@OP.I don't think so. I freely admit it is possible for a government to use drugs as a tool for political control. I've mentioned the concept several times before as one under appreciated reason for the government not to control the means of recreational drug production. Chemical coercion where people are forced to take mind control pills is a definite possibility, something like it has happened a couple of times in history but done with modern science for an explicit purpose would be an absolute disaster for any freedoms. Even now in Russian and China dissidents are called "insane" and thrown into prisons to be forcefed a potent mix of mind bending drugs. Think: One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, but on a much larger institutional scale. Those drugs are note remotely recreational, but the point stands.However I don't believe this dystopia is possible in a free market. Nor is a Brave New World possible in a free market. A market moderates and ameliorates the worst excesses of humankind due to a combination of factors such as price, diversification and the basic voluntary opt-in principal of marketplace transactions. For example: very few people will opt in to taking opiates due to concern about losing self control as opiates are known to be more compelling than many other drugs. Most people smoke weed, take MDMA or smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol. Individuals being free to make an independent judgement call is by far the best method of harm reduction there is. People aren't stupid. Some of the time maybe, but not all the people all the time.In other words, it makes underlying business sense for the Silk Road to have functional drug users for custom, not deranged lunatics constantly flaking out. The politicians of a nation state may have plans that are not connected to economic imperatives though.Finally, SR is definitely not a tool of the State because the vendors and staff, are definitely not pro-government.Quote from: FreedomOutlaw on May 07, 2013, 12:14 amIf you look at the former Soviet Union, you will find the black markets played a pivotal role in the collapse of the economy. I believe that is where SEK3 got the idea.I think black markets played a pivotal role in destroying the soviet economy and replacing it with a freer one. I also think, like SEK3, that history such as this is likely to repeat itself.