I sure would not have bought from you, as it's a stupid idea to buy from someone inside a club where it very well may be the case that the seller did not do quality control. For me, that would have been the part to feel bad about: "How on earth could I put other ravers lives in danger by selling pills that I have not had tested, and that could contain pretty much anything?".

I also agree that MDMA can be a dangerous substance of course. Far less toxic than alcohol, but still.

But compared to this, ending up in the US jail system carries FAR bigger risks. As you said: It could have ruined your life. It could also have ruined the life of people who bought from you, as they could also have ended up getting arrested.

I really can not imagine a drug available that will do worse things to your life than ending up inside the US jail system.

Isn't that precisely an argument for legalisation? You wouldn't have 19 year kids selling shit, you would have pharmacies and certification processes and etc.

In many countries street weed is much cheaper than legal one from the pharmacy.

19 years kids could be selling even more knowing they would not be locked for 10+ years.

I agree it's one argument. But, my views on legalization at the moment are these:

Alcohol is a drug, and it gets you drunk. Has side-effects, affects long-term health, etc, etc.

Weed is a drug, and in my personal experience it's WAY more "drug" than alcohol, especially how it's used nowadays. Also, across all cultures/races, studies show that the earlier a person starts consuming it, the higher the risk of developing some sort of psychosis later in life (I have my own theories as to "why").

Also, who smokes weed the most? When I did clinical rotations in New York it was the poor and the less educated that smoked weed all day. I would even see black mothers in ghetto areas who took their children to the park and just sit in the benches smoking weed, not paying attention to or interacting with their children, which to me is a very bad example and perpetuating a negative cycle.

The more educated did it occasionally, and with self control. So unrestricted access to weed for those with less self-control and goal-oriented behavior is more likely to ruin their lives; the very people who instead need to cultivate more self control and goal-oriented behavior.

I'm glad that weed is now available legally, because it guarantees users a clean product, as opposed to nowadays in KY where I'm at lots of illicit weed is laced with fentanyl-like compounds. I consume THC + CBD every once in a blue moon, and I don't dare touch street products for various reasons.

MDMA legal...well, I haven't seen anyone die from weed. But MDMA is quite dangerous. And who screens beforehand if that person has a cardiovascular issue they may not even be aware of? Alcohol and weed don't have much of a short-term effect on the heart. MDMA is an amphetamine-like compound.

These are my thoughts at the moment.

In general most psychoactive substances should only be tried once you are a stable person. While your brain and mindset is still in early development it may cause harm.

This is especially the case if you have a trauma hidden. I have seen people who got abused as a kid, and then in their early 20iers tried LSD, and absolutely weren't ready for their brain to suddenly bring up those memories.

OTOH: I'm going to large rave festivals often. There you see the ambulance cars mostly unused. If you go to Oktoberfest, there is constant activity and people getting hospitalized. And people look really fucked up, throwing up everywhere, etc. Overdosing alcohol is more common than with any other drug.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Rational...

I wonder how many people here would agree with your claim "it is a dangerous substance when used without medical supervision". Often in hacker circles soft drugs are viewed as something people can take on their own provided that, as you suggest, purity is guaranteed. And while setting and trusted and savvy companionship is important, the involvement of a medical professional may kill the whole freespirited vibe.

I just posted a response in part of the thread saying "The minimum sentence had been recently enforced at that time", which is part of my explanation for that.

As a teenager I encountered so many people who thought they were experts with drugs because nothing had yet happened to them.

Nowadays, finishing up med school, with tons of real pharmacology and clinical knowledge, having seen lots of things in the psych wards, the ER, and stories from my wife (a physician too), I've come to realize that most people who think they know about these substances and their dangers don't really know.

Anyone can educate themselves, but lots of "drug customers", especially the most susceptible (youth + less educated), don't even have a background to know HOW to educate themselves properly concerning these things. Their knowledge is tainted by "most comments online say..." plus "and my friends who know all about these drugs..." plus "and one study I read" = so all I have to do is X, Y, Z.

I’m not sure I’d consider mdma to be a soft drug.

Over-dosing acid by a factor of 10 will be scary for a few hours. Doing it with mdma will likely be scary for your family in the hospital.

Over-dosing vodka by a factor of 10 will likely be scary for your family in the hospital. Same goes for nutmeg.

Part of the danger of a substance is how much distance there is between the substance doing something intended and something unintended by taking a higher dose.

Part of the problem of the opiod endemic in the US is that fentanyl is so potent that due to fluctuations in the incompetent black market on it, and/or due to incompetence by its users, things can turn deadly quickly.

The other thing is how long it takes for you to notice the effects of a substance. If you get a quick result it's far less dangerous to overdose, as you'll notice when it's enough.