• Home
• News/Updates Blog
• Every Citizen's Duty
• The Modern Media
• American History
• Our Civil Liberties
• Law in America
• Government Secrecy
• The Federal Reserve
• CAFRs (Gov. Finance)
• Preserving Life/Health
• Drugs in America
• Religion in America
• Other Current Issues
• Take Action/Solutions
• The Community
• Reference and More
• Contact & Site Info

Interesting Facts

Carfentanil, a synthetic opioid used to sedate very large animals, is one of the most toxic substances on earth.

It is approx. 10,000 times more potent than morphine.

Because of this extreme potency, just one kilogram of carfentanil would have a street value of approx. $4 Billion.

According to the DEA, it would take 2 trained chemists 1 week to synthesize carfentanil.

So What's it Mean?

The "War on Drugs" faces an impossible challenge of preventing production of this chemical and other fentanyl analogues.

The work of only a few chemists could supply the entire nation with product at an almost inconsequential cost.

The "government" could clean up the drug problem by supplying similarly potent drugs at minimal cost to addicts causing society to save billions of dollars and thousands of lives.

Coffee Arabica Plant: Contains the world's most prevalent addictive psychoactive substance, caffeine.

Drugs in America

Drugs play a larger role in the American experience than most of us realize or even like to admit. We don't have to look far, even in our own homes, to find a chemical which we take for some purpose. The far-reaching effects that drugs have on society cause this issue to be complex and without straightforward solutions. And to make addressing the issue even more difficult, the nature and history of America's drug problems have left most with many misconceptions and little true insight. The complete story of drugs in America will be difficult to address for many other reasons as well, but ignoring this problem is simply not an option.

LSD Blotter Sheet: Acid embodies the stereotype of an illegal drug but new "designer drugs" have dramatically reduced its popularity.

The Basics

Every drug affects the biochemistry of the body. Some can be beneficial, while others are simply dangerous. Our personal opinions about which drugs are beneficial and which are dangerous are formed largely by what the government, medical establishment, and pharmaceutical industry tell us. This leads to our subconscious classification of specific drugs as being either good or bad. We tend to ignore that there is a fine line between the two that is based largely on subjective interpretation.

If we are ever going to find solutions to the nation's drug problems, ordinary citizens must develop an informed, unbiased understanding of a wide-range of substances and how they affect society. This would allow the issue to be addressed in a logical, objective manner free from the biases of influential corporations. Such a solution has never been honestly and openly discussed in America in any meaningful forum. History, sociology, and pharmacology combine to provide potential solutions, but these solutions cannot be seriously considered or implemented if people don't recognize the importance of reform while being able to objectively percieve the problem at hand.

Prohibition and Sovereignty

What does the prohibition of certain drugs say about our inherent individual sovereignty? Prohibition of any drug asserts that the citizen is not sovereign, and this is a fundamentally false idea. By restricting the access of a nation to certain chemicals, the government is saying that these people are not able to pursue happiness in the way that they feel is appropriate. Prohibition, as an effective denial of our sovereignty, also asserts that we not responsible for our own actions. The government has limited the full exercise of our sovereignty and taken responsibility for the negative effects that drugs may have on people or society. By doing this, government is asserting that they are both superior to the individual and better able to make decisions regarding the life of that individual. In reality, the people have the right to decide what's best for themselves collectively and individualy.

Prohibition in our country today is a prime example of how unnecessary problems arise when true American principles are sacrificed. Lesser ideals such as prohibition often seem more appealing because of the immediate circumstances, but in the end, it is inevitable that these ideals will produce disastrous policies and results in society. Such is the case almost any time freedom is denied to people who love freedom.

Inconsistent Nonsense

The pursuit of happiness despite injury to the individual is allowed by government in the case of two of the most destructive products in the United States - cigarettes and alcohol. Nicotine is arguably the most psychologically addictive chemical prevalent in our society, and, in most states, anyone can smoke though you need to be 18 to buy cigarettes. Needless to say, smoking is horrendously destructive to your body and your overall health. Alcohol, on the other hand, severely impairs the body and mind of those who drink it. Liver damage, drunk driving (and the results), domestic violence, date-rape, overdose (alcohol poisoning), addiction and numerous other negative consequences result when an individual does not respect this chemical enough. If thee two chemicals are legal, why aren't other less dangerous ones? And if other, more safe, chemcials are illegal, how is it logical that alcohol and nicotine are legal?

When it comes to the law, principle as well as consistency is important. Our current drug laws fail with regard to both of these concepts. They are inconsistent with this country's original principles, and they are wrong because they are inconsistently developed and applied.

A Vial of 2C-B: One of the new 'designer drugs' with effects similar to that of MDMA (Ecstasy), Nexus is a favorite among those involved in the underground dance and rave culture.

The Need for Reform

The signs that our current drug policy does not work are all around us and affect us even if we interact minimally with drugs...

• Outrageous prescription drug prices for chemicals that cost pennies to produce.
• Drug users often face higher mandatory sentences than child molesters and pedophiles.
• Seniors forced to choose between medication and food, purchase drugs from Canada, or resort to risky online pharmacies.
• A dangerous underground for illegal drugs that results in corruption, violence, and dangerously impure product.
• Crowded jails and costly trials that cost taxpayers millions.
• Unquantifiable deaths from overdose and withdrawal.
• The consequences of the denial of our individual sovereignty.

Other pages in this section:

• << Previous Page
|
• Site Map
|
• Back to the Top ^

• Links
|
• Research
|
• References
|
• Forum
|
• Contact Info

© 2006 OurCivicDuty.com Optimized for standards-compliant browsers.