Recreational Drugs and Why the War on them Fuels the Market

[myconerd]

Introduction

        This is the first of a number of essays going to look in detail the impact of the war on drugs on the market value of recreational drugs. Each proceeding essay will look at one drug in specific and do everything from an overview of the drug, its history, a general explanation of how it functions, and then look at market values are impacted by law enforcement. The intention of these essays are to be educational and to analyze the economic impacts of the war on drugs. I will not cover how to procure illicit substances where I live nor will I encourage usage. Upon completion of these essays I will create one final conclusion essay that will also act as an index for all the other essays

Image by GDJ, free for commercial use, no attribution required.

The drugs that I will look at are as follows:

Cannabis (marijuana)

Psilociben and psilocin (Magic Mushrooms)

2C-B (Nexus)

Lysergic Acid Diethylamine (LSD)

Salvinorin A (Salvia)

N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT, Ayahuasca)

Mesculine (Peyote)

Ketamine (Special K)

Image by OpenClipart Vectors. Free for commercial use, no attribution required.

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy)

Methamphetamine (Crystal Meth)

Amphetamine (Adderall)

Cocaine (Coke)

Cathinones (Bath Salts)

Alcohol (Booze)

Caffeine

Nicotine

Opiates

This list is not exhaustive of all recreational drugs on the market. The list is also not in any particularly significant order (I do not know the order in which I will write each of these essays). Further some of these drugs I have the active ingredient listed (such as for Magic Mushrooms) and others I have the common names listed instead (Cannabis). This is down to personal preference of myself for what to call the given drug.

Definitions

For these essays it will be important to have some definitions to go by so miscommunications can be avoided. More definitions may be provided in the subsequent essays as they appear.
Drug a medicine or other substance which has a physiological or psychological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body.
Psychoactive Drug A drug that has a quantifiable psychological effect.
Recreational Drug A psychoactive drug used to induce an alteration to ones state of consciousness.
Illicit Drug A drug that is procured through illegal means. Often illicit drugs are also illegal but this is not always the case. For instance, a minor in possession of alcohol would make the alcohol illicit but the alcohol itself is still legal.

Goal

Through these essays I would like to show three things. First, the war on drugs is driving up the market value of illicit drugs which is ultimately lining the pockets of criminal empires that have acquired the resources to operate securely against law enforcement agencies. Secondly, I would like to show how this driving up of market value puts the safety of consumers and non-consumers alike at risk. Thirdly, I would like to show the benefits of legalization and decriminalization for both consumers and non-consumers. For drugs that are already legal or decriminalized I will look at how legalization and or decriminalization supported these three claims.

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