On: After 50 years of the war on drugs, 'what good is it doing for us?'

[vsareto]

I think we'll eventually find a balance point, but these boundaries are being moved in the opposite direction. Psilocybin decriminalization then recreational use seems like the next leg of the race after federal/all-state legalization of marijuana. Then the next thing to be pushed is only a little more controversial than psilocybin. I doubt we'll ever reach that point with cocaine or heroin though and they'll never be up for medical/recreational consideration.

If it seems unbelievable that there could be significant support for the War on Drugs, remember how many voted for Trump the second time around.

[pmoriarty → vsareto]

"I doubt we'll ever reach that point with cocaine or heroin though and they'll never be up for medical/recreational consideration."

Never say never.

I'm frankly shocked that virtually legal medical and recreational use of cannabis has become so widespread in the US in my lifetime.

For decades, other countries have had programs where heroin addicts could either use heroin with a prescription or are allowed to go shoot up in clinics where they're provided clean needles, and heroin use is effectively decriminalized.

I could see the same happening in the US, particularly in states which have taken the lead in cannabis legalization.. and after they do it and some decades pass without the sky falling and there is clear evidence that this is a much more effective way of dealing with addiction, we'll likely see other states follow suit.

The way will be smoothed by the mainstream culture's realization that they've been lied to by their government about drugs for many decades, as is becoming clear by the fact that the states which have legalized cannabis haven't turned in to real-life versions of Reefer Madness and also by the widening familiarity of members of mainstream society with drug users who are otherwise upstanding members of their societies, and by the relatively positive press about cannabis and psychedelics.

There's always a chance that the press will shift towards negative coverage, as they do love sensationalist stories and there's still psychedelic abuse which leads people to go on power trips, have delusions of grandeur, or massive paranoia, but I am cautiously optimistic that the medical use of psychedelics will win out this time around.

Finally, there's the potential for constructive psychedelic use to help the society in many positive ways, and that could lead to greater tolerance and understanding of users of other drugs, along with (eventually) there maybe less reason for people to self-medicate and try to escape their miserable lives.