In the loop?

[Sasperella]

On 11/7/2018 at 4:45 PM, hfuhruhurr said:

ok, honest question, and please excuse my ignorance and feel free to educate me!

These substances are illegal (and I agree with all that's said on legalisation), therefore you need to buy from criminals (by definition). The media and police report that  the supply chain of drugs involves all manner of criminal activity (re: county lines, stabbings, prostitution, trafficking etc). Whether as bad as reported and as linked as reported I don't know, so again let me know.

But, does that side of things impact your indulgence in drug culture? I've never quite reconciled that and would be interested in your thoughts.

With cocaine I think this is certainly a factor to some degree. I know countless virtuous veggies, who buy organic, wear ethically sourced clothes etc but love a good dabble in the old cocaine. The links between the international cocaine trade and prostitution, human trafficking, escalating levels of gang violence in Latin America etc etc are grim. I asked one of them why she wouldn't buy clothes sourced in Bangladesh yet was perfectly happy snorting cocaine. She said it was because there wasn't an available alternative to coke....

Now, as @mashedonmud has pointed out, obviously the problem here is that drug aren't legal, and as a result the war on drugs fucks the people at the bottom the hardest. But, personally, I would find it difficult to reconcile continuing to take the drug (if I was that way inclined) whilst being aware of those links....More so than other drugs, which tbf is probably just as illogical as my friend's stance on coke, but I do feel that with MDMA/pills/speed/things unwittingly being spice, the real risk is to the user and while this still means that absolutely we need things like The Loop etc until the fucking Government get the shit together, I guess it has less hideously unethical implications if one keeps taking them until that happens

 

[Tdiz]

The loop do fantastic work, yes drugs are illegal but that does not stop people. We should be investing in more harm reduction and education in this country. Would be great to see them at Glastonbury as this would create even more awareness, the government needs to open up to have a more open and honest debate about drugs policy rather than following the same old party line.

As at the moment our drugs policies are causing more harm to the people they are set out to protect and giving huge sums of money to really nasty people.

If anyone is interested,  they should check out the Stop and Search podcast always an insightful look at the war on drugs and drugs policy in the UK. Always a great range of guests and topics. 

I see chasing the scream has been recommended previously, again anyone wanting to know about the history of the war on drugs can't recommend this book enough.

In addition people should also check out Good Cop Bad War by Neil Woods about his time as an undercover police officer and how it changed his perception on the drug war.

 

 

[Sasperella]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/08/testing-drugs-festivals-lifesaver-study No surprises there, except maybe the crazy shit they pass off as MDMA or cut with!

[dccool]

1 in 5 samples not as described by the dealer!! Jesus that's a high percentage way more than I'd have thought, just goes to show how much testing is needed nowadays. 

[mashedonmud]

On ‎12‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 11:54 AM, Tdiz said:

In addition people should also check out Good Cop Bad War by Neil Woods about his time as an undercover police officer and how it changed his perception on the drug war.

Purchased and read, this has strengthened my stance  on our completely ridiculous outdated laws. I'm shocked that so many have been criminalised when they need bloody help. Also the double standards of the DS getting smashed on alcohol to celebrate putting 'drug pushers' behind bars. 

[mashedonmud]

On ‎11‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 9:20 PM, Northern Soul said:

I’m not joking when I say this but it’s that well written and argued that I reckon that It would even change the minds of some Daily Fail readers..! 

Wow fucking Wow. Thanks for that, couldn't put it down. Taught me that what I was thinking was not to far out. Excellent reading and thoroughly researched. I now have facts to bolster my arguments. 

[Northern Soul]

On 12/11/2018 at 6:35 PM, mashedonmud said:

Wow fucking Wow. Thanks for that, couldn't put it down. Taught me that what I was thinking was not to far out. Excellent reading and thoroughly researched. I now have facts to bolster my arguments. 

I told you it was a good read? and I implore any other learned citizenes of the board to read it too, I really can’t recommend it highly enough. 

[semmtexx]

Interesting development. 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/feb/24/drug-test-clinics-open-support-home-office-police

 

[mashedonmud]

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

 

 

[Crazyfool01]

Potential to save peoples lives ... whats not to like