This document outlines how rapid technological changes may disrupt drug policy and services. It discusses three key points: 1) Innovations in drug chemistry and internet markets have led to new psychoactive substances (NPS) that are untested and their effects unknown. This poses new risks like overdose. 2) The internet has become a driver of drug trade through darknet markets, cryptocurrencies and anonymous networks. This has atomized drug scenes and made new drug trends harder to predict. 3) Technologies like molecular 3D printing may allow homemade production of drugs and medications, further challenging existing drug policy frameworks. This technological disruption could lead to either new harms or opportunities for more empowered, peer-driven

1. Technology & Drugs: The End
of Drug Policy as We Know It?
Jean-Paul Grund, PhD
Department of Addictology,
Charles University, Prague
CVO – Addiction Research
Centre, Utrecht

2. • The future of the past…
• Innovations in drug chemistry - NPS
• The Driver: the Internet
• The (recent) future of drugs
• Consequences of Rapid Technological
Change
• Discussion & conclusions
Presentation Outline

3. The future of the past F

4. 829.8 m
508.0 m
451.9 m
632.0 m
442.0 m
149.1 m
Architecture

5. Personal
Roadable Aircrafts

6. USB Stick
Computers 3D Television
Mobile Phones

7. E-health
eHealth

8. Human – Machine
Interaction

9. Transportation of goods

10. The Speed of
Technology
Are we being overwhelmed by technology?

11. Innovations in
drug chemistry

12. Chemistry & Drugs: Cosmic Cola

13. The Driver:
the Internet

14. Timeline of Cyber Space
(Just the Surface…)
Internet sales of “Legal Highs”
e-Commerce

15. Not only GHB
Alternatives
Readily Online

17. What happens under the Surface
1874 1980 1989 1990 1999 2002 2003 2008 2011 2014
Tor network
BitcoinPIHKAL
Silkroad
Krokodil RU, UK
Cheornaya
Vint, Jeff
Heroin
Krokodil GA
Krokodil Panic US

18. Silk Road

19. TOR
P2P
Bitcoin

20. Taking the Drug War Online?
Silk road shut down by DEA, 10-2013; Operation Onymous, 11-2014

21. Silk Road, a glimpse of the future of drug
markets?
21
A glimpse of the future
of drug markets?
Silk Road 2
Evolution
Pandora
Blue Sky
Cloud Nine
Hydra
Andromeda
Agora
January 2015: 23 Darknet drug trading Markets

22. Untraceable network markets

24. The (recent)
future
…
…will soon be over.

25. Nano Medicine

26. Nano Medicine

27. 2/10/18 strana 27strana 27
The Future:
Molecular 3D
printing –
Homemade
Meets NPS?
Prof. Lee Cronin: “In 5-10
years we will be ordering
our medications online.
Prescription software,
personalized to our
genetic make up, will be
streamed to our 3D printer
at home.”

28. The Molecular 3D printer

29. Foodarackacycle

30. The Consequences of
Rapid Technological Change
for (Local) Stakeholders in
Drug Use, Policy & Services

31. ”There are known knowns; there are things
we know we know. We also know there are
known unknowns; that is to say we know
there are some things we do not know. But
there are also unknown unknowns -- the
ones we don't know we don't know.”
Donald Rumsfeld
Drug
• Unknown drugs
• Unknown Potency – some extremely potent
(µg) – Overdose!
Set
• … … “Legal Highs” & the Unprepared
Setting
• BBVs?
• “Dealer, who are you?” (Mailman as Mula)
• Absence of regulation
New Harms: What do we know?

32. Where there used to be Grass, Acid, Speed,
Brown & Blow…

33. Diffusion of drug trends:
Heroin in the Netherlands 1972~
2/10/18strana 33
Cultural Capital
Major Port City

34. Diffusion of drug trends 2.0
Habitual GHB Use
2/10/18
strana 34
New drug trends may
emerge rapidly in any
municipality – large or
small; urban or rural.
New drug trends will
be less predictable
and less uniform.

35. An atomized drug scene or an Informed
and Empowered Drug Using Community?
An atomized drug scene
A disconnect between drug use 2.0, on the one
hand, and prevention and harm reduction services
The end of drug services as we know it?
A growing gap between “official” harm reduction
and spontaneous, peer driven harm redux
P2P HR went online
User forums, blogs
• bluelight.ru; erowid.com; daath.hu, drugs-forum.com;
legalhighsforum.com, etc.

36. Discussion:
Light at the end of
the tunnel?

37. Drugs: super nova
energized power
particles for all?

38. Setting
Drug
Set
Drug, Set
& Setting
Zinberg, 1984

39. Towards Harm Reduction 2.0

40. (1) uncovering the substance facts,
(2) dosage and administration,
(3) subjectively experienced effects,
(4) support and safety
“The main characteristics
of the discussions
in general were a concern
for safety and harm reduction.”

41. Show Off Church vs.
Shelter Church?

42. The pleasure principle
of harm reduction

44. Four Take Home Messages

45. Relevant recent reports (UK Gov; EMCDDA)
http://ow.ly/Iu4CI (w3.gov.uk) http://ow.ly/Iu58L (w3.emcdda.eu)

46. Thank you for your attention!
E: jpgrund@drugresearch.nl
T: @HeisenbergXL
W3: drugresearch.nl
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(Most images: Internet. Thanks2Authors!)