Preface: I understand this is mgtow2, I wanted to post this thought elsewhere but for whatever reason I couldn't. I enjoy discussion, especially with dudes who are critical of societal norms. Part of going my own way is speculating on the world around me and making sense of it. At the end of the day, it's a fun mental exercise, feel free to disagree.

Thought experiment: the U.S. never made opium illegal.

What would that world look like?

I imagine that opium dens would open up on the west coast at the turn of the century.

U.S. and China relationships would be very strong. Chinese public perception would be mostly positive.

Ok the dens are set, everyone is having a good time until someone can't pay their bill.

Alright, kick him out, it's a lost expense to your opium business.

Except this guy isn't some alcoholic, he becomes delirious from withdrawal and grabs a shotgun.

He blasts the den, grabbing as much opium he can hold.

Yes, very dramatic hypothetical situation.

My point is that from an economic lense, what makes something valuable is what others are willing to do to get it.

I wouldn't kill someone for a million dollars.

Economists always talk about supply but rarely individual subjective demand.

If I was a psychopath I would kill someone for free, these are rare outliers.

But if there was a substance that altered my demand for it, wouldn't that be dangerous?

I think heroin alters most people's brains to an extreme second to only basic human needs.

When demand for something is so high, everything is fair game.

In order to live a civilized society we can't fight each other over an oxy.

That's why drugs are illegal. Nothing comes close to that demand in that many people.

Yes there are strong demand for things other than drugs but these are rare and would not necessarily disrupt social discord.