Is it possible to be an ethical illegal drug dealer, as in a drug dealer that deals only to junkies and addicts?
I say illegal drugs because alcohol is a legal drug, but then that would make every bartender a drug dealer,-which they might be-. So in this case, illegal drugs only, Amphetamines, Cannabis, Heroin, etc and all pharmaceuticals.

Recently did a blog post about this, got some good responses, but this room is where this topic can flourish. Phoenix brought about the point, that this question is immediately preceded by the question "Is drug dealing ethical or unethical?". Which is a valid point. But I'm only curious about a drug dealer who only sells to addicts and junkies, and does so in a kind and courteous manner. Since if a junkie has the means to buy the product, they will, regardless. That's just how addiction works.

You have the choice as to whether or not you buy drugs from a drug dealer. It's unethical to push drugs onto someone, but if someone really wants to get the drugs, they might as well do that.

I guess I don't really concern drug dealing ethic too much because of my very liberal stance on drugs.

True addicts and junkies are screwed for life anyways might aswell make a tidy profit on them before they die.

I'm sure everyone else is gonna make big long essay posts that put my 2 sentences to shame but meh.

The drug dealer has two realistic options when it comes to this:

He can sell the addict the drugs or he can encourage the addict to get help. Encouraging the addict's behavior is intentionally harming him... which I consider immoral.


Is there a difference between immoral and unethical?

True but wouldn't you rather the addict buy from the average nice guy down the road just looking for an extra buck then the Crip in the alley trying to push the drug onto kids? The addict will get there drugs one way or another it's just a matter of how and from whom.

Of course. But just because it's less damaging doesn't make it moral.

Murder is usually considered worse than sexual assault- but they're still both immoral.

No I actually agree with that. If their addiction is so deeply rooted, -and all efforts have been tried, and failed, to get them off said substances-, then we should be able to make a profit off them.
Which is why I brought up this question. Kind of similar to the "Hooker with a heart of gold", a drug dealer who conducts his business in a calm, constructive, and ethical manner. Never screwing anybody over, or cheating them out of their product.


OK, but if our ethical man does not sell drugs to this junkie, won't the junkie simply get his fix off of another dealer? Another dealer who might be less ethical and less concerned with the welfare of his clients? You can't talk a junkie out of their habit, you have to impose material restrictions on their ability to get their fix. Which means coercive force and power.

Fixing a problem has to start somewhere.

It also depends on the drug, the environment (college vs slums), and the junkie himself. This is pretty broad to definitively say ethical or unethical- of course applying such absolute terms to real life is generally useless.

idk

The drugs I'm talking about are either Marijuana, Hashish, Amphetamines, Barbiturates, or other pharmaceuticals. And the environment and clients, are well to do in the middle class . For some reason I have a disgusting bias that those in the Middle Class are somehow more "responsible" drug addicts.
I just now realize this question is rather limiting.

In order to talk about this and expect to get anywhere with our talk, we must first define what is "ethical" or "unethical". So I put forth to you this simple question: what is "ethical" or "unethical'?

To my mind, it is entirely unethical that he sells drugs in the first place. Is it less unethical if he sells to junkies and addicts? Yes. However, it is still unethical. A fair comparison, to my mind, would be two different classes of crime. Are both of them wrong? Yes, they are. Is one less then the other? Yes, or they would not be in two different classes. However, in the end, both are still a crime. As with illegal drug dealing. While it is possible to have more ethics then the guy down the street selling drugs to the school children, both are still doing the same crime (dealing drugs). The difference, however, is their targeted audience.




I disagree. All addictions can be stopped. I believe it is unethical to instead "cop out" and say "well, all the possible ways to get them off their addiction have been tried, let us just exploit them."



I disagree. The drug dealer, is by the very nature of the crime they deal in "screwing [somebody] over". Addictions are unhealthy (as you yourself have said, by their very nature an addict will do all in their power to obtain the drug if they have found a source).




Yes, however, is there not power held over the junkie by the dealers? The power being held over the junkie in a rehabilitation is temporary power. Power being used to fix the junkie, and restore their own power to them. The power a dealer holds over a junkie is power that is by its' very nature harmful to the junkie (as the dealer, knowing they have the power will inevitably use the power to further their own goals).

~John

Almost nobody who starts heroin gets off of it. It's nearly impossible. Why are there no old junkies? They die young.

i know more then enough people who got off from heroine...

with the aid of methadon
it helps a lot...

so get your facts straigth thank you

it is next impossible only WITHOUT outside help, hence society has to provide it

Correct...

This is why, in the early stages, the United States was winning the "War on Drugs", because it wasn't involving guns and bombs, it involved methadone treatments and rehab.

In the 1980s and 1990s, however, we began losing because we went to guns and judges...

Do I find the monetary exploitation of people who have a psychological need to have a certain substance instead of trying to help them immoral? Yes.

Chemists have been selling legal highs for ages. Ethical? yeah sorta seeing most drugs seem to cure. But yet these other drugs gives problems along with feeling good.

Most drug dealers I know (it's only a small number) don't really mind only because for them it's profit and a way of living. If a drug dealer turned around and said "hey buddy, you going to be alright?" it would seem strange. For example you buy a chocolate bar, the guy in the store won't ask the same question.

I think that as drug dealers sell & take drugs they see no real problem.