ImperialViolet

Ok, a slightly political entry today...

Firstly, I tip my hat to the people behind a new scholarship created for whites only. And I hope it enrages every racist black organisation simply because I want to see them defend their black only scholarships and attack this at the same time. A wonderful example of why racism by white people is racist and racism by black people is `positive action'.

Next up, a Guardian article today (page 3): Goodbye ecstasy, hello 5-Meo-DMT. It's only in their paper and beta-test editions, so no link I'm afraid.

It discusses the increasing use of chemicals that are legal in the US, but illegal here, such as 5-MeO-[DMT|DiPT] and 2C-[B|I]. Now these chemicals are still fairly rare and I've never even heard of anyone taking them. (But don't confuse 5-MeO-DMT with regular N,N-DMT, which is much older and common).

The rapid growth in the transatlantic online trade in such chemicals has been fueled by international differences over legality. While Britain has outlawed all of these drugs under an amendment to the Misuse Of Drugs Act in February 2002 they remain legal in most other countries, including the majority of EU member states. Even in the US, despite some of the most draconian anti-drug laws in the world, the bulk of research chemicals are legal to manufacture, sell, possess and consume.

The leading research chemical sites compete openly to offer the purest product, the best customer service, the fastest deliveries and the lowest prices. Sophisticated e-commerce technology, electronic payment systems and next day courier services guarantee swift, effortless "one-click" transactions

The EU recently recommended that member states ban 2C-I as a matter of urgency, although they turned up no evidence of large-scale manufacture. The police, however, were quick to sound the alarm. "The chemicals to make this are available and it can be made pretty much anywhere," a source said.

Nowhere have we had the slightest justification of the banning of these chemicals. It's not even discussed - they don't even try to give reasons. We have now reached the point where "drugs are baadd" is an axion of our society.

I'm perfectly free to go jump out of a plane. A totally unconstructive, reckless act that serves no end but by own pleasure. People who trek across the Arctic are heros. Those who die are tragic.

Those who ingest 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Iodophenethylamine are criminals and those who die are used to justify the banning of it. Although, it seems, we don't even need that any more.

Now, I'm not saying that experimenting with these drugs is a good idea. Frankly, experimenting with new drugs is pretty damm stupid as far as I'm concerned. But I'm not going to stop anyone else from trying it.

And what effect does banning every psychoactive chemical have on research? Most research grant boards won't go near these areas. It's just not worth the bother and we don't know what damage this is doing to medical knowledge because we won't even investigate it.

Next time you're preached to about the dangers of drugs. Just wonder to yourself about how many of those dangers are caused by the prohibition that they are used to justify. Better yet, wonder out loud because that's either called circular reasoning or bullshit depending on your company.