The best book I know on this topic is "Our Right to Drugs: The Case for a Free Market," by the late, great Dr. Thomas Szasz. Szasz was a psychiatrist who knew the full range of classical sources better than many classicists today, and he was an utterly fearless thinker. He writes there from a libertarian perspective, which sounds great for the individual...but never seems to know what to do about the individual's kids. Still, he is extremely clear eyed about the bogus distinction between "drugs" and "medicine," the latter being merely drugs that have been baptized by the state. Fifty years later it's as good as ever. (FWIW Szasz himself thought this was the best book he'd ever written, and that's saying something!) https://press.syr.edu/supressbooks/1555/our-right-to-drugs/
I think Thomas Szasz has so many fascinating insights - it's really worthwhile to look into his work to see the entire field from a different perspective.
I think there is a difference between naturally forming hallucinogenics and medicinal plants that have been used for eons for healing vs some of the synthetic waste product from extraction. Farmakos in greek has roots in being mind controlling with intention to deceive or poison. The term drug has been a catch all but the processing, strength and taking it away from it's natural form has it's effects. Cool article :)
i think this point of differentiation can help future decision making and policy as well as individual decision making - rather than a this or that, good or bad mentality- how? what are it's roots? what are the dependency issues, what are the cost vs benefits. How can we take into account global history beyond the modern age; what are the qualitative results? Hopefully in the future, the discussion can be more nuanced. I really do appreciate what you shared here and being part of the conversation.
As proven time and time again, let government take care of it, so it can create a bigger problem but a way for them to scheme a way to make money. I thunk time has come decisions such as this should be voted on per city, while eliminating state and federal officials. Myself. I would be fine with a dry county- no drugs, no alcohol. Ive tried a lot of things and consumed a lot of drinks. Never has it made my life better, nor have I recieved a vision from the gods.
Its a really difficult topic, one where a whole lot of nuance is indicated.
I think it is important to start with respect for that drugs are not all created equal, particularly regarding addictive potential. Also, different populations will respond differently to the same policy as this stuff is really complex. What works for Portugal might not for Portland of course. There are different values and demographics at work.
I tend to believe that from a civil liberties perspective, that no drug should be made wholly unavailable. This is not just “pursuit of happiness” issue but it is that too. Mind altering substances are spiritual aids in many traditions and therefore there is a religious/spiritual freedom component here also. Sacremental wine is the blood of Christ. Peyote is a sacrament of the Native American Church. Ganja in Rastafarianism. Countless magical mind-bending substances are revered in countless shamanic traditions.
Dealers preying on addiction should absolutely be punished harshly imo. But users that don’t harm others should be treated with compassion. Locking people up for harming only themselves, is well, a costly way to do something that seems counterproductive.
Good point regarding dealers - and a hard distinction to make. In a society that values liberty on the contingent that there is no harm to others, how does one handle someone potentially enabling a person to harm themself? There is no set rules either - one person may suffer from a small amount of alcohol, for instance, while another can be perfectly fine with that amount.
Very true! There is certainly a dark side to that industry that has been 'pushing' drugs as well. Just because it comes from a doctor, doesn't immediately make it good. Look at the doctors of Matthew Perry, Prince or Michael Jackson.
When considering the benefit of De-Criminalization the people who live in the countries that are basically ruled by the Drug lords should be considered. There lives would likely improve greatly.
Excellent point - and one that we certainly see here in South America. There are only three countries in the world that produce cocaine and they have suffered gravely for it. Having lived in Medellin for a spell, the 'legacy' (and its effects) is still there..
A suggestion: gthe case for decriminalization is very strong. But just as there is Alcoholics Anonymous for people addicted to alcohol, so there can be (are? I don't know, being a complete abstainer myself) such organizations for users. Perhaps where the Law can come into it, is that all who purchase such substances be told whom to get in touch with or enlisting in such an organiztion.
Seems to me that selling a substance should most certainly be illegal. There’s no way of knowing what is in the drug today. Even cocaine is killing people because it’s being cut with fentanyl. Cocaine…
I do think decriminalizing the user is the most humane treatment, but that mandates a lot of responsibility to a society. A city cannot just decriminalize drugs without a punishment for doing drugs in public spaces. A city cannot just decriminalize drugs and do nothing to invest in rehab. More importantly, and here is the toughest part for the average American voter, a city that decriminalizes drugs must have a mandatory, (involuntary if necessary)submission to rehab by the user. The reason why is that your average drug user will continue to do drugs until they are dead in a ditch. Look at cigarette smokers. Unless there is pressure from the surrounding society to quiet, they will not. It must be involuntary because they will likely not choose to go to rehab voluntarily, but it is absolutely necessary to get the user off the drug for at least enough time for them to make a clear decision, unencumbered by the substance. The worst thing a society can do is make the drug legal, available, and wash their hands of all responsibility letting their fellow citizen poison themselves to death.
IMHO the question to be asked is; Should the government interfere in the individual's choice of what they do with their own property which includes their body with the proviso they do not harm or put at risk the property or the person of others.
If the individual is stupid enough to indulge in the use of potentially harmful substances, so be it. The govt's meddling in with what its citizens wish to do with themselves is a total waste of time and not its job.
The woke among us will point to the senseless loss of life and destruction to society and call for the incarceration of those providing a product at great cost to those wishing to use it because of its illegality. A matter of time before they call for the punishment of those who provide individuals with the facility for pursuing dangerous sports such as skydiving.
For those who lose their lives through overdose or pick up diseases through use of dirty needles they can not pretend that they were not warned. Society is probably better off without them as Darwin might have explained.
I know of a case where the son of gentle loving parents expressed the wish that he might one day take an overdose and proceed to an afterlife having turned their lives into sheer hell through his stealing and selling of their possessions to support his addiction
heartbreaking. I'm sure there are many people involved who are trying to help... but at what point is it not effective? Does a new route need to be tried?
What a coincidence re drugs etc. I was asked to write about a new outreach to help keep escalating number of addicts out of jail or save wrecked lives, or etc., in our community. Here is the text, published in the Park County Community Journal this week.
SEPTEMBER IS RECOVERY MONTH and Treatment Court
There is a program in Livingston for chemical addiction called “Treatment Court” with presiding Judge Gilbert and a team of community men and women who are determined to bust the myths and negative labels around addiction, and to support and make more help easier to get. Participation in the treatment program has freed people from the destructive behavior of substance misuse; too often jail time, sickness, or tragically, loss of life. It’s history of damage to mind and body (and soul, if you will) is many centuries old. Criminal acts, abuse, and accidents that are caused by alcohol, often go un-detected, or are swept under the carpet, which enables ongoing abuse. But serious big crime aside, I am writing about our kin, youth, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. There have been some important new discoveries of the cause and patterns of addiction, which I will try to relay here and in coming articles. Because addiction so prevalent, is misunderstood.
This week’s column is a heartfelt SALUTE to the support groups, and professionals who work with the Treatment Court team: Legal reps, counselors, recovery groups and mentors, a policeman, a commissioner, health and nutrition coaches. This month is highlighting their service and celebrating the courage of those who have recovered. Treatment is an option, but also a multi-level effort by Treatment Court, devoted to preventing destructive results hopefully before one has to stand before a judge, or face incarceration. Participants are given the support and tools needed that uncover the addiction afflicted causes that seemed impossible to overcome,... that we all can relate to: Human pain.
One important myth has been busted: Addiction is caused by a weak will or character. Nope! It is a tangible, treatable disease; a consequence of unrelieved human pain not seen, but buried inside, not dealt with, which causes serious levels of STRESS. MRI’s shows that Dopamine, the chemical/hormone that is the brain’s natural reward/pleasure reaction, declines or “dies” from stress. That is so profound. Read it again. Who doesn’t relate?! So relief is sought from painful stress by using substance that will increase Dopamine. Sugar does it too, also an addictive substance which is in too much of our food, (so a serious discussion of diet is called for around this, too). But diminished feel-good Dopamine?, vital to body systems, causes various levels of an irresistible chemical drive to get some more dopamine of course…from drugs or alcohol, which kills brain cells and the natural creation of our body’s Dopamine. A downward spiral. There’s much more on this subject, and other means of stimulating Dopamine, but that’s the gist of addiction. My take is this: with addiction, or even just recreational misuse, we are seriously messing with and slowly sickening our brains, just for starters.
All of Us have friends, kin or colleagues whose life has been afflicted by drugs & alcohol. It has, in the past, for some mysterious reason, resulted in slam dunk extremes: “tossed out of the house, divorce, sent to jail.” But Treatment Court wants to change that, and is. They recognize the incredibly vast area of human mental/emotional pain as cause, and that there is layers of self denial, and protectiveness; fear, or proud resistance to seeking help for it. Our culture doesn’t seriously teach abstinence or wise use. And we all know that the big business of acceptable “pain relief” is hard to buck. Now and then grateful, hands-on, recovered addicts speak up and talk about their stories to the public, although in a small community, like ours, folks tend to avoid negative feedback or gossip creation.
But things are changing. It’s time to talk this over. And, walk the talk. Many recovering participants are healing; getting a life back, a job secured, or family reunited—recovery treatment can break the cycle of a disease that has collateral damage, often multi-generational (affecting children and their children’s children.)
I had a fun and uplifting chat with Colleen Singer, Coordinator of the 11-member team of Treatment Court, (also called “recovery court,”) in her office at the courthouse. I even slipped a small dog in to meet her, like me she is irresistibly addicted to dogs. But I want to be real here and say that I do share the concern, the experience and the heart of the Treatment Court spirit. Consequently, my writing of this material has caused some stress for me I think, because I empathize with everything I wrote about. I can “feel” this problem, and why we don’t want to talk about it.
PCCJournal supports our Community, and so we want to spread the word: Treatment Court has a great success rate of 70%. I will interview some of the team, and recovering participants, for upcoming columns. Team members “stand with” the people who have had to deal with DUI’s or worse offenses. The participants are encouraged to accept help, to choose recovery, that there is a better way; that they can break out of their own addiction prison; that there is no high like good health.
Treatment Court mentors, and the participants, and graduates are HEROES, and I mean it. Champions of recovery, and of compassionate protection and enforcement when needed. There’s no rescue like that of the power of community; big as the need to heal the drug/alcohol abuse in our society, if not the world. Why not try. The most common word and attitude found to describe all the people involved in Recovery around town, is unarguably, compassion: the stuff of heart that a person can trust, and find the courage inside, to heal. There’s help if you but ask. [Colleen and the Team welcome your questions, and concerns. Please Call her at Treatment Court (…..)
The best book I know on this topic is "Our Right to Drugs: The Case for a Free Market," by the late, great Dr. Thomas Szasz. Szasz was a psychiatrist who knew the full range of classical sources better than many classicists today, and he was an utterly fearless thinker. He writes there from a libertarian perspective, which sounds great for the individual...but never seems to know what to do about the individual's kids. Still, he is extremely clear eyed about the bogus distinction between "drugs" and "medicine," the latter being merely drugs that have been baptized by the state. Fifty years later it's as good as ever. (FWIW Szasz himself thought this was the best book he'd ever written, and that's saying something!) https://press.syr.edu/supressbooks/1555/our-right-to-drugs/
I think Thomas Szasz has so many fascinating insights - it's really worthwhile to look into his work to see the entire field from a different perspective.
I think there is a difference between naturally forming hallucinogenics and medicinal plants that have been used for eons for healing vs some of the synthetic waste product from extraction. Farmakos in greek has roots in being mind controlling with intention to deceive or poison. The term drug has been a catch all but the processing, strength and taking it away from it's natural form has it's effects. Cool article :)
Really good point - that there will certainly be important differences both with types and purposes of 'drugs'.
i think this point of differentiation can help future decision making and policy as well as individual decision making - rather than a this or that, good or bad mentality- how? what are it's roots? what are the dependency issues, what are the cost vs benefits. How can we take into account global history beyond the modern age; what are the qualitative results? Hopefully in the future, the discussion can be more nuanced. I really do appreciate what you shared here and being part of the conversation.
As proven time and time again, let government take care of it, so it can create a bigger problem but a way for them to scheme a way to make money. I thunk time has come decisions such as this should be voted on per city, while eliminating state and federal officials. Myself. I would be fine with a dry county- no drugs, no alcohol. Ive tried a lot of things and consumed a lot of drinks. Never has it made my life better, nor have I recieved a vision from the gods.
Its a really difficult topic, one where a whole lot of nuance is indicated.
I think it is important to start with respect for that drugs are not all created equal, particularly regarding addictive potential. Also, different populations will respond differently to the same policy as this stuff is really complex. What works for Portugal might not for Portland of course. There are different values and demographics at work.
I tend to believe that from a civil liberties perspective, that no drug should be made wholly unavailable. This is not just “pursuit of happiness” issue but it is that too. Mind altering substances are spiritual aids in many traditions and therefore there is a religious/spiritual freedom component here also. Sacremental wine is the blood of Christ. Peyote is a sacrament of the Native American Church. Ganja in Rastafarianism. Countless magical mind-bending substances are revered in countless shamanic traditions.
Dealers preying on addiction should absolutely be punished harshly imo. But users that don’t harm others should be treated with compassion. Locking people up for harming only themselves, is well, a costly way to do something that seems counterproductive.
Good point regarding dealers - and a hard distinction to make. In a society that values liberty on the contingent that there is no harm to others, how does one handle someone potentially enabling a person to harm themself? There is no set rules either - one person may suffer from a small amount of alcohol, for instance, while another can be perfectly fine with that amount.
If I want to make myself hospitable to the reception of brief episodes of insanity on a Friday night, I should be at perfect liberty to do so!
What about the damage done by pharmaceuticals too?
Very true! There is certainly a dark side to that industry that has been 'pushing' drugs as well. Just because it comes from a doctor, doesn't immediately make it good. Look at the doctors of Matthew Perry, Prince or Michael Jackson.
Yes.Trust in your gut feeling because no one has authority over your life.
Well said!!
When considering the benefit of De-Criminalization the people who live in the countries that are basically ruled by the Drug lords should be considered. There lives would likely improve greatly.
Excellent point - and one that we certainly see here in South America. There are only three countries in the world that produce cocaine and they have suffered gravely for it. Having lived in Medellin for a spell, the 'legacy' (and its effects) is still there..
"So where does that leave us?" ~ in a quandary. Modern synthetics vs naturally occurring drugs.
Naturally occurring drugs have certainly wrecked havoc in the past, especially when employed the wrong people. The Opium wars, being a tragic example.
Whatever happened to ‘cretic wine’? Asking for a friend.
Me too...
The ones that are dangerous in the wrong hamnds CAN kill innocent people not afflicted with a certain disease.
"The drug is in the dose" as a doctor friend once told me.
A suggestion: gthe case for decriminalization is very strong. But just as there is Alcoholics Anonymous for people addicted to alcohol, so there can be (are? I don't know, being a complete abstainer myself) such organizations for users. Perhaps where the Law can come into it, is that all who purchase such substances be told whom to get in touch with or enlisting in such an organiztion.
Seems to me that selling a substance should most certainly be illegal. There’s no way of knowing what is in the drug today. Even cocaine is killing people because it’s being cut with fentanyl. Cocaine…
I do think decriminalizing the user is the most humane treatment, but that mandates a lot of responsibility to a society. A city cannot just decriminalize drugs without a punishment for doing drugs in public spaces. A city cannot just decriminalize drugs and do nothing to invest in rehab. More importantly, and here is the toughest part for the average American voter, a city that decriminalizes drugs must have a mandatory, (involuntary if necessary)submission to rehab by the user. The reason why is that your average drug user will continue to do drugs until they are dead in a ditch. Look at cigarette smokers. Unless there is pressure from the surrounding society to quiet, they will not. It must be involuntary because they will likely not choose to go to rehab voluntarily, but it is absolutely necessary to get the user off the drug for at least enough time for them to make a clear decision, unencumbered by the substance. The worst thing a society can do is make the drug legal, available, and wash their hands of all responsibility letting their fellow citizen poison themselves to death.
IMHO the question to be asked is; Should the government interfere in the individual's choice of what they do with their own property which includes their body with the proviso they do not harm or put at risk the property or the person of others.
If the individual is stupid enough to indulge in the use of potentially harmful substances, so be it. The govt's meddling in with what its citizens wish to do with themselves is a total waste of time and not its job.
The woke among us will point to the senseless loss of life and destruction to society and call for the incarceration of those providing a product at great cost to those wishing to use it because of its illegality. A matter of time before they call for the punishment of those who provide individuals with the facility for pursuing dangerous sports such as skydiving.
For those who lose their lives through overdose or pick up diseases through use of dirty needles they can not pretend that they were not warned. Society is probably better off without them as Darwin might have explained.
I know of a case where the son of gentle loving parents expressed the wish that he might one day take an overdose and proceed to an afterlife having turned their lives into sheer hell through his stealing and selling of their possessions to support his addiction
so tragic...
Here in King County, (Seattle, WA area), our government hands out free drugs, needle, pipes, and meth to the public as well as delivery to the tent cities. To some this may sound unbelievable, like it does to me- so you maybwant to confirm by searching for the "harm reduction program". Her is a local reporter detailing his investigation: https://mynorthwest.com/3988709/rantz-it-was-shockingly-easy-for-me-to-get-taxpayer-funded-drug-kits-with-pipes-cookers-more/
I can tell you it's a mess. These people look like zombies and cannot function. The government is literally poisoning the souls of people.
heartbreaking. I'm sure there are many people involved who are trying to help... but at what point is it not effective? Does a new route need to be tried?
What a coincidence re drugs etc. I was asked to write about a new outreach to help keep escalating number of addicts out of jail or save wrecked lives, or etc., in our community. Here is the text, published in the Park County Community Journal this week.
SEPTEMBER IS RECOVERY MONTH and Treatment Court
There is a program in Livingston for chemical addiction called “Treatment Court” with presiding Judge Gilbert and a team of community men and women who are determined to bust the myths and negative labels around addiction, and to support and make more help easier to get. Participation in the treatment program has freed people from the destructive behavior of substance misuse; too often jail time, sickness, or tragically, loss of life. It’s history of damage to mind and body (and soul, if you will) is many centuries old. Criminal acts, abuse, and accidents that are caused by alcohol, often go un-detected, or are swept under the carpet, which enables ongoing abuse. But serious big crime aside, I am writing about our kin, youth, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. There have been some important new discoveries of the cause and patterns of addiction, which I will try to relay here and in coming articles. Because addiction so prevalent, is misunderstood.
This week’s column is a heartfelt SALUTE to the support groups, and professionals who work with the Treatment Court team: Legal reps, counselors, recovery groups and mentors, a policeman, a commissioner, health and nutrition coaches. This month is highlighting their service and celebrating the courage of those who have recovered. Treatment is an option, but also a multi-level effort by Treatment Court, devoted to preventing destructive results hopefully before one has to stand before a judge, or face incarceration. Participants are given the support and tools needed that uncover the addiction afflicted causes that seemed impossible to overcome,... that we all can relate to: Human pain.
One important myth has been busted: Addiction is caused by a weak will or character. Nope! It is a tangible, treatable disease; a consequence of unrelieved human pain not seen, but buried inside, not dealt with, which causes serious levels of STRESS. MRI’s shows that Dopamine, the chemical/hormone that is the brain’s natural reward/pleasure reaction, declines or “dies” from stress. That is so profound. Read it again. Who doesn’t relate?! So relief is sought from painful stress by using substance that will increase Dopamine. Sugar does it too, also an addictive substance which is in too much of our food, (so a serious discussion of diet is called for around this, too). But diminished feel-good Dopamine?, vital to body systems, causes various levels of an irresistible chemical drive to get some more dopamine of course…from drugs or alcohol, which kills brain cells and the natural creation of our body’s Dopamine. A downward spiral. There’s much more on this subject, and other means of stimulating Dopamine, but that’s the gist of addiction. My take is this: with addiction, or even just recreational misuse, we are seriously messing with and slowly sickening our brains, just for starters.
All of Us have friends, kin or colleagues whose life has been afflicted by drugs & alcohol. It has, in the past, for some mysterious reason, resulted in slam dunk extremes: “tossed out of the house, divorce, sent to jail.” But Treatment Court wants to change that, and is. They recognize the incredibly vast area of human mental/emotional pain as cause, and that there is layers of self denial, and protectiveness; fear, or proud resistance to seeking help for it. Our culture doesn’t seriously teach abstinence or wise use. And we all know that the big business of acceptable “pain relief” is hard to buck. Now and then grateful, hands-on, recovered addicts speak up and talk about their stories to the public, although in a small community, like ours, folks tend to avoid negative feedback or gossip creation.
But things are changing. It’s time to talk this over. And, walk the talk. Many recovering participants are healing; getting a life back, a job secured, or family reunited—recovery treatment can break the cycle of a disease that has collateral damage, often multi-generational (affecting children and their children’s children.)
I had a fun and uplifting chat with Colleen Singer, Coordinator of the 11-member team of Treatment Court, (also called “recovery court,”) in her office at the courthouse. I even slipped a small dog in to meet her, like me she is irresistibly addicted to dogs. But I want to be real here and say that I do share the concern, the experience and the heart of the Treatment Court spirit. Consequently, my writing of this material has caused some stress for me I think, because I empathize with everything I wrote about. I can “feel” this problem, and why we don’t want to talk about it.
PCCJournal supports our Community, and so we want to spread the word: Treatment Court has a great success rate of 70%. I will interview some of the team, and recovering participants, for upcoming columns. Team members “stand with” the people who have had to deal with DUI’s or worse offenses. The participants are encouraged to accept help, to choose recovery, that there is a better way; that they can break out of their own addiction prison; that there is no high like good health.
Treatment Court mentors, and the participants, and graduates are HEROES, and I mean it. Champions of recovery, and of compassionate protection and enforcement when needed. There’s no rescue like that of the power of community; big as the need to heal the drug/alcohol abuse in our society, if not the world. Why not try. The most common word and attitude found to describe all the people involved in Recovery around town, is unarguably, compassion: the stuff of heart that a person can trust, and find the courage inside, to heal. There’s help if you but ask. [Colleen and the Team welcome your questions, and concerns. Please Call her at Treatment Court (…..)
Droug dealers should be locked up for a long time.