Its probably waise to give a little advice on what are known as research chemicals. Head shops sell commercialised versions they call legal highs. Thet are all printed with 'not for human consumption' but everyone knows this is just a legal loophole. The kids who blindly take the legal highs are quite different to psychonauts. Psychonauts tend to have a rudimentary knowledge of chemistry. They chat on line sharing experiences and advice. The authorities estimate that roughly one new substance a week is coming on to the market, none of these have had any clinical trials. These are legal. If ever there was an argument for the legalisation of drugs. If a young raver could go to a chemist and buy a pure MDMA tablet, because kids will take drugs whether you like it or not, when it goes wrong which is rare, at least the A and E know what has been taken. With research chemicals there is nothing the doctors can go on.
A little history. By the turn of the millennium, the most popular club drugs MDMA, cocaine and speed were of such poor quality kids were getting desperate. Cocaine was costing £50 a gramme and was perhaps 20% pure if you were well connected. MDMA was seldom what it was being sold as, often pills were anything from the stimulant psychedic family but it was inconsistent, expensive or weak.
In to this climate came a new drug called mephedrone. Designed by an Israeli chemist known as dr zeeb. I say designed it was originally discovered in 1929 but Zeeb rediscovered it. Of the amphetamine class of drugs it feels like a slightly sparkly speed. It became available on line for as little as £10 per gramme. Due to its legality the market operated much like any other. Prices were competitive and quality was good. By 2007 there were over 30 Internet sites that could sell you anywhere from a gramme to a few kilogrammes. During this window fortunes were made. Figures in the billions. By 2008 the government cottoned on that big money was being made and no tax was being paid. This is when a handful of death stories hit the press. In all cases the unfortunate deceased had taken a cocktail of drugs of which mephedrone was one. Not a single case of death from just mephedrone. The figures, even if you believe them, reveal the drug to be safer than rock climbing or horse riding.
It was made illegal in most countries between 2008 and 2010 but the pattern of buying legal drugs over the Internet was established.
Chemists followed a few paths. First was to look at popular illegal drugs such as MDMA then to tweak a molecule here and there creating anew chemical that was legal. The ketamine family of drugs were and still are very popular but were all made illegal. Chemists have endeavoured to synthesise new dissociatives such as diphenidine and methoxphenidine. These are incredibly powerfully psychoactive and dosage is crucial. Fortunately the psychonauts tend to be sensible. They buy chemical scales, measure allergy tests prior to approaching dosage from the bottom up. Sadly these more sensible types are balanced by far more wreck less individuals looking for highs. These new substances are legal until the authorities track them down and criminalise them by which time the chemists have come up with new substances.
The second route is for chemists to look back to drugs synthesised in the twentieth century but never marketed. The benzodiazepine family have hundreds of varieties that were never marketed. Valium and temazepam, Mogadon maybe familiar but etizolam, pyrazolam, flubromazepam, diclazepam are all available online in large quantities without prescription.
By 2012 roughly one new substance was coming on to the market a week. Most of them are pretty crap compared to good quality illegal drugs but for many staying within the law overrides safety in their moral compass. As one drug becomes popular like benzo fury did last year the authorities will take notice and ban it. But prohibition has been proved to be ignorant of human nature and within a few days an alternative to the newly banned substance will be available. There really is no other answer than the legalisation of drugs. Chemists or medical facilities ought to supply clean pure drugs so maximum safety is ensured.
A huge body of knowledge has developed over the years amongst users on the basic set. We had psylosibin if we wanted to trip, mud if we wanted to dance, we didn't need all these dangerous unknown substances flooding the streets. Many of the psychonauts on the online forums are law abides, prepared to take an untested powder yet scared to use traditional. The perception that legal is safe is rife. Many of my freinds died due to the fluctuating quality of heroin. If they were supplied a steady product they'd still be here.
The war on drugs has been lost. Russell brand has elected himself drug spokesman but his knowledge is of one small aspect of a much greater issue. Chinese chemists synthesising drugs that no one really has a clue about are being bought by isolated young people with no groups to discuss themselves as brand wants to do. Some people are private. Others atheist. Brands AA vision is helpful to a small percentage of drug users.
Down the line there are going to be AandE trying to cope with patients dieing on unknown powders and an epidemic of benzo addiction is just around the corner.
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