Illegal drugs by WhooDahn

Quote:
Originally posted by WhooDahn:

I don't remember hearing anything about illegal drugs. Is Firefly drug free or did I miss something?

I would tend to say that, given the scarcity of technically *legal* drugs, the illegal drug trade is just beat out by the competition. Consider TrainJob and Ariel: both of these were deals involving medicines, and I suspect given the context that they were destined to be sold on the black market for "use as directed", not to get somebody high.

The main market for "drugs" as opposed to "medicines" would be in the Core Worlds, where medical care appears to be government subsidized and widely available (as per Ariel). Those recreational drugs that exist are probably produced in or close to the Core Worlds, and Mal is just not going to want to deal with all that implies.

The closest thing I could ever see Mal dealing with is smuggling some high-quality alcohol.

And we know what THAT would mean.

"Jayne. You'll be in your bunk."

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 1:30 PM

I'd like to see Serenity land on a Rasta Moon where people say, "Ya Man!"

The whole crew smokes some of the illegal cargo and hilarity ensues. Everyone acts goofy, except it turns River completely normal.

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 1:32 PM

I agree that most of the recreational drug use would be in the core planets and that would either be close to the manufacturing locations or the Blue Sun gang has the inner planet drug market monopoly. It's seems there are enough outer planets that would still support recreational drug use. Add to that the Chinese opium dens and I would think there would be a lot of outer planet drug use. The opium dens may be legal but I assume there is a lot of illegal drugs available.

Have any recreational drugs been mentioned on Firefly?

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 1:39 PM

No recreational drugs mentioned as such. Mostly alcohol, and some of it pretty cruddy.

Opium, cannabis, etc: these are agricultural products. Most of the outer planets are clearly agrarian economies, so if somebody really wants some, they probably don't import it from off-planet, they have lots of farmland (and lots of places to hide the crop) right there. Wayyyy too many acres and way too few lawmen to go around digging up that sort of thing.

Then again, in an economy where *apples* are a luxury and cattle is smuggled, would people bother growing poppies and hemp for the drugs?

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 1:40 PM

Quote:
The whole crew smokes some of the illegal cargo and hilarity ensues. Everyone acts goofy, except it turns River completely normal.

Wash is rolling bombers, Zoe is giggling, Jayne is picking the stars out of the sky, Book is sweet talking Kaylee, Simon is sleeping and Mal has the munchies.

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 1:43 PM

There is always a percentage of society that wants drugs and a percentage that will make money off of that desire. Perhaps the drugs are home grown but I would think that recreational drugs would be more sophisticated and there would be drug traffic from the core planets to the outer planets. There may be more to Blue Sun than we know of.

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 2:18 PM

MALCOLM

Quote:
Originally posted by WhooDahn:
Has anyone seen any reference to illegal drugs?

I seem to remember seeing a hooka (waterpipe) in Inara's shuttle at some point (maybe the pilot ep.?). Of course, it could be for tobacco.

-MBS

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 3:13 PM

THEFOP

Fop's Crackpot Drug Theory (or "what I did instead of my Top Girls Essay):

When they were stripping the hypothalemi of their victims, the blue hand men realised that they had to somehow placate the children, or else risk an uprising. So thrice daily they would be given therapeutic reefer. ONe night there were no doritos, so River was unsatisfied, and the next day, remmembering this she heroically managed not to inhale. Having done that, she wrote letters asking for help. Every time she skipped reefer therapy, she wrote a new letter, until Simon figured out the code. They freed river by rigging a bunch of vaporisers up in the ventilation system and loading them with high quality hydroponic marijuana. The Blue Hand Men, unused to breathing near pure THC started binging on twinkies and singing "I'm gonna burn one down", and so River was freed

once the snow got so deep you almost couldn't hear margaret atwood

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 4:42 PM

Serenity VII - One Last Job

Mal works for the Rasta People.

An aging man, Mal postpones his retirement party to do one last job for the Rasta Moon colony. But the unexpected happens as Mal finds himself surrounded by danger and treachery.

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 5:16 PM

JEBBYPAL

In heart of gold, Nandi mentions that the man who formerly ran the house had all the girls strung out on "drops". Seems to indicate that there are still illegal/recreational drugs out there although one would assume that the major trade would be in pharmaceutical derivatives of some sort.

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 5:55 PM

The crew is smuggling some Jamaican Gold from Kingston when a fire mysteriously breaks out in the cargo hold. By the time they get the fire out, everyone is high.

River is completely lucid and is telling everyone exactly what happened to her in the Academy. Nobody is listening to her and she goes to her room.

Book shaves half of his head and is laughing at himself in the mirror.

Kaylee is asking everyone if they have a strawberry, if they are a strawberry, if they want to be a strawberry. It's so noisy it's hard to tell what she is saying.

Jayne has Vera and is trying to shoot the wisps of smoke coming from the smoldering pile of weed. He keeps yelling about ghosts.

Inara is doing her imitation of the Dance of the Seven Veils and ends up doing a slow strip tease in the corner.

Mal was watching Inara and then gets the munchies and heads to the kitchen

Simon is crying in the corner and keeps talking about what a disappointment he was to his parents.

Wash is trying to get joint to stay in his dinosaurs mouth while Zoe is giggling and talking about babies.

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 6:25 PM

LINDYCAT

There are representations canabis plants in HoG, and hookas in Inara's shuttle and the HoG house.

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 6:38 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Succatash:
Serenity VI - Mal works for the Rasta People.

I am afraid to ask why you have a picture of fat naked white men on a boat.

Is that Richard Hatch?

Were you on 'Survivor'?

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 7:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by WhooDahn:
Is that Richard Hatch?

Do you mean the guy in the background? It looks like him, I totally agree with you.

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Thursday, April 1, 2004 8:21 PM

ROCKETJOCK

Quote:

I seem to remember seeing a hooka (waterpipe) in Inara's shuttle at some point (maybe the pilot ep.?). Of course, it could be for tobacco.
-MBS

Of course, the question here is whether cannabis is illegal in Firefly's reference. While technically illegal in China (mostly due to western influence) it grows wild throughout much of the country. I could easily see it being accepted and legal in the Alliance.

I definately see Hemp as being widespread in the 'verse; it's too monumentally useful a plant not to be a major part of a terraformation package. And while the THC content isn't necessary for non-medicinal/recreational uses, it doesn't detract from them either. It's also a remarkably tough plant, able to thrive in the desert/brush conditions so common on the rim worlds.

Take my booze, take my coke,
cigarettes I do not smoke,
I don't care, I'm still free;
you can't take my THC!

"You can't enslave a free man. The most you can do is kill him." -- Robert A. Heinlein

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Friday, April 2, 2004 12:22 AM

That could be a whole new story line just waiting to be explored.

What type of drugs are 'drops'?

Are they legal or illegal?

Are they transported by Blue Sun?

Does Mal transport illegal recreational drugs?

Does the crew every run into a drug smuggler?

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Friday, April 2, 2004 4:19 AM

BROWNCOAT1

May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.

Quote:
Originally posted by WhooDahn:
That could be a whole new story line just waiting to be explored.

What type of drugs are 'drops'?

Are they legal or illegal?

Are they transported by Blue Sun?

Does Mal transport illegal recreational drugs?

Does the crew every run into a drug smuggler?

They did not elaborate on the "drops" in HoG. The conversation would lead one to believe it is some sort of addictive, illegal substance.

Perhaps later in the series we would have heard more about drops.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

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Friday, April 2, 2004 4:45 AM

OCELOTWREAK

Quote:
Originally posted by WhooDahn:
Quote:
The whole crew smokes some of the illegal cargo and hilarity ensues. Everyone acts goofy, except it turns River completely normal.

Wash is rolling bombers, Zoe is giggling, Jayne is picking the stars out of the sky, Book is sweet talking Kaylee, Simon is sleeping and Mal has the munchies.

You forgot: "and River is flying the ship..."

-Ocelot Wreak

"I figure you're here 'cause you need some whacko who's willing to stick his finger in the fan. So who are we helping?" - Mickey K., in 'The Equalizer'

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Friday, April 2, 2004 6:06 AM

CANTTAKESKY

The image of Chinese opium dens is a stereotype derived from a period in Chinese history, not traditional Chinese culture. The Chinese agglomerate of the Verse-that-will-be may not have anything to do with a social problem that plagued the Chinese 1000 years ago.

I haven't seen any thing in Firefly that indicates drugs, medicinal or recreational, would be illegal. It is possible those commodities are freely available to those who can afford their Core planet prices.

Can't Take My Gorram Sky

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Friday, April 2, 2004 8:04 AM

I had forgotten about the "drops" reference and such. Clearly, then, there is a market and those willing to fill it.

However, I do find it unlikely that Mal would deal in drugs unless they were generally legal to possess. Recall that from the very beginning (or the very end, if you are Fox, but I digress) he expressed a great aversion to human trafficking (aka slavery, which is explicitly mentioned as such a couple times). Recreational drugs have a long shared history with that business. Really, addiction is just another form of slavery. Mal is a champion of human freedom and dignity, just don't tell him that to his face. He would refuse such a run unless forced into it by a threat to his ship and/or crew or deceived as to what it was (which would make a good plotline right there).

Remember: his first thought after the money is how many people the drugs Simon is willing to help them steal could help out in the colonies. He gets rich AND he gets to feel like a hero, while snookering the Alliance in the bargain. And if things go right, nobody really suffers for it. That right there is his litmus test: will the little guy suffer if he does it? Over and over we see his answer.

Badger? Quite probably he deals in such. Niska? I would be shocked if he didn't! Mal, never.

Jayne...?

Now there's another possibility for a plotline.
"Took a little job on the side!"
"Jayne? Remember the airlock?"

P.S. Now there is something that nobody has brought up yet: what if the Reavers are druggies? There are drugs that help protect against the effects of radiation to a point: maybe the one they used has some...side-effects? Now there would be contraband you would not want to get caught with! (It would also explain their madness.) Just a random thought.

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Friday, April 2, 2004 8:50 AM

BENCHCOAT

so, isn't there a reference to drug smuggling in "Serenity"? I have a vague memory of Simon saying something along the lines of: "so just what have I gotten myself into? I deserve to know. Is it blah, blah, drugs, blah?" (or maybe it's Mal asking what Simon would kill for prior to the River reveal)

it could be a reference to smuggling legal drugs, of course.

Anybody with a better memory remember the scene?

Chuck

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Friday, April 2, 2004 10:01 AM

THEFOP

Fops OTHER crackpot drug theory:

Before the war, everbody was a pothead. The Alliance, who were in power at the time, started to impose heavy taxes on ganja going to the rim worlds. In protest, the labourers of Canton pitched incoming crates of mary-jane into the mud pits rather than paying the exhorbinant taxes, and others followed suit, eventually becoming the Independents. The Browncoats took to growing their own weed, and got pie eyed on hashish before going into battle. It made them hugely dangerous fighters, but also prone to distraction, and many a battle was lost because the soldiers were distracted by the groovy reflections coming off their gun barrels.

Hey, why do you think Zoe and Mal's Platoon ate those apples so fast? Munchies

once the snow got so deep you almost couldn't hear margaret atwood

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Friday, April 2, 2004 10:44 AM

TRAGICSTORY

How about this:
The cattle in Shindig/Safe were not for food and milk but to provide manure for 'shrooms.

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"Societies are supported by human activity, therefore they are constantly threatened by the human facts of self-intrest and stupidity." --Peter Berger

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Friday, April 2, 2004 1:14 PM

Quote:
P.S. Now there is something that nobody has brought up yet: what if the Reavers are druggies? There are drugs that help protect against the effects of radiation to a point: maybe the one they used has some...side-effects? Now there would be contraband you would not want to get caught with! (It would also explain their madness.) Just a random thought.

After we started this thread I got to thinking the same thing. They could all be drop taking, dope smoking, tatooted long hairs that ride space ships instead of motorcycles.

They all wear human skin jackets that say "Reavers" with a skull and cross rockets. They are named after the famous John Reaver, who, after a night of binge drinking, in the year 2059 raced across the Sputnik/NASA launch grounds and jumped on to the back of a missle headed to deep space.

His loyals followers were first known as the "Johns" but later changed the name to "Reavers" They became know for searching the known universe for the original John Reaver who they believe is still riding the back of a deep space rocket.

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Friday, April 2, 2004 1:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by WhooDahn:
After we started this thread I got to thinking the same thing. They could all be drop taking, dope smoking, tatooted long hairs that ride space ships instead of motorcycles.

They all wear human skin jackets that say "Reavers" with a skull and cross rockets. They are named after the famous John Reaver, who, after a night of binge drinking, in the year 2059 raced across the Sputnik/NASA launch grounds and jumped on to the back of a missle headed to deep space.

His loyals followers were first known as the "Johns" but later changed the name to "Reavers" They became know for searching the known universe for the original John Reaver who they believe is still riding the back of a deep space rocket.

LOL!

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Friday, April 2, 2004 1:44 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Succatash:
Quote:
Originally posted by WhooDahn:
After we started this thread I got to thinking the same thing. They could all be drop taking, dope smoking, tatooted long hairs that ride space ships instead of motorcycles.

They all wear human skin jackets that say "Reavers" with a skull and cross rockets. They are named after the famous John Reaver, who, after a night of binge drinking, in the year 2059 raced across the Sputnik/NASA launch grounds and jumped on to the back of a missle headed to deep space.

His loyals followers were first known as the "Johns" but later changed the name to "Reavers" They became know for searching the known universe for the original John Reaver who they believe is still riding the back of a deep space rocket.
LOL!

Most people don't realize that the Reavers aren't landing on planets and boarding space ships to attack people, they are just....drum roll please....looking for a John.

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Friday, April 2, 2004 2:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by WhooDahn:
Most people don't realize that the Reavers aren't landing on planets and boarding space ships to attack people, they are just....drum roll please....looking for a John.

You know...I can sympathize. I really can. I was once running around Downtown Atlanta looking for a place, ANY place, that had a public restroom. Were it not for some friendly construction workers and their porta-potty, I too would have been ready to eat human flesh and sew somebody's skin into a jacket.

There are times when we all turn a little barbaric. That's mine.

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Friday, April 2, 2004 3:40 PM

TRAGICSTORY

Quote:
Originally posted by Talvin:
Quote:
Originally posted by WhooDahn:
Most people don't realize that the Reavers aren't landing on planets and boarding space ships to attack people, they are just....drum roll please....looking for a John.

You know...I can sympathize. I really can. I was once running around Downtown Atlanta looking for a place, ANY place, that had a public restroom. Were it not for some friendly construction workers and their porta-potty, I too would have been ready to eat human flesh and sew somebody's skin into a jacket.

There are times when we all turn a little barbaric. That's mine.

That's why civilized cities like Rome have public fountains... Umm, never mind.

-----------
"Societies are supported by human activity, therefore they are constantly threatened by the human facts of self-intrest and stupidity." --Peter Berger

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Saturday, April 3, 2004 10:49 AM