda by the wine distributors began being thrust out, such as "Absinthe kills!! Drink wine!!" -- shit like that. Then, next thing you know, most of Europe illegalizes it.

Yeah, but nothing has changed. Just because an issue was relevant in the 80's doesn't mean it isn't so now.

And lumping High Times in with Rolling Stone is just stupid. I remember P.J. O'Rourke and William Greider blowing shit out of the water in Stone long before I ever subscribed to the The Nation, New Yorker or The Atlantic.

Check your facts

You aren't correct

Oxyconton abuse is beating street drug use in a lot of states

That rational is just insane.

There would still be a black market for drugs. Not because they are illegal, but because they are taxed and expensive.

Guns and alcohol still remain a commodity in the black market. Guns and alcohol are legal. But the black market can sell them for one half, or third of the cost. You simply trade the "safety" of buying a clean gun that hasn't murdered a bus full of nuns, or alcohol that won't make you blind after one sip.

The black market doesn't exist entirely because things are illegal or legal, it exists partially to avoid taxation from the government. It's cigarettes now. Still rather cheap here as compared to Canada, people were getting snatched left and right buying 80 cartons of cigarettes over here, taking them across the border to Canada and selling them.

Much like senior citizens were caught buying prescription drugs in Canada and bringing them back to the United States. It was money that was driving them do it, or the lack there of.

Much like a true addict, an addict would sell his kidney for another hit of coke. I've seen girls pretty much prostitute themselves for coke. There were no worries of morals, or worries of money, she was doing what she needed to do to continue to feed her addiction.

I read the rest of your reply, but i think you were just typing to see yourself type. It didn't really make a whole lot of sense to me, because i don't think you truly understand addiction. I also don't think you understand money. In your world it makes it sound like college students prefer to eat Noodles on a daily basis. Like they wouldn't prefer a steak for the cost of those noodles.

If a college kid smoking pot could run to the store and buy a joint for 6 bucks, or run to his friends place and buy that same joint for 3 bucks, who do you think he is going to go to? The theory runs the same when it comes to other types of drugs. If a person can go to the store, and buy a gram of coke for $10, but knows someone who can get it for $5, who do you think he is going to go to?

I smoke cigarettes, i go to the store to buy them, they are about $4.50 a pack. If i found someone selling the same cigarettes for $1.50 a pack, why should i continue to spend that extra $3 a pack?

*disclaimer*: i am not saying all college kids smoke pot.

That's a pretty excellent read. I was actually just reading a lot of stuff on that site. There pushing education rather than punishment, and i think that's a damn good start.

Seriously, people. It's blather and nonsense. It's not worth your time.

The only, and I do mean the ONLY way that legalization would work is if the government simply confiscated the drugs and gave them away to users for free to whoever wanted them. Dealers can't make money if someone else is giving it away for free.

However thats never going to happen so we might as well just accept that drugs r bad Mkay.

I love that one, damn good show.

Yeah, it'd be nice if people stopped responding to this guy's retarded posts.

Especially bullshit like this ("I saw the underbelly of New Orleans back before Katrina" Um, dude: You were what, 18? Wow, I bet you were totally "down" with the "scene" as the kids say).

People usually don't so much post replies as burn his articles with facts and feast on his mistakes like a pack of ravenous pirahnas.

Sometimes a discussion erupts on the same issue as his article, but not about his article.

Well, I suppose I'll do everyone a great big favor and refrain from posting on here. Although I do think some very intelligent discussion was made on this thread.

I want to restate that this isn't an article. With that typed, I will also say that the "burning [my] articles with facts] statement is something that I, of course, do not agree with.

Quite honestly, I'm blown away with the personalities here. I get flack, but no real desire for intelligent debate. On this thread, for example, I outrightly ask for people's take. I get a good bit of great opinions, then I start getting bashed once again for my comments on the drug trade.

I look at other threads, all I see are "witty" comments with no substance either (primarily). Yeesh.

Is it not enough to have lived it? Is it not enough to have literally been there, done that in every way you can imagine? People watch movies about this shit -- I was there for over three years -- somehow I'm the dumbass.

Perhaps it's my age, as PointBlank mentioned? Never mind the fact that I typically see 7-year-olds starting out as look-outs in the drug trade, by 10-years-old they're pushing the shit.

Of course no 18-year-old could have possibly lived much harder and faster than is natural in the Crescent City.

I started drinking in bars at 15, I was selling drugs and doing them at 17. I traveled throughout the United States and have hit almost all lower continental states from east to west by 20. Participating in orgies, striking deals with cops. No, none of that could POSSIBLY warrant my opinion spurned from personal experience as valid. Of course.... who that have commented on this thread did this? Just curious.

This is the Internet, and I don't get too choked up about it at all in real life nonetheless here. However, It's hard for me to fathom the amount of elitism, statistic-ruled logic and snob-like attitudes present.

If I have any kind of prideful countenance showing through here, it's because I worked damn hard to deserve it. I don't dream up over-opinionated masturbations.

On the contrary, I work with a multitude of organizations such as InnocenceAtlanta.org whom I've traveled with to over 20 foreign countries -- not the kind with running water either -- helping to expose important things like child sex trafficking. I've managed to make a living at 21, with no college education, as a work-at-home writer and will soon be published in the Atlantic Monthly. These among other things.

I don't say this to toot my own horn, however I do use it as an example. If I get pissed about being dogged by a bunch of folks that I don't think have been anywhere near the shit that I've been near, then it just sort of pulls my trigger.

In any case -- last post. Horray. I just wanted to clarify some of that, though. To me, it's unsettling. It's a let-down.

OK . Bash away.

Anyone laying odds?

Ironically I wasn´t insulting you, merely noting that your pieces are rarely quoted and often the way any of your posts is attacked reminds me of pirahnas because of how many people eat away at you.

So William_Mac do you consider yourself an addict now?