Heroin Helper Blog

oh Dr H
its been a wild week, one of great amusement but just as well, Dr. H I've actually got a few questions and then something I'm actually still trying to dig up right now but I'm having difficulty navigating the waves of the internet. lol. (I wonder if surfing the web is still acceptable slang as it was in the days of AOL and the 90s and the Clinton era, etc?)

Well what I'm trying to find is an article I'd read I would say no more than a month or two ago. It was a good article about mice experiments with regards to cocaine. Does this at all sound familiar? Did you happen upon anything like that in recent months? As soon as I find it, and by the patron saint of junkies Padre Pio, I will find it, I will definitely be sure to give it to you.

As we've discussed somewhat before, the horrendous pot elitism and pot bias in the so called "internet reform media" makes it difficult for us "heathen" to find stories and information pertaining to the full scope of the prohibition problem. I would like to point out that, just recently I'd seen several articles that we're in my estimation somewhat important certainly interesting and I'll mention them to you, just incase your bored and looking for some interesting reading.

Well there was an article out of British Colombia whereby someone and I'm not sure exactly what the title but someone of the Government with a high position in the medical world - maybe the British Colombian Surgeon General or Minister of Medicine? LOL - I'm not sure but he had a formal press conference coming out in support of MDMA. He said, and this I'm not 100% sure if it was that he said that essentially, genuine, pure E was as safe as pot or wether it was that he'd said E was safer than pot. Nevertheless, it was one of the very rare high profile E Prohibition moments. Certainly anytime a high profile government official comes out to support a drug that ISNT pot, I'd think it's worth a read.

Then of course, ooffff course, an issue all too familiar to our lovely lot, ah yes, the Needle Exchange. I do not know why but after typing that I had an image of an old Woolworths in my mind. You know the old chain? LOL. With some Rockwell-esque paintings and a Woolworth store at the mention of Needle Exchange. Well, the update on the Exchange lol, the wallstreet of us enlightened lot who prefer to smoke with aluminum foil as opposed to vanilla dutch, if you will, is that our wonderfully corrupt Government finds needle exchange once again in it's many paper works, seeking funding and recreation. Frankly, and I'd like your take on it Dr. H, what I make of needle exchange is, I think its a nice concession and convenience for casual consumers of needle filled drugs. I mean, i think that its a nice suggestion, oh and please dont get me wrong, I am not at all AGAINST needle exchange! By any means! I would kind of say it's akin to a Christmas morning when the child obsessed with, oh i dont know, and maybe im showing my age here but pokemon or the WWF and opens up his presents to find sweater after sweater. you know?

I mean, surely we've all had conversations with lads who've heard of needle exchange but had never dealt with it and what I mean to say is, when your doing the things we do, and one of the new members of our secret society, lol, says to the point of noone having spare works - "ah, well, is there needle exchange in this city?" - well my son, you know, you need a dirty needle to exchange with them for a clean one and your dilemna is you have no works at all. lol.

I mean, i think the Needle Exchange thing is nice but as I'd said to someone I mean, for the lot of our peoples who are unfortunately at that point where they're completely at the mercy of prohibition, not getting arrested becomes the number 2 priority behind not not having dope. you know? And because of that so much of the time is spent trying to finance your endeavors and often in the public, so often they dont have their works on them. Whats more, by the time they've settled that daily dilemna, the idea of taking time away from the daily routine in which time and what you do with your time can be the difference between hell on earth and nirvana, for a travel someplace to get clean works, eh, i just dont think it helps that much.

There were other interesting articles Dr H, i was rather surprised just how many I'd found that were actually about drugs and the word drug wasn't being used to mean pot. Nevertheless, I have to say, I was so absolutely frustrated, as usual, and I guess I should be used to it by now but I guess when one is passionate about a cause or what have you, truly passionate and devoted to its cause, it's principles and it's peoples, I guess one can never go completely numb when that passion is affronted.

I mean, there have been many times when there was nothing but pot news in rotation and the reformers found obscure ways to atleast wink if not nod to other drugs. However, with so many different stories coming out in recent weeks, I mean, ranging from E to H to the Exchange and heroin maintenance in Australasia, I just couldn't believe the ignorance of the usual suspects in devoting all their attention to pot. And I speak only of those who say they're seeking to "stop the drug war" because "Jimbos Reefer Madness Site" is appropriately titled - I'd be wrong to visit them in their first place given my intentions but I will atleast sorta try to hold accountable those who would make you believe they were looking to further the cause of Drug reform by using the word Drug instead of pot.

I was particularly frustrated by an article mirrored on a so called drug war reform site (that is often outrageously bias to pot) that is run by an otherwise rather intelligent professor. The article headline said something to the effect that a top DEA officer would not say that heroin was worse for one than pot. The DEA officer essentially tried to categorize all drugs, as, "bad."

Well what ensued in my opinion now was a typical example of the sad state of affairs of the reform world. Where as you so accurately have pointed out so many times, the pot people turned on everyone else, betraying all allies and potential allies at the slightest thought that their mangled maple leaf was in jeopardy. I had written a reply I'd like to share with you - I'm not surprised they deleted it. I dont think it contains vulgarity perhaps all it contains in the words of Al "Stoic" Gore, in my opinion once again is a Inconvenient Truth - if you will.

"this is lame pot elitist b.s. no i am not pro prohibition i am pro heroin. i am not joking i am not kidding i am a long time heroin opiate lover who got tired of seeing us all picked on and made fun of and treated like crap. i decided we should be just as proud as anybody else who is proud of using drugs, like when someone wears 420 shirts or pot leaf stuff. So when i came to that realization a long time ago i decided to take my needle loving, dope banging ass into the world of drug reform. it's sad - real sad. its just as sad and pathetic as prohibition and i speak for all us purveyors, consumers and lovers of the so called "hard drugs" (i wont use words like addict or addiction and other stupid prohibition lies) when i say that we are hideously under-represented in reform. we are so absolutely mistreated, misrepresented and its gross. Im talking about the treatment we get from other reformers. im talking about the way the reform world looks at us, deals with us. You see, if a site is about the drug war well that encompasses the drug war, all drugs right? it doesnt say pot war. but there are lots of sites that are exclusive to the pot situation. nevertheless, so many so called drug war sites just use the word drug as a substitute for pot. I'm sorry but pot isn't the only prohibited drug in the US. Uh and as far as we're concerned pot sucks. it is so lame and boring. yeah. thats the opinion of us opiate users and we've all heard that dumb "hey duude why dont you just smoke some weed maaan?" uh cause straight up it doesnt even remotely compare to the nirvana of opiates. not even close. ive also realized pot lovers and pot elitists especially seem to be some of the most selfish, self centered, me me me me people ive ever encountered. i think obsessive self interest/devotion is one of the unreported symptoms of pot love akin to the munchies. I'm honestly afraid for other heroin lovers who've had enough abuse and realize what i have and decide to try and do something about it and come to the reform world where they join hand in hand with a majority that is pot biased and then stab us in the back when the prohibitionists offer them the slightest advantage "but, oh no, not the hard stuff." LOL. Oh, and as far as peace goes duuuuuuuuuuude i just thought id point out that the most peaceful time and most productive time and happiest in recorded history just so happened to be under the reign of Augustus who was an opiate lover and made that a common consumption of his people. indeed it was the mighty poppy that brought about the uncanny level of "love and peace" that i speak of, not the fangled maple leaf that smells like dung and whose horrid stench is remarkably not as bad as the stench of the selfish, boring and awfully predictable trend-whores who smoke it. "

Well Dr. H it has been a pleasure as always and I thoroughly enjoyed the music and the nod to the legends. Of course. Our lot, so expansive, SO CLASSY compared to some of the horrendous celebrity and musical examples of the pot lot. i'll take Miles, Edith OH AND LEADBELLY Dr H, absolutely LEADBELLY, over Jerry anyday.

I really like Edith Piaf. She's one of those artists whose voice immediately transports me to another time. I had listened to her many times before I knew the name behind the voice, but even then I didn't know anything about her life. Thanks for posting this.

On another note, it's interesting, and different from many other blogs, how people seem to comment directly to you, rather than to the public. Discussions here are, as far as I can see, between just you and the commenter. Do you think this is because you reply to most comments, or just because there is a lack of comments in general? I do this too, and I'm not implying that it's a bad thing - just an observation.

I really like that you take the time to read and reply to your comments. I always try to read the comments, for there will often be added information that is just as insightful as the original article.

@mack - It is very personal, isn't it? I think it is a combination of the things you've mentioned. I would love for the sites to become popular enough that I wouldn't be able to comment to everyone. As it is, I usually have to schedule time just to read CJ's missives. The one thing I would add is that my approach to everything is very personal. What I've noticed in organizing events is that if you want people to come, ask them. This is more true today than ever. It is only too easy to create a form letter. I want people to know that it does matter to me that they come here. Of course, the few people who do comment are interesting, so it is pretty easy.

As for Piaf, I've been on a French kick recently. I've written two articles about Brel who I really like. Piaf's life was rather sad, but at least she wasn't under arrest while she died, like Billie Holiday. But the French are a more civilized people I'm afraid.

@CJ - I hadn't heard of the MDMA story. It doesn't surprise me. I've never understood the big deal about the drug. It seems very subtle. But then, it isn't a corporate drug, so it must be bad.

BTW, I think it is interesting the medical "marijuana" is distributed. The prices are still sky high, so the primary advantage of legality is taken away. But that's what you get when you pretend a drug is legal when it really isn't.

@CJ - There is no doubt that needle exchanges are a poor substitute for being able to go to the drug store and buy them. There are exchanges that are effectively open every day, but that's rare. But they are far better than nothing.

As for the Catch-22 aspects of them, I don't think this is so bad. For one thing, many exchanges don't require that you turn anything in. But for another, no one (I wish New Jersey governors would understand this: NO ONE!) goes to a needle exchange thinking of getting syringes in anticipation of shooting dope for the first time.

@CJ - I am of two minds about cannabis legalization. From the standpoint of human rights and the criminal justice system, legalizing cannabis is very important and good because it is so widely used. From the standpoint of drug/mind freedom, it is likely very bad, because the moment cannabis is legal, all of the drug war power that is now largely aimed at cannabis will be aimed at all the other drugs. I suspect that MDMA will be hit particularly hard. Pills may also be. I tend to think that H is already as persecutes as it can be.

If you want to be liked, or even tolerated, by the cannabis clique, you are best off not calling them whores. :)

I don't know about Leadbelly and drugs, other than "Take a Wiff on Me." But he is certainly great. I have a lot of his music.

I have the same divided view on cannabis legalization. It's hard for me to decide whether legalizing cannabis would be a step in the right direction or if it would just cause more harm than it's worth.

If cannabis legalization were put up for a nationwide public referendum, I would have a very hard time deciding whether to vote yea or nay. I think it likely that I would walk out of the voting booth feeling guilty regardless of what my vote was.

One thing regarding cannabis that makes me furious is how the DEA goes after medical cannabis patients. I can understand why they'd go after suppliers, but going after the people that really do need cannabis for real medicinal uses is just low. "We're going to punish you now for trying to treat your awful pain and symptoms of terminal illness with the only drug that works."

It really shows how inaccurate and stupid the drug Scheduling is. The fact that heroin is Schedule I is enough to show a lack of credibility, considering that heroin has medical applications and is still used as an analgesic in various European countries.

And you're right about the medical cannabis prices negating the advantage of legality. I've heard of prices as high as $20 a gram for certain strains. You can find cheaper weed on the black market that's just as good!

@mack - In the end, I am for cannabis legalization, simply because something like 80% of those in prison for drug offenses are there for cannabis. So from a social justice standpoint, I think the good outweighs the bad. But I am concerned about it.

The drug scheduling is awful. How can it be that heroin has no medical use in the US but it does have medical use in the UK? If they want to say that no one can have heroin, that's one thing. But to say it has no medical use just makes them look stupid.

I agree. There are too many people suffering in prison due to bad policy. I'm for legalizing all drugs, including cannabis, and if the hypothetical vote from my last comment were to really happen, I would probably vote yes. But I do think the concerns over the new problems that would arise from the legalization of cannabis are valid.

If cannabis were to be legalized, I wonder what would become of the drug policy reform movement. Do you think many of them would cease to operate, or would they continue to keep fighting for the legalization of all drugs?

Also, what do you know about the private prison industry and how it effects drug policy?

@mack - If cannabis were legalized, I believe these groups would go the NRA way: they would oppose every effort to limit cannabis availability. Sadly, I think they would be right because I can imagine a lot of sideways attacks.

I'm trying to learn more about private prisons. They don't seem to have had a big effect on drug policy. We already have the industry unions and forces pushing this agenda as hard as possible. But you can count on the future looking ever bleaker.

I'll try to do some research on this.