Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
Based on its evolving needs and plenty of user feedback, we are trying to bring some order and institute some rules. Please make sure you read these rules and participate in the spirit of this community.
Rules for General Chat
-
Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
-
Avoid long drawn out arguments. This should be a place to relax, not to waste your time needlessly.
-
Personal anecdotes, puzzles, cute pics/clips - everything welcome
-
Please do not spam at the top level. If you have a lot to post each day, try and post them all together in one top level comment
-
Try keep things light. If you are bringing in deep stuff, try not to go overboard.
-
Things that are clearly on-topic for this board should be posted as a separate post and not here (except if you are new and still getting the feel of this place)
-
If you find people violating these rules, deport them rather than start a argument here.
-
Feel free to give feedback as these rules are expected to keep evoloving
In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
someone suggested this ought to be reposted here (as well? or instead?):
Legalize All Drugs, Yes or No?
I'm kind of for legalizing all drugs, slowly, while also putting in place societal infrastructure for discouraging the abuse of drugs and to help people who become addicts.
I can elaborate on further reasons for legalization of drugs if requested; it is not however a top priority to me as a policy issue so I don't focus on it as much for that reason.
What do you think about drug legalization or criminalization?
Define "drug."
IMO if it grows out of the ground it's not a drug and should be unrestricted.
Worth mentioning that cannabis and psilocybin are non-addictive.
I would probably include heroin, meth, cocaine... any of these kinds of things conventionally called "drugs". It's often a personal responsibility and culture issue, not the fact that any of these are legal. It's legal for a 21 year old to purchase some "addictive" alcohol and overdose currently, but they won't do so if they feel personally responsible or don't live in a culture that promotes drinking to excess.
Personally I see no value in substances like heroin, cocaine, and meth. Setting aside the addictive properties, they are too much like the poisons big pharma hands out.
And as I alluded to above, they are not natural. Even alcohol is found in nature.
Do you think fentanyl should be legal?
comes from opium which is used medicinally I think as a painkiller and derivatives
comes from coca which is used to relieve altitude sickness
apparently used to treat obesity (lol?) and ADHD, although perhaps controversially?
actually a weird example as someone I know received some from a hospital recently (so apparently it's used medically?); I had no idea it was being used in hospitals. So I'd assume the answer is yes, it should be legal since it's being used with a purpose, and then yes it should be available over the counter, because why would we want to let doctors have the ability to cut us off from drugs we want and need for our health? The covid disasters have shown how dangerous that can be.
so again one angle I look from is related to medical freedom, but I'm certainly concerned with problems of addiction and violence related to drug trades