Opinions - Some thoughts on RC's

[terrapinzflyer]

The recent tragedy with (what was supposedly) 2c-b-fly has gotten turtles aarrdvark friend thinking about RC's. so- a few things that have come to the aarrdvarks mind. Apologies if this is disjointed- thoughts scribbled over the course of days. Apologies to if the aarrdvark crosses any lines in this post.


The aarrdvark has been a lab rat off and on since the late 80's / early 90's, and like many, has probably become a little too complacent.

First, turtle should mention that his aarrdvarks friends interest in RC's, and therefor the following info, has always leaned towards the potent psychedelcis, the tryptamines and the phenethylamines.

Legal does not mean safe They are called "Research chemicals" for a reason- SWIY is the lab rat. Aardvark would caution anyone without a good deal of experience to steer clear of them. They are not toys. And bear in mind, alcohol, tobacco, and prescription pain drugs have proven to be some of the more destructive drugs out there, and they are, with some limits, legal. And when it comes to the RC's the aarrdvark feels that "legal" is a bit of a misnomer...certainly manufacturer, sale, and possession fall into a gray area at best, and ingesting such a substance, especially to induce an altered state, is almost certainly illegal.

Why risk your life with RC's. heard this some recently too. Turtles aarrdvark friend says he has never felt like he has risked his safety more then with any other drug. All drugs carry risks- it is not limited to the RC world. And steps should always be taken to understand both the risks a substance presents, as well as the ways to minimize them.

As to the why- many people use drugs as an escape, or purely for pleasure. The aarrdvark believes the brain, as well as the concept of "reality", is one of the least understood aspects of our world. Many of these substances have unique abilities to make one see things in a different light. The aarrdvark remembers (Ken) Kesey once saying that LSD was like a key that opened a locked door. And that once opened the door never locked quite right again, And after a while, you really didn't need such a big key...
The aarrsvark has opened many such proverbial doors, and while he may not have always liked what he found down the hallway, he never regrets opening the door.

Know your source This has been a long stated phrase in the RC world, but it feels a bit irrelevant in todays age. While it is still important- this is not the old days where swiy or their source new the chemist personally. In these times with the RC's by and large being synthed in China , India, or in even smaller backwaters, it is unlikely even swiy's source really knows the chemists involved. That said- it is still imperative to know the supplier as well as possible- dealing only with those with a good reputation and history in this game. There are too many players today too far removed from the chemistry.

Know your drug Research! while research chemicals have a varying experience base to draw from, learn as much about the substance as possible before use. This site is a tremendous resource, and there are others as well, and books like Tihkal and Pihkal among others can add insight. Don't limit yourself to learning about "the experience"- dosage, body load, short and long term effects, drug interactions... all things to educate swiy on. Pay attention to reports of bad trips and adverse health effects.
Many of the so called "legal highs" sold in much of europe do not list their ingredients. Many appear to have a long list of side effects, and a few seem to have a high addiction potential. The manufacturers and sellers of these substances seem to be mainly concerned with money- not swiy's health and well being.

Test new batchesIt is vitally important that one test new batches before full blown use. Even this can be tricky considering these chemicals active doses range from micrograms to 100mg or so. It is advisable to check with the smallest amount swiy possibly can, working ones way up to a threshold dose. I believe someone may be working up a piece on this so will keep this short for now. A good quality scale and an understanding of volumetric dilution is imperative.

patience aarrdvark knows the tempation to sample a newly obtained goody asap, especially if it is an exotic or new to swiy. But patience is a good policy. Besides testing as mentioned above, holding onto a new batch for a few weeks to see if problems arise with the batch elsewhere may be good policy. Patience can also help insure swiy is in the proper space for such an adventure, eagerness can make one throw caution to the wind.

Take Responsibility By this, the aarrdvark meanns don't run away if bad things happen. Be prepared to dial 911 (or 999) or call emergency services if things go wrong. Unfortunately a side effect of many strong drugs is a bit of paranoia coupled with issues dealing with "reality". But if things go wrong DO NOT Hesitate to call for help. Any legal trouble swiy may find themselves in as a result of a hospital visit are generally minor to non-existent, and nothing compared to the legal trouble swiy could find themselves in as a result of allowing a friend to die from a drug overdose / reaction. If swiy can't think of dealing with possible bad outcomes, best to avoid the risks altogether and abstain.


Drug laws were to blame for this incident The aarrdvark has heard this repeated a few times- but disagrees. We have all seen news reports about tainted legal products originating from China. Often this is the result of cost cutting / maximizing profit measures- taken either by the producer on their own or at the sellers behest. It is not yet known if this had any role in the current tragedy.(this seems less likely at the days pass Legalization may increase the overall safety of the scene, but it will do nothing to stop those trying to maximize profits.

This proves RC's are dangerous, even compared to other "Street drugs" This is another statement the aarrdvark has been hearing. One must keep perspective though. In the 20+/- years of the rc scene, there have been suprisingly few deaths, and fewer yet conclusively linked to an RC alone.

The aarrdvark really lacks enough data to have, or present, a clearer picture. He knows of no hard data to present a user base, frequency of use, and occurence of harm. Still, he would say he feels safer with his RC usage then he does on a ladder in the rain (sorry for the poor analogy- he was cleaning gutters recently and its what popped to mind)... But it is a risk, and one swiy must always consider if it worth taking.

So to wind this up...
The aarrdvark thinks the RC scene has spiralled out of control. There has been an increasing lack of responsibility on the part of users, suppliers, and manufacturers, with a mindset of greed and pleasure replacing a mindset of exploration. The scene has reached a peak, and it is up to all the swims and swiys to decide how low the crash goes, and how long it settles before it starts to rise again.

Be safe. Be smart.

"When we first broke into that forbidden box in the other dimension, we knew we had discovered something as surprising and powerful as the New World when Columbus came stumbling onto it. "
Ken Kesey

Reputation Comments on this post:

	nicely written sermon with some very good points and harm reduction issue. nice perspective. The section on testing new ...
	A very well written piece, good insight into the RC scene with solid advice included
	Have been thinking the last of aardvarks paragraph for some time. Another good post