Today, a wide variety of drugs is available to the Pinoy that can afford it. In the scene you’ll meet many different kinds of people from almost all walks of life. In the Philippines, there are plenty of druggies but mostly they can be divided into four different groups: The partee people (ecstasy, spelled as “partee” to emphasize “e” for ecstasy—this group is a subculture of people that listens mostly to electronic music. Also uses other drugs to enhance the ecstasy hit—drugs like ketamine and GHB); the meth and speed junkies (coke, shabu), the natural/organic group, (marijuana, hash, pollen, shrooms); and the benzodiazepine junkies (diazepam, nitrazepam, alprazolam, temazepam, etc). A psychedelic group (shrooms/acid/LSD) also exists, but here in the Philippines there aren’t too much of them, maybe because shrooms/LSD aren’t very easy to find, but the world of psychedelia is really something different from anything you’ve ever experienced.
The partee people are some of the best people around. They watch out for their friends, they let you crash in their living room if you don’t have a place to stay (even though you’ve met them only less than 5 times). If not at someone’s pad having an “inhouse” (an inhouse is a gathering of partee people at someone’s pad or a hotel room to swallow some happy pills and celebrate life for at least 3hrs), these people can be found in dance clubs that play trance and electro music. Ecstasy is extremely powerful and life-changing and if used in moderation (once every two months), people can actually benefit from it. It opens minds and it is not addicting (unless you start using too much, a psychological dependency may be developed). One just has to have a dealer that doesn’t supply stuff laced with meth or too much ketamine. Ecstasy is also used with Viagra sometimes (both men and women) to exponentially amplify the goodness of sex. In the 70’s before it became illegal, ecstasy was prescribed by marriage counsellors and it saved countless relationships from unnecessary breakups/divorces. Today, it is approved for use in America as part of the treatment program for soldiers that suffered extreme mental stress in Iraq and all those other places America sticks its nose into.
The meth and speed people are pretty awesome too, depending on the crowd. Shabu is actually cheating. It makes school easier. But it has its consequences. Shabu is one of the most addicting substances available out there. Under no circumstances should anyone take shabu, for even though it helps people attain unreal amounts of energy (under normal circumstances), it will make you suffer in the end. It will make you suffer and crave like you’ve never craved for anything ever before. Cocaine is okay occasionally, but as much as possible one must try to stay away from it. It gets you so used to the tremendous amount of self-confidence it gives you that withdrawal makes it impossible to go out and socialize for a few weeks (the duration depends on your situation. Sometimes it can last for months). On cocaine, everything seems so clear. You have a clear picture of what you want to do and how you are going to do it. However, it is dangerous both to your body and to your brain. Many people here in this country use coke and shabu, shabu users are mostly people who can’t afford or don’t know where to find coke or can’t score coke at the moment. Shabu is a different culture from coke. It’s mostly people who listen to alternative/rock, people who go out to see gigs. Coke is closely related to the partee culture.
You won’t find much benzo people here in the Philippines. Most of the druggies here abuse uppers and marijuana, but you’ll find a minority that’s into prescription downers like Valium and Xanax. Some people mix Valium with alcohol because Valium enhances alcohol absorption of the body. People who abuse these prescription drugs often have problems with their lives, some start off with using a little Valium to sleep, but eventually the Vees aren’t enough anymore because people build a resistance to the dosage, so it’ll only go higher and higher.
The smokers have a positive outlook towards life. This is the biggest drug group not just here, but across the globe. Marijuana, given that it’s illegal, still produces a higher profit than rice and corn in the cash crop industry worldwide. This is why it should be legalized. Marijuana smokers never did anyone any harm and it’s impossible for people to think violent thoughts while under the influence of this magnificent herb. It is sad and unjust that young people who never do anyone any harm, get incarcerated for mere possession of something that’s scientifically proven to be less harmful than sex, coffee or potatoes. Laws must be adjusted to end this madness. Proposition 19 in California (legalization of marijuana—to smoke, to possess, to plant, to sell—this is different from medical marijuana. This is.. marijuana) was not passed in November 2010 but it had almost 4 million people vote yes on it. The decriminalization of consumption and possession and intention to distribute of marijuana also means economic prosperity for the entire world. Billions of dollars saved annually, the big chunk that goes to chasing down dealers and enforcing all the other provisions of anti-marijuana laws can go to other projects instead, like infrastructure, education and healthcare.
The reality is that most people don’t do drugs. But some people do, and we shouldn’t judge them because of the habits they choose. This is relatable to PHILIEN because I think drugs is fast becoming a part of Philippine culture, and I’m not saying it’s a good thing, but I’m saying it’s not too bad, we shouldn’t listen to every word the media says. It’s their job to say drugs are bad. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying out of curiosity. For recreation. For fun. The only time it gets really wrong is when people start using too much of it to deal with negative emotions. That’s when the brain sends the signals to the body, the same signals that create dependence. A little celebration every once in a while is acceptable, but if you’re sad or depressed or angry, stay away from everything except marijuana, which usually deals with those situations with surprisingly remarkable brilliance.
Whenever one feels that his use of drugs serves as a distraction to the things he should be doing, one must stop immediately. One must understand that he is responsible for his own actions, and drugs should never be an excuse for failure to accomplish one’s responsibilities.
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Blog #5 – Submitted by Miguel Cortazar
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