re: "The Pharmacist"... Netflix Documentary Premiered Today!

What got my attention is that a trained pediatrician can have a "pain clinic" for adults. WTF?

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Understanding the violence due to drugs in Nola Understanding how Oxycontin was abused Understating the Pill Farm issue understating what happened after the lockdown of Oxycontin

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What stood out to me was there were some good things that came from it with some consequences no one thought about.
The prescription database was a great thing. It’s insane it took so long for someone to think of it.
Cutting off addicts from pain pills led to the heroine phenomenon but even after the crackdown kids are still overdosing on heroine even though they were born after the OxyContin boom.
The amount of damage that has been done to New Orleans from drug addiction is something that will take generations before we can dream of any improvement.
The whole thing is depressing and sad.

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Yep, i thought that is what I was articulating.. totally agree

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It was, just expanding a little. Also for every huge pill factory like the one in the documentary there were small town doctors doing the same shite on a smaller scale. She was basically asking/daring to be arrested. If she were more discreet she could have made tons of money and still have her license. There’s plenty of blame to go around.

I think the crack epidemic paralleled this one.

I can say from experience that if you are not well educated about drugs and addiction, you can easily miss the signs. I did. I totally get the anger and frustration of this parent. I myself, by doing some of the insane things he did, helped take out 2 drug dealers and a dog fighting ring. I wouldn't rest till those MF's were off the streets.

Watched up to when the dad was after the Dr last night. Dude has some strong OCD issues. Impressive how he tracked down the killer. He missed his calling as a tech salesman. Dude could have made millions.

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I’m actually more interested now in the crack epidemic and the effect on the African American community. I would love to watch a documentary on how and why it started. I understand why I guess because of the cost and potency but I’m more interested how that situation developed.

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if this is to long for some to read, move along ...

Sharing my first hand experience as a drug addict with 32 yrs of sobriety to help give people a better understanding of crack. IMO, Richard Pryor was just one contributing factor that increased its popularity.

In the mid 70's ~ early 80's powder cocaine was everywhere and glorified by Hollywood, musicians, and Studio 54. You can trace its origin and distribution into the US primarily from the Medellín Cartel, Pablo Escobar, Barry Seal , etc... It was mainly snorted and occasionally mixed with heroin and mainlined as a "speedball" how John Belushi died. Cocaine is a stimulant that offers an intense high where you can work, play sports, perform music, and carry on conversations.

In the late 70's, some drug addict, home chemist decided to mix cocaine, baking soda, and water while heating it up in a test tube over heat from burning 151-proof Rum. The end product was a rock that could be smoked and known as "freebase". Richard Pryor caught himself on fire freebasing. $100 worth of powder could be turned into $200 worth of smokeable rock cocaine. Dealers could double their profit selling rocks. In 1983 I do not recall the word "crack" being used, probably because I cooked my own supply. After 2-3 seconds of inhaling the smoked rock, you get an intense euphoric head rush, your heart beat races, your body feels weightless like your floating in space or melting into the couch, an amazing sense of pleasure, and within several minutes the feelings are gone. You immediately want more and will continue smoking until there is nothing left. You then you go out and buy more crack as the cycle continues. Once you smoke crack, you never want to snort cocaine again.

To speed up the production process and create more supply, dealers started making "cookies" using a microwave. The cookies were cut into smaller pieces resembling rocks, and the term "crack" was being used on the streets. Most street dealers would give away $5-$10 worth of crack because they knew you would come back for more in 30 minutes. If you smoked crack or now someone who did/does, you would understand how additive it is. It has no odor when smoked, very affordable, and easy to conceal. You didn't need money to buy crack as some resorted to sexual favors. People usually get busted because they have a crack pipe and brillo pad (used as a screen) in their possession.

I liked the series, but I could not understand what the DEA’s reluctance towards the Pharmacist’s or his intel was. It sounded like they thought he may have been in on the pain clinics scheme and didn’t trust that he was truly trying to do the right thing.

I don't know who invented crack, but I think it became more popular and obtainable when the US put stronger laws on cocaine. In order to get around those laws the cartels started making crack because once you add the baking soda it became its own substance that contained cocaine.

And when you cook crack over the oven.. It makes a crackling sound.

This will give everyone a good idea of the involvement the CIA & Contra had in spreading crack in urban America.

LINK