Proposal The Mythical Drug Problem Wright 1 of 10

Thomas Wright
Professor Jessica Frogley
English 20100!"
2011#12#0"
The Mythical Drug Problem
$ntro%uction
&ecently' a great business man an% in(entor %ie%# )te(e Jobs' the *E+ of ,pple passe%
a-ay' fore(er ingraining his legacy into our culture# $n The .e- /or0 Times1 )te(e Jobs
obituary' Mr# Jobs -as site% as ha(ing commente% on his use of 2)D' 34e tol% a reporter that
ta0ing 2)D -as one of the t-o or three most important things he ha% %one in his life# 4e sai% there
-ere things about him that people -ho ha% not trie% psyche%elics 5 e(en people -ho 0ne- him
-ell' inclu%ing his -ife 5 coul% ne(er un%erstan%#6
)te(e Jobs1 psyche%elic e7perience -ith 2)D appears to ha(e been e7tremely important
an% personal' ha(ing playe% a ma8or roll in his life# 4o- is it that for some people' %rugs are
unrelentingly %e(astating an% yet for others li0e )te(e Jobs' these substances ha(e been one of
the most potent influences an% catalysts in their success9 The ans-er is simply that -e %o not
clearly un%erstan% %rugs an% the relate% topics an% concepts# This misun%erstan%ing' hereinafter
referre% to as the drug sense rift' may be %ue to t-o %istinct components# The first component is
the alrea%y comple7 relationships bet-een %rugs an% consciousness# This first component is' in
itself' cause for confusion an% misun%erstan%ing because it inclu%es se(eral alrea%y comple7
subconcepts# These subconcepts inclu%e' but are not limite% to: neurochemistry' neurocircuitry'
Proposal The Mythical Drug Problem Wright 2 of 10
psychology' consciousness' an% the more recent +rchestrate% +b8ecti(e &e%uction Theory# The
secon% component to the %rug sense rift is the clou%ing an% further obfuscation of the first
component# This furthering in confusion may be the result of me%ia perpetuate% fear an%
%isinformation brought on by se(eral (ariables in play# These (ariables may inclu%e carefully
calculate% political mo(es' unfoun%e% religious i%eologies' an% the matri7 of gree% -o(en
bet-een %rug c;ars an% socioeconomic an% political po-ers# The results of the %rug sense rift
has le% to a myria% of (ery comple7 personal' social' economic' an% political problems# +ne of
these problems' in particular' is the problem of a%%iction#
The %rug sense rift has lea% go(ernments' the me%ical in%ustry' an% a%%iction counselors
ali0e to mis%iagnose an% mistreat a%%iction# )tanfor% 3.eill6 Fran0lin' retire% narcotics officer
an% current E7ecuti(e Director of 2a- Enforcement ,gainst Prohibition' ga(e a tal0 title%' 1The
War on Drugs 4as Faile%1 in 2010 at the <oogle *ampus in Mountain =ie- *alifornia#
,ccor%ing to Mr# Fran0lin' a%%iction is %ramatically re%uce% in countries -here all %rugs ha(e
been legali;e% an% regulate%# 4e also asserts that in countries -here %rugs ha(e been legali;e%'
a%%iction has %roppe% by up to >?@# The legal status of %rugs along -ith the accepte% social
para%igm concerning %rugs appears to be %ynamically lin0e% in a cause an% effect relationship
-ith the rate of a%%iction -ithin each social confine# This relationship suggests that a%%iction is a
symptom of a larger social' political' an% economic issue rather than a %isease#
To illustrate this point' consi%er the fact that a fe(er is the symptom of a %eeper problem
-ithin the bo%y# , fe(er may be temporarily abate% -ith me%icine an% ice pac0s' much li0e
a%%iction is constantly ten%e% to -ith me%ications an% group meetings# 4o-e(er' -ith the fe(er'
once the me%ication -ears off or the ice pac0 is remo(e%' the fe(er returns# ,%%iction is similar
Proposal The Mythical Drug Problem Wright " of 10
in this manner# When the a%%ict stops ta0ing metha%one or subo7one' an% stops atten%ing group
meetings' the ris0 for relapse becomes e7tremely high# 4o-e(er' -hen %rugs are legali;e% an%
the accepte% social para%igm concerning %rugs an% %rug use is shifte%' a%%iction cases begin to
%issipate' much li0e ho- a fe(er %issipates -hen the actual infirmity in the bo%y is relie(e%#
)uch a cause an% effect relationship bet-een a%%iction an% the legal an% social status of
%rugs an% %rug abuse in%icates that one1s ten%encies to succumb to a%%iction is base% on one1s
state of min%# This coul% be attribute% to the i%ea that one1s state of min% is affecte% by settings'
surroun%ings' an% circumstance along -ith genetic %isposition# 2i0e-ise' hallucinogens ha(e
been foun% to ha(e a profoun% ability to heal a%%iction' but only un%er special settings'
surroun%ings' an% circumstances as is %emonstrate% in &olan% <riffith1s stu%y title%
34allucinogens as Me%icine6# This concept that most psychoacti(e substances' inclu%ing
a%%icti(e %rugs such as heroin an% cocaine' ha(e (arious effects on the min% an% bo%y %epen%ing
on the users conscious state# <riffith1s stu%y seems to con(ey that shoul% a %rug be use% to heal
in a healing setting' the %rug -ill be accepte% by the min% an% bo%y as a healing agent# $t also
seems to in%icate that shoul% a %rug be use% recreationally' in an accepte% recreational setting'
such as alcohol in a bar' the %rug is accepte% by the min% an% bo%y as an accepte% social acti(ity#
$t is a recent phenomena that the use of %rugs has ta0en on a negati(e connotation# This
negati(ity puts the user in an emotional state -here one belie(es that -hat they are participating
in is a negati(e acti(ity lea%ing them to feel ashame% for %oing something -rong# $f -hat
<riffith1s paper proposes is true' then the suppression an% negati(ity associate% -ith prohibition
may ha(e a profoun% influence on the state of min% of some in%i(i%uals %uring their
participation in recreational %rug use# This negati(e state of min% -oul%' accor%ing to &olan%'
Proposal The Mythical Drug Problem Wright A of 10
cause the %rug to ha(e a negati(e impact on the user1s psyche#
Drug use has not al-ays ha% a negati(e association# ,ccor%ing to Paul De(ereu7' the
author of 3The 2ong Trip: , Prehistory of Psyche%elia6' psychoacti(e substances an% plants ha(e
playe% a ma8or roll in the %e(elopment of the human race up until recently# Perhaps it is the
su%%en %ismissal of %rugs as a tool for spiritual an% psychological %e(elopment -hich may ha(e
a role to play in a%%iction an% the abuse of %rugs# The human race may ha(e e(ol(e% to use
certain %rugs as a %e(elopmental tool in con8unction -ith proper psychological elements as is
foun% in certain rituals# $f this is so' then it may be plausible to conclu%e that' as a species' -e
ha(e been prepare% by e(olution to accept altere% states of consciousness as a necessary
precursor in the %e(elopmental ritual# Because the ritualistic aspects of using altere% states for
%e(elopment has been lost' -hen one ingests a min%altering %rug' lac0ing the ritual to
accomplish the %e(elopment' the user may e7perience a feeling of emptiness -ithout
accomplishment# This empty an% unaccomplishe% feeling may prompt the user to continue to use
the substance in search of the complete% accomplishment of self%e(elopment' yet ne(er
obtaining it#
This loss of ritual has se(erely limite% the un%erstan%ing of each %rug' their effects on
consciousness an% ho- to use them properly -ith the le(el of respect they %eser(e as
psychological an% spiritual tools# $n or%er to finally alle(iate the symptom of a%%iction an% to
properly reintegrate the use of psychoacti(e substances as healing agents into the -orl%'
consi%eration must be lent to complete legali;ation' regulation' an% thorough stu%y of each
substance in (arious settings' surroun%ings' an% circumstances# This -ill allo- us to unco(er the
most effecti(e metho% for using each %rug as healing an% %e(elopmental agents#
Proposal The Mythical Drug Problem Wright ? of 10
Problem ,nalysis
Drug legali;ation is a sensiti(e topic' a%amantly oppose% by many' especially the more
conser(ati(e# 2egali;ing heroin' cocaine' an% methamphetamine is an e(en more sensiti(e topic#
The opposition to legali;ation feel that legali;ing %rugs -ill only cause the problem of a%%iction
to ha(e a casca%e effect to the point of a literal plague of a%%iction# *ommon sense says that if
%rugs are ma%e more a(ailable an% less e7pensi(e' a horrifying increase in %rug use an%
a%%iction -ill be inescapable# This is a (ali% concern -hich absolutely %eser(es a %etaile%
analysis#
Many countries aroun% the -orl% ha(e begun to legali;e or %ecriminali;e %rugs -ith
absolutely phenomenal results# ,ccor%ing to an article in The ,ssociate% Press by Barry 4atton
an% Martha Meno;a' after Portugal legali;e% all %rugsC ne- a%%iction cases %roppe% by 22@'
o(er%oses %ecrease% by ?2@' an% %rug relate% 4$= infections %roppe% by D1@# )ince
)-it;erlan% legali;e% all %rugs in 1EEA' there has not been one single reporte% o(er%ose#
<ermany %ecriminali;e% -ith similar results as -ell as Me7ico an% many other European an%
)outh ,merican countries# Though it may seem counterintuiti(e' legali;ation actually %ecreases
a%%iction an% a%%iction relate% problems#
,nother great boon that comes -ith legali;ation is that the %rugs are no longer regulate%
by the blac0 mar0et# 2a- Enforcement ,gainst Prohibition' in their recent publication' 1En%ing
The Drug War1' sho-s that once %rugs are legali;e%' the %rug tra%e blac0 mar0et imme%iately
%issol(es' %rug %ealing %isappears' an% -ith it goes police an% citi;en crossfire fatalities relate%
to smuggling an% selling# ,ccor%ing to the 3Drug War *loc06 foun% on Drug)ense#com' our
country has spent o(er F"1'E!0'!1!'0>! on the War +n Drugs# Many other countries -ho ha(e
Proposal The Mythical Drug Problem Wright ! of 10
legali;e% ha(e ta0en this money an% opene% clinics' research centers' nee%le e7change programs'
an% other programs %esigne% to minimi;e the health ris0s of %rug abuse an% the problem of
a%%iction# 4un%re%s of thousan%s of citi;ens -ill no longer be put into prisons an% 8ails' gi(ing
them a chance to ha(e a true reco(ery' get a 8ob' an% become pro%ucti(e ta7 paying citi;ens# ,s
is pointe% out by 2#E#,#P# in their publication 1En%ing The Drug War1' countries -ho legali;e all
%rugs en8oy a healthier economy' less a%%iction' less %isease' an% less crime#
Proponents of sobriety an% reco(ery in the accepte% me%ical an% sociopolitical sense of
these terms may thin0 that using hallucinogenic %rugs to treat %rug a%%iction is a ba% i%ea as that
the patients are still 3getting high6# This concern may be relie(e% -ith the research put forth by
such researchers as Dr# &ic0 )trassman# )trassman has con%ucte% numerous e7periments on
hallucinogenic %rugs an% their effects on consciousness an% a%%iction# )trassman an% his team
stu%ie% a psychoacti(e %rug 0no-n as 0etamine an% its effect on a%%iction# They foun% that after
8ust three treatments of high %oses of 0etamine' the a%%icts %esire to continue to use heroin
stea%ily %ecline% o(er the course of a year# ,nother highly potent hallucinogen calle% $bogaine
has sho-n e(en greater promise as an a%%iction treatment# ,n e7perimental ibogaine clinic run
by Dr Deborah Mash has reporte% o(er E0@ of patients completely lose all %esire to get high an%
ha(e retaine% sobriety for a nearly 20 year span of time after 8ust one single ibogaine treatment#
Plan For )ol(ing the Problem
)e(eral countries ha(e alrea%y ha% outstan%ing success after legali;ing all %rugs as has
been pointe% out by se(eral pre(iously mentione% research papers# Petitions are alrea%y in
circulation for legali;ation of all %rugs in The Gnite% )tates# +ne of the groups hea%ing this
mo(ement is 2a- Enforcement ,gainst Prohibition H2#E#,#P#I# 2#E#,#P# is a group of retire% la-
Proposal The Mythical Drug Problem Wright D of 10
enforcement officers' fe%eral 8u%ges' la-yers' %istrict 8u%ges' an% senators -ho ha(e -itnesse%
first han% the problems associate% -ith prohibition# Me%ical mari8uana has been a ma8or player
in opening the public min% to the i%ea that if mari8uana has such astoun%ing me%ical (alue' then
it may be possible that these other %rugs also might ha(e similar me%ical properties# The public
must become more acti(e in The War ,gainst The War on Drugs# Through legali;ation of all
%rugs The Gnite% )tates gains groun% as the regulators an% %istributors of the %rugs instea% of
the mafias an% gangs# These blac0 mar0ets of mafias an% gangs -ill no longer be able to regulate
the %rug tra%e' alle(iating the stresses of %rug relate% (iolence an% o(ercro-%e% 8ails an% prisons#
$t shoul% be The Gnite% )tates primary focus' -hen %ealing -ith a%%iction an% %rug relate%
crime' to consi%er the alrea%y successful strategy of full legali;ation of all %rugs# This is crucial
in healing a%%iction an% other socioeconomic issues# This is because it gi(es the people an% the
go(ernment a strong foothol% on the regulation of %rugs an% the entire situation surroun%ing the
problems -ith The War +n Drugs -ithout interference of the blac0 mar0et#
,fter all %rugs are legali;e% an% properly regulate%' the ne7t most logical step -oul% be
to use the money pre(iously spent on The War +n Drugs to further research %rugs an% their
effects# By opening the %oor to professional uni(ersity le(el stu%ies an% e7periments of all %rugs'
our 0no-le%ge an% un%erstan%ing of the me%icinal psychological effects of %rugs -ill hopefully
see tremen%ous gro-th# Drugs -ill no longer be clumpe% into one category# Each %rug (ery -ell
may ta0e on its o-n persona as a healing agent for specific psychological an% emotional
ailments# There may be enough money to stu%y each %rug un%er a (ariety of settings an%
circumstances# +ur un%erstan%ing of ho- the properties of %rugs change accor%ing to the
conscious state of the user -ill most li0ely coalesce into e7tremely effecti(e treatments# We may
Proposal The Mythical Drug Problem Wright > of 10
fin% that the psychological ailments an% per(ersions such that -e fin% in serial 0illers' rapists'
an% chil% molesters -ill finally be fully treatable' gi(ing our society the possibility of stepping
into an entirely ne- era of peace an% unity such as -e ha(e ne(er seen before#
*ostJBenefit ,nalysis
Despite the promising possibilities -e see as %eli(ere% by other countries through the
legali;ation of all %rugs' there is a ris0 factor that -hat -or0e% for them may not -or0 for us'
ho-e(er unli0ely# $t is possible that' as a nation of consumers' if %rugs -ere legali;e% -e might
see a massi(e boom in a%%iction rates an% %rug use# 4o-e(er' the e(i%ence pre(iously site%
gi(es reason to e7pect the same outcome as other countries' such as <ermany' Portugal' an% The
.etherlan%s' -ho ha(e alrea%y legali;e% all %rugs#
4allucinogens as healing agents is gaining a lot of groun% in the a%%iction research
community# .obo%y -ants to be a 8un0y fore(er# $t may e(en appeal to some as glamorous' but
after the %e(astating effects of a full fle%ge% a%%iction' one al-ays goes see0ing for help# The
benefit of legali;ing %rugs from the point of (ie- that it -ill increase our un%erstan%ing of ho-
to heal %rug a%%iction -ith psychoacti(e substances' -oul% counter the possibility of an
a%%iction boom after legali;ation#
*onclusion
Drugs are hea(ily misun%erstoo% entities# We ha(e (ery little 0no-le%ge of ho- they
really -or0' -hat consciousness is' an% the relationship bet-een the t-o# Most people in the
,merican *ulture ha(e fille% themsel(es -ith fear concerning %rugs' in particular %rugs -hich
are classifie% as a%%icti(e an% hallucinogenic# $t has become apparent that each %rug has a
Proposal The Mythical Drug Problem Wright E of 10
massi(e array of effects on the conscious min%# ,s is %emonstrate% earlier' these effects are
hea(ily %epen%ent on ones state of min%# ,s recent research suggests' the War +n Drugs an% it1s
negati(e effects on our country has altere% our perception of %rugs thus altering our state of min%
concerning the matter# ,ll %rugs nee% to be reassesse% an% carefully stu%ie%# The legali;ation of
%rugs -ill not only alter our perception of them' but it -ill lift the (eil of fear' a%%iction' an%
(iolence so as to gi(e us a clear (ie- an% reinitiate the once synergistic relationship bet-een
humans an% %rugs#
Proposal The Mythical Drug Problem Wright 10 of 10
Wor0s *ite%
De(ereu7' Paul# The Long Trip# Brisbane' ,ustralia: Daily <rail Publishing' 1EED# Paperbac0#
Fran0lin' )tanfor%# 3The War +n Drugs 4as Faile%6# Google Tech Talks ,ug 2D' 2010#
Youtube.com. Web# 11 +ctober 2011
<riffiths' &olan%#' <rob' *harles# 34allucinogens ,s Me%icine6# Scientific American# December
2010# Ebsco Host# Web. 21 )eptember' 2011#
4atton' Barry# Men%o;a' Martha# 3Decriminali;ation , )uccess $n Portugal6# The Washington
Post December 2D' 2010# The Washington Post. Web. 11 +ctober 2011
2a- Enforcement ,gainst Prohibition# 3En%ing The Drug War: , Dream Deferre%6# Leap.cc#
June 2011# 11 .o(ember 2011#
Mar0off' John# 3)te(en P# Jobs' 1E??20116# The e! York Times +ct ?' 2011# The e! York
Times. Web# 11 +ctober 2011#