With legal drugs consumption on the rise on a worldwide scale, governments are beginning to question the safety of these substances. While some have decided to ban them altogether, others still allow the consumption of low-risk hallucinogens, while a few have ordered extensive research into the matter before reaching any conclusion.
Consumers and human rights groups have other opinions on the matter. They argue that being able to get “high” should be an individual choice, not taking into account here the cases when addicts break the law. Also, several studies have shown that, by using almost harmless drugs, people tend not to start using high-risk psychoactive substances, such as heroin or cocaine. Psychologists say that by prohibiting hallucinogenic substances, authorities actually open the door for people consuming potentially very dangerous drugs out of curiosity or disrespect for the law.
The British executive during the 90s is the perfect example of how a government was unable to cope with the expansion of drug markets in its own country. Over several years, shops selling “magic mushrooms,” a low-grade drug that relied on two active substances called psilocybin and psilocin, multiplied from a dozen to more than 400. By the time authorities closed them down, and enforced new laws to prevent dealers from selling this type of mushrooms, the demand for legal psychoactive substances was so high that vendors had no difficulty in acquiring new types of plants that mimicked the effects of previously sold drugs.
Currently, the most popular legal drugs are salvia (Salvia divinorum) and BZP (benzylpiperazine) class pills, called “party pills.” They took off in sales over the past three years, although they are strictly outlawed in the United States. New Zealand entrepreneur Matt Bowden said “let's find something which is like methamphetamine but non-addictive and has an extremely low risk of overdose or death." This was the thinking behind the development of piperazines in the late 90s. Since then, in New Zealand alone, more than $50 million of the local dollars are spent only on these pills. Studies ordered by the government on more than 2,000 people have shown that, teenagers aside, all age categories have tried the pill once in their life. Surprisingly enough, researchers conducting the study uncovered that an unexpected percent of those in their 30s and 40s were still consuming it and had done so over the previous year.
As of yet, a coherent international set of policies has not been established on the matter, with governments still struggling to get these drugs under control. But, with people worldwide used to legal “highs,” it's highly unlikely that this phenomena will ever be completely eradicated.
