hey iggy, i was once in berlin. never seen more drugs than there and it was mostly the hard stuff too. speed and blow and whatever now people like to do there. pretty far from the natural stuff imo. several random people asked me and my friend if we had speed to sell them...
but even then when i knew what the people were on i saw no fights, no trouble makers, no nothing.
Ok first of all, I'm not from Berlin but I know Berlin quite good (had a short-term work there and lived there) but that's not relevant. Fact is your correct, saw a lot of drugs there in the nightlife...also a lot of aggression etc...
Second, as I said, it's not the country or city you live in IMHO, it's the people you know and you live your life with... (see previous post)
And third and most important... actually I don't care if people are loud or aggressive (spent most of my later teenage years on the Reeperbahn), so I know how rude, aggressive and stupid wasted peoples are (independently of which substances they are on). That's not the point IMHO.
The point is that mind-altering substances include a risk of damaging your mental health as well as your IQ and other body functions. Of course, some more, some less. And for some it's better known, and for some less...
Of course you have to decide if you want to take the risk yourself.
I don't (I explained why... because of people I knew you ruined (or in fact ended) their lives with or because of those substances in quite young years). And I feel good, it's forbidden, because I don't have to worry less about my children getting in contact with.
In fact I would even encourage more stricter regulations, because I know, even now (while it's illegal) it's really easy to get if you want it...
Btw... I'm perfectly clear, that maybe it would be a good idea to blame (or at least more regulate) alcohol, too. I wouldn't have a problem with that... have a look at parts of scandinavia f.e. were alcohol has huge taxes on it and is sold only in limited stores... also... I think I have never seen so many drunk people like new year in Helsinki...
Also btw... I have to say I've never been to the US and know the "war on drugs" etc. topics only from news and media, but I get the impression, that it's a far more critical and political topic there than "over here", were drug related violance and criminality aren't really a big topic in my everyday life...
In fact, I know nobody who had legal problems because of their drug use... but a lot of people with other negative side effects... so I can't really understand the "criminilization" argument
although of course it might be just my little piece of the world I call my environment... so I understand, that totally other views on the topic are possible and understandable and it's all down to your personal perspective.
So please understand all my post as my own personal opinion. Not more, not less.
Iggy