Regarding last weeks debates (from Mr. Kleiman:)
And while it is arguably the duty of a good citizen not to support illicit enterprise, it should be noted that if everyone followed the Caulkins rule there would be little opportunity to accumulate new information about whatever drugs are currently illicit, and thus no chance to revise the laws in light of new experience, especially given the pressures to conform science to policy in the name of “drug abuse prevention.” Here John Stuart Mill’s argument for the value of deviation from social norms in adding to the stock of knowledge seems to me to deserve considerable weight.
Still, having thus far largely disagreed with Caulkins in principle, I largely agree with him in practice. The damage done to users and others by heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine dwarfs in social importance the gains and losses, actual and potential, from cannabis and the hallucinogens.
I cannot address this line of reasoning directly as its line of thinking alleges to support a system I find untenable and personally, barely survivable. But elements ("the damage done to users and others by heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine" and "pressures to conform science to policy in the name of drug abuse prevention") contained within it got me thinking.
Also the damage done to users and others by heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine dwarfs in social importance the gains and losses, actual and potential, from stamp collecting (except to stamp collectors) so I don't really "get" his point regarding "cannibas and the hallucinogens". And, I suppose I might be considered to be of some limited value to society as a specimen "deviant" from social norms in gathering data to support a (pseudo)science that justifies an oppressive, corrupt and pernicious global policy "in the name of “drug abuse prevention.”
I believe that the concepts of "philosophy" and "history" would better serve policy regarding drugusing than the "softest" and thus most easily corrupted by bias or worse of sciences, the social sciences. Consider the social sciences of fascist Germany or of "eugenics". To deny the existence of abstract thought and subjective reasoning inherent in social science is to pervert the term "science". Contrast the writings of humanist philosopher Peter Cohen from our "poster child" the Netherlands or of Jock Young of the U.K. to the cold, clinical and dehumanized "scientific" (snicker) writing of the absolutist antidrug Americans or of the "Aryan supermen".
Drug using does not exist in a social or historical vacuum and this includes the use of heroin, cocaine and speed (in "pill form" and otherwise). But in this country it does exist in a perpetual state of virtual social anomie. There exists nothing like an "opium culture" with anything approaching any form af accrued knowledge or wisdom which might be passed from one generation to the next regarding its use as well as avoidence of its use. This knowledge and wisdom (lost on the west; read Peter Lee's wonderful book: "Opium Culture") is dying along with the centuries old opium cultures that exist now only as criminalized vestiges. A 30 year study of heroin addicts (1960-1990) indicated an average life span of 40 years for the study group that included addicts who quit using. Clearly using heroin in the U.S.A. is extremely dangerous, though this much shortened average life span is primarily a result of the many deadly side effects of prohibition, and of the western program of replacing legal opium using with black market heroin using. Martin Booth, in his book "Opium" stated that the introduction of the pipe to opium using was one of histories most evil events. I find this laughable as smoking opium (unlike heroin) prevents the possibility of overdose inherent with opiums oral cosumption. I will note here that the inherent possibility (and actual occurance of) overdose exists with the "harmless" analgesic tylenol and 99% of the pharmaceuticals listed in the PDR. And to consider that any particular form of drug using or even of worldwide drug using in its entirety to be even comparable to histories most evil events is patently absurd. Many opium cultures existed throughout Asia with variety in cultural context ranging from the headhunting Wa of 19th century Burma who reportedly used opium with abandon and with alcohol to the reverent and occasional use of opium and cannibas by devout Hindus and Muslims on religious holidays in India.
The United States, which lies precisely at the center of the universe and directly beneath heaven presides over U.N. directed international drug policy which states that all countries must outlaw the use of opium, coca leaf and cannibas. In the case of a country like Bolivia, this may necessitate the imprisonment of virtually the entire populace. And the idigenous South American coca leaf chewers have the good sense to leave the cocaine in the leaf; more wisdom lost on the west.
Consider southern China (Yunnan) and southeastern Asia, where a culture of opium smoking existed since the 17th century and opium used orally for perhaps 2000 years or more. This area of the world was transformed from one of opium consuming to one of heroin producing by U.S drug policy, first with CIA assistaince to the KMT opium production in northern Burma, for export where much of it would be converted into heroin. Then the criminalization of Thailand's large opium using population after its "fall" to U.S. social imperialism in 1959, creating a large market for cheap #3 heroin. The CIA later facilitated transportation of opium grown by Laotian hill tribes to heroin labs via helicopters in order to fund the rightests in the war against the Pathet Lao. By this time (circa 1969-71) skilled heroin chemists from Hong Kong were employed in Laos and Double UOGlobe brand #4 heroin (substantially more expensive than the locally consumed #3 heroin) was smuggled into Thailand, the U.S. and South Vietnam for sale to U.S. soldiers. Vietnamese officials directly under Ky and Thieu were heavily involved in the heroin trade and heroin profits funded their bosses elections. Ironically, the communist Pathet Lao who had eradicated poppy fields in areas under their control during the war chose to keep opium legal and let classic Asian culture flourish. In 1995, against their will, they too fell victim to U.S. social imperialism, thanks to the U.N., the D.E.A. and international financial agencies. Ironic too, though historically "par", the U.S. turned on the very people (the hill tribes) who were our allies in one of our many misguided wars, by demanding and acheiving their criminalization. The effects of this antiopium campaign have resulted in yet more misery for Laos and thousands of deaths. And of course, the last essentially uncorrupted opium smoking culture in Asia was eradicated and as with the rest of opium free Asia, replaced with black market heroin and speed. We can only hope that the speed is in pill form! An old Jewish maxim for our leaders and "antidrug intellectuals": If three people tell you that you are drunk, you should go home to bed.
