It has become much easier to buy drugs online. Before, to buy any kind of drug you needed to know a guy who knew a guy. Now, buying drugs can be as simple as five steps.
First, people who buy drugs online will download “Tor.” Tor is a software that allows for anonymous communication. Tor was originally developed by the United States Naval Research Laboratory to protect U.S. intelligence online.
Now, Tor’s primary use is to buy and sell drugs. Dr. Gareth Owen, a professor at the University of Portsmouth, estimated in his ground-breaking research on the services of “Tor” that in 2014, 15.4 percent of all activity on Tor is to buy or sell drugs.
Next, they will download a PGP (Pretty Good Privacy). A PGP is a computer program used to encrypt and decrypt data. The reason why drug buyer and sellers download a PGP is to cover their tracks and to make sure people do not hack into their computer.
Because the currency that is used on a Tor drug transaction is bitcoin, so it becomes crucial for buyers to invest in this digital currency. After purchasing their drugs, people leave reviews on who they bought from. The reviews protect against scams, DEA agents, or just bad dealers.
Finally, buyers will have their drugs sent to a foreclosed home or through a P.O. Box under a fake name. This is to insure they do not get caught buying drugs or get caught at the post office. If someone gets caught, it will not be the buyer. Because of the simplicity and safeness of buying drugs online, the market has changed greatly.
This evolving market brings new benefits to drug buyers. Like other forms of online shopping, reviews given by past buyers informs future buyers of the product quality. For example, MDMA bought on the street is likely to be an imperfect form of MDMA, and if ingested could lead to an overdose.
If someone is selling MDMA online and they have 4.5 stars out of 5, a buyer can be fairly certain that they are getting MDMA. The reviews also insure that the product will be delivered.
With fewer physical drug deals, there will be fewer deaths related to drug deals. Many drug buyers experience a degree of fear when purchasing from a stranger that the deal is going to go south and they will end up mugged or murdered. If drug buyers don’t need to meet their dealer in person, then it is impossible to get harmed in anyway.
On the other hand, due to the simplicity of the online drug market, more and more gangs are able to easily gain money. If gangs gain all their revenue through organized crime, such as selling drugs or weapon, then selling drugs online may be their safest bet because of the anonymity of Tor.
The gangs selling drugs do not have to make face to face deals and can encrypt where they are doing business, making it impossible to find them.
The online drug market will inevitably lead to the decriminalization of drugs due to the accessibility of drugs and the potential for increased gang involvement.
If drugs are decriminalized, like alcohol the government can tax safer drugs that do not cause serious harm to users, such as marijuana, MDMA, and psilocybin mushrooms, among others, the same way the government taxes alcohol.
People could go down to a local dispensary and have the safety of buying from a trustworthy source and the convenience of going to a store. Instead of incarcerating drug addicts programs can be set up to help the addicts. If an addict is able to recover they will be able to contribute to society. If an addict is incarcerated repeatedly it is impossible for them to contribute to society.
But, the biggest reason why drugs will be decriminalized is to curb funding for gangs. If drugs like marijuana, MDMA, and psilocybin mushrooms are sold at local dispensaries, the gangs will lose a huge market. If the drug counselling programs are successful, then gangs will have less customers.
The debate on decriminalization of drugs, then, has changed from “if” to “when.”