The "War On Drugs"

[GreenBanana]

One month ago my little brother, one of about three people on this planet I truly loved and who truly loved me, a person I would without question die to protect without a second thought, was "partying" with his so called friends. He had a severe and adverse reaction to the illegal street drugs they had picked up. He tried this particular drug for the first and last time that night. His friends immediately knew there was a major problem but were too afraid of the repercussions from "law enforcement" to seek medical help or even call 911 for him. I've learned that they instead drove him home, carried him, barely breathing, foaming from his mouth and unconscious, to his bed and left him there for my poor mother to discover the next day, cold and grey, to use her words.

This sick war on drugs cannot stop soon enough and it should not end at marijuana. The war on drugs does nothing but enrich politicians, bureaucrats and their friends, tear apart families, cost people their livelihoods, futures, privacy, freedom or, as in this case, their lives.

Am I upset with his friends or do I want them prosecuted? Upset? Yes. I do absolutely think they could and should have handled the situation differently, or at least called me to let me deal with it but prosecuted? No. Enough damage has been done, it won't change anything or let me hug my little brother one more time and, unfortunately, I completely understand why they were afraid. They were afraid because of this sick war on drugs and they did not want to risk spending a decade locked in a fucking cage because they made a phone call. Yes, obviously he made a choice and took risks of his own free will but if drugs were legal there would be FAR less risk involved. It's also the war on drugs that prevented him from getting any help and THAT is what I am mad as hell about.

I hope I live to see the day that all drugs are legal, a day when what substance is in a peaceful person's body, their vehicle, home or pocket is their business and their business alone. I hope that darknet markets no longer have to hide in the dark but are encouraged to flourish so that they can reach a level of real, above-board professionalism with things like reliable third party test results for strength and purity next to each product. More than all I hope I live to see the day that someone can call an ambulance to save their friend's life without hesitating because they are scared to death that they will have their freedom robbed from them for doing so.

I wish I did not have this particular real world example to show how misguided the "war on drugs" is. I liked it much better when it was only a theoretical argument for me but but I am sharing my brother's story to hopefully show a different perspective on an event like this rather than the knee-jerk reaction we almost always see on the media (or at a sentencing). Instead of screaming that we need more laws or that drugs need to be made "more illegal" somehow, I wish more people could take a step back, look at the bigger picture and see how these laws do nothing but hurt the people who need help the most.

[rogerver]

I just helped spread your story with the world:

https://twitter.com/rogerkver/status/648869381447901184

[GreenBanana]

I just helped spread your story with the world:

Thank you Roger. This is the picture from his obituary. Maybe this can be another difference he makes in the world without even knowing it.