Posts by Virginia Brooks
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Hard News: Illegal Highs, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
Re Rudmans article - he is spot on. But humans are not the only mammals seeking seeking highs.
Apparently juvenile dolphins congregate in circles and pass puffer fish between themselves to get high. Bonus: this article features the excellent fake turtle cam which helped catch the incriminating footage (hilarious):
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Rip it up was a great mag back in the day. Thanks for the writing Russell. Glad to hear the mag is going to be free for all again.
I remember catching the bus into town as a teen - finding RIP - coming home and tuning into BFM on my clock radio (because no-one else played that kind of music at the time) - could only get reception in one corner of the room-
The suzzy roach song by the Roaches was popular - 'I worked in the Laundromat, the one that suzzy roach does her at. I hate her guts...'
Good teen girl angst song (or something like that).The strips comic magazines were another nz creative gem from that time.
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Hard News: Sorting out our thinking on drugs, in reply to Chris Waugh,
Thanks Chris for the clarification re manufacturing standards. I see now you are in Beijing, so 'on the ground' so to speak. I got my info from various articles I've read.
re the herbal component : yes, ephedrine. Its a medicinal herb with a long history. It gets a good price here in NZ.
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Hard News: Sorting out our thinking on drugs, in reply to Russell Brown,
re: This will be like when BZP was banned: firesaling, stockpiling, a flood out into the illicit market...
Yes, its an awful mistake to announce the change so far ahead of closing the shops. Everything goes underground again.
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Hard News: Sorting out our thinking on drugs, in reply to Chris Waugh,
re|: Your previous comments have been useful and informative, but this one carries a whiff of the nastier side of Orientalism. I hope I’m misunderstanding you...
Yes, rest easy on the moral panic. You are mis-understanding. I am not hating on the third world or orientalising, casting the third world as the evil shadow demon other.
Personally I like the third world. It provides entertaining holiday destinations and great food. Opps, got my tongue stuck in my cheek again.
When I say 'third world' ...seriously... the third world is a real place but I think there is another version of the third world that is not defined by geographic location, but can be found anywhere,( including first world countries) where there is a lack of access to goods, services, health and education.... in that sense, although NZ is not a third world country, pockets /echoes of third world standards can be found here.
So no, I am not equating the third world with Asia.
The reason I mentioned synthetic producing labs in China is because that's where many labs are located and where many of the harmful products are coming from. It just happens to be that way. Chinese are making it for own profit, as well as for western companies as you suggest.
As for waste chemicals ... no, dumping them is not the solution. But many of these chemicals are not made for human consumption - yet they are ending up in synthetic blends (and food products). Because they are cheap to use. Its just business and innovative (or sometimes desperate) when it comes to maximising profit.
Synthetic producing labs in the first world have manufacturing standards to meet and are working in a different cultural context. With having to create products which met govt standards, they will be / are producing synthetics that are different from those coming from overseas labs.
But because the 'third world' is also here in NZ... we have the ugly stuff (unregulated) being imported / made / sold too. The problem is not 'out there', its everywhere.
Saying that is not about 'hating' - rather its a statement about human inventiveness in the face of economic recession / inequality. Go human spirit.But yes, back to orientalising... I am white (and half WOG, hey I'm wog so I can say it)) so I live in white privileged circumstances. It is what it is.
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A data base likes Ramsey's is vital for the information it holds.
The thing is, synthetics are NOT like the old school illicit drugs we grew up with. They represent a cultural shift as much as a pharmacological shift, in both the manufacturing and using.
Most synthetics are manufactured in the third world. Apart from different manufacturing standards, substances like waste chemicals are used because they are cheap and plentiful. Chemicals going into blends are chosen because they are cheap and will 'do the job'.
This why synthetics are cheap to buy. They are produced cheaply in the third world. They come from the same thinking that puts melamine in milk and ethanol in cocktails (as in the cases in Bali, which probably only came to our attention because westerners got hurt).
Newsflash: there is a lot of poverty out there and humans - being the ever creative beings we are - find ways around it.
And synthetics are a producers cash cow dream - no boring manufacturing standards to meet! No come-back from adversely affected customers. No complaints from other countries govts (as with the milk scandal) because its all black market - and yes, no taxes to pay.
And an ever-increasing market demand from westerners - many of whom are paradoxically -' third world' themselves, because they don't have jobs (and never will), they are locked out of owning both the necessary and pretty things people with money have. Synthetics are the new two-dollar shop.
Then there are the monied and even wealthy customers who - are habituated users or just like using - want to try the new thing, be in on the trend - want variety - a walk on the wild side - drugs that don't show up in workplace drug tests - drugs that don't involve a trip to the tinny house or old school dealers -
...tinny house.. what's that's?Substances can be found in synthetics that no western doctor would expect to find in his wildest dreams. The value of a data base like Ramsey's is that it provides an on-going archive of chemicals and effects. His findings highlight the need for such a data base and may provide a way to contribute to it / start building a local database.
One of the effect of the synthetic LSD my son was using was blisters on the roof of his mouth (where he held it to dissolve). He wouldn't go to the doctors to get them treated. All I could do was wait and see if he got physically ill enough to be admitted to hospital (from damage I couldn't see) - or if he stopped eating & drinking because the blisters had spread down his digestive tract.
Should our doctors have access to information that allows them to known what is in synthetic blends? I would argue yes.
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Are you diss-ing the situation?
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Hard News: Sorting out our thinking on drugs, in reply to debunk,
re: Perhaps you could ask the MoH if it would be possible for them to obtain the TicTac database from the toxicologist Dr Ramsey at St George’s Hospital in London and put it in a smartphone APP for local doctors and hospitals .. since apparently it is “used by law enforcement and health professionals in the UK to identify mystery pills and powders” ??
-------------------------------------------------------------Yes Yes Debunk, this is forward thinking - its a great idea. Ramsey has a unique archive of research and its great to hear St Georges are using it. This would be a major plus for us to have in NZ. And then to add to, as we go... build our own NZ / pacific database.
Exciting - the possibilities.
It would be ideal to get that happening, plus your idea of an NGO to administer a system like checkit. -
Hard News: Sorting out our thinking on drugs, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
It would make a great piece of research. I hope you get a chance to do it. Plus its timely research - the synthetics industry is here to stay for the foreseeable future and (I believe) we are still just seeing the tip of the iceberg.
Looking forward to reading your Erowid article, Russell. Keep up the good work.
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Hard News: Sorting out our thinking on drugs, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
Now see, if you did know me better, you would know 'thoughtful of you' was tongue in cheek...