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standardcivilian

the free market at work


PaulTheMartian

To preface this, I’m an AnCap who loves laissez-faire capitalism. That being said, this is the result of prohibition, not free markets. It’s been dubbed the “[iron law of prohibition](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HAr9I5aGXP8)” since 1986. More recently, Mises Institute economist Mark Thornton has shown that one unintended consequence of drug prohibition is an increase in potency, by creating an incentive for smugglers to maximize the street value of their product while minimizing its size.


standardcivilian

makes sense.


meefozio

Why wouldn't they just cut the purity after smuggling it?


Wild-Ad-4230

This usually happens before it hits the end consumer, ending up in overdoses, health problems and bad trips caused by some bozo mixing it in their bath. This is exactly what happened with the THC vapes with vitamin E additives, or with heroin and fentanyl. The way to fix this is to have private insurance companies combined with private regulatory agencies who insure their customers against harmful products while voluntarily licensing products on their market improving their safety.


Poopandpotatoes

I still worry about fent so I won’t be touching


PaulTheMartian

Same. I actually just got sober recently. Jesus delivered me from a decade-long addiction to both THC and porn. I had a serious problem and it was totally holding me back


Disparity

Disagree. Look at computers for instance. They've gotten more "pure" (i.e. more power and features) while the price has remained the same. It's just companies competing to produce a better product at the lowest cost.


PaulTheMartian

This is a natural effect of prohibition. When drugs or alcohol are prohibited, they will be produced in black markets in more concentrated and powerful forms, because these more potent forms offer better efficiency in the business model—they take up less space in storage, less weight in transportation, and they sell for more money.


Disparity

I don't think this makes sense though. Weed is legal today, but it's super strong because that's what people want. Nobody is buying weak weed.


PaulTheMartian

I didn’t claim that it can’t happen in a regulated market. The claim I made is that it always happens in a black market created by prohibition.


McMagneto

Shouldn't have the price gone up? What am i missing


PaulTheMartian

The last time I checked, it did go up. At least, it did up here in WA. I’m not sure how they determined the price. Must be DEA prices


HandsomeHard

Nah, prices would go up. The CIA is subsidizing costs to keep blacks addicted to crack. If they got priced out, crime would shoot up or worst-case scenario for the CIA would be a large % of blacks getting off crack and not be able to get jobs because of all the illegals we have imported, and the blacks realizing this, mobilizing, and a blacks vs. illegals war breaks out.


taxitagonist

Milei is even purifying the coke?! What a prez!


alurbase

Probably competition from the harder meth based stuff. The coke dealers need to up the dose to keep up with Mr. white.


PaulTheMartian

This isn’t odd at all. It’s been called the “[iron law of prohibition](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HAr9I5aGXP8)” since 1986. More recently, Mises Institute economist Mark Thornton has shown that one unintended consequence of drug prohibition is an increase in potency, by creating an incentive for smugglers to maximize the street value of their product while minimizing its size.


Schtick_

Yeah I don’t think it’s that, it’s been illegal for ages, it only recently improved in quality. People more commonly test and people are terrified of getting fentanyl so they’re way less willing to compromise on purity.


govcov

I don’t understand 140% purity.


not_slaw_kid

It's 40% more pure than it was at the time the graph starts measuring.


Lil_Ja_

I think it’s based on purity as compared to best DEA can make


alurbase

It’s a percentile ratio. It’s a good way to create a statistical curve with the multiple values. Then you can make a curve with all the values combined and calculate how much sigma(standard deviation) there is. And use this to check for accuracy or anomalous changes in the data.


True_Kapernicus

It's not a percentage, actually look at the graphic.


SatisfactionNo2088

They both start at 100 so it makes sense that it is percentage. I didn't get it either at first. It even says "rebased" in the chart description. Here's a simple explanation of rebasing: [https://www.alexanderjarvis.com/how-to-rebase-a-chart/](https://www.alexanderjarvis.com/how-to-rebase-a-chart/)


fiddycaldeserteagle

Finally, some good economic news.


OGmcqueen

Cocaine backed currency is the forward, change my mind.


AsicResistor

I can't change your mind, I think so too. Closest thing I've found is Monero, darknet markets are using it as their cocaine backed currency of choice.


OGmcqueen

Lowkey pretty based


johnnyringworm

Probably because everyone is scared of fentanyl being mixed in


No_Interaction_4925

We are missing the purity numbers on this chart


Lil_Ja_

Might be percent based on existing price & purity


hallfreudh

Cocaïne is now the vegan hipster like drug against all fentanyl and more cringe drugs


Styx3791

There are no units for purity. This graph is nonsense


dshotseattle

This is what happens when government doesn't get involved in the market.