Author: Charles Frank

Instagram makes it easy for teens to find drugs, report finds

If buyers aren’t able to find anyone through their contacts, they can try to meet new ones by joining local groups who might be able to point them in the right direction. Heath D’Alessio, a facilitator for Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy, suggested buyers attend meetings for their city’s psychedelic society, if it has one, or similar groups, to meet people who might have connections. “If you’re buying drugs locally, tapping into the knowledge of your local community of drug-using people is one way,” they said. Drug dealers are branching out to platforms and apps, popular with young people, such as Instagram, Tinder, Kik and shopping app Depop to sell their wares. These can be anything from prescription medication and research chemicals to recreational drugs. In the report, published Tuesday, the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) created seven fake accounts for teen users aged 13, 14, 15, and 17.

Instagram did not stop those accounts from searching for drug-related content. In one case, the platform auto-filled results when a user started typing “buyxanax” into the search bar. Another advertises “OG Kush PM” with a string of emojis—the flame emoji, followed by the Christmas tree emoji, and so on. A sophomore English major-slash-dealer who asked buyers to disguise their payments with “funny” captions was busted when these same descriptions ended up tipping off the cops. Another option is to use apps like “Cannabis Connect” or “GrassCity,” which are specifically designed for finding and purchasing marijuana. These apps provide detailed information on dispensaries and delivery services, as well as user reviews and ratings.

Additionally, many of these websites contain outdated information and can lead to dangerous situations. As far as possible, social media providers act swiftly to block or restrict links that could lead to the sale or purchase of drugs, and repeat offenders are banned, but the onus is on platform users. On Instagram, using the social platform convention of hashtagging, a potential customer trawls through the app looking for phrases like #weed4sale or the names of the drugs themselves (#mdma, #mephedrone etc). The customer then contacts the owner of the account and the deal moves along through direct messages.

Class A drugs return in popularity to levels not seen for 10 years

COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Vice Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content. “It mostly comes down to planning ahead for a good time, checking in with yourself, your space, your company,” they added.

1. The app provides detailed information on dispensaries and delivery services in a particular area.
2. Drug dealers are branching out to platforms and apps, popular with young people, such as Instagram, Tinder, Kik and shopping app Depop to sell their wares.
3. These apps provide detailed information on dispensaries and delivery services, as well as user reviews and ratings.
4. There are many online forums and websites dedicated to helping people find drug dealers.

As is the case during a normal spring or summer, but especially one with such a focus on hanging out outside, the idea of tripping on psychedelics at a beach, park, or nature trail when it hits 70 degrees out might seem particularly appealing.

Q3: What are some signs that a drug dealer may be dangerous?

“I just get to know people in the community and usually a connection will pop up,” she said. “This may be done to cut down on costs, increase the likelihood of buyers becoming addicted, or to intentionally cause harm,” said Matt Glowiak, a substance abuse counselor and professor at Southern State University. Social media is creating a new market for users to sell and score weed, ketamine, and everything in between.

” Then, she would bring more weed than two people could consume to the date, and the buyer would catch on that they could buy from her. Once a seller is recommended to a buyer, the buyer can ask their mutual contact how long they’ve known the person and how much they trust them, he said. “Find the community of supportive people first to ensure you’re provided with safe ethical medicine,” she said. The dealer said it’s best not to just immediately go posting about wanting to buy in the Facebook groups, though—they should try to get to know the people before asking them for hookups.

Many of the listings are not monitored by the app, so it is important to use caution when engaging with any drug dealers on the app. Additionally, law enforcement may be monitoring the app, and anyone found to be engaging in illegal activity can face serious consequences. The illicit drug trade is a huge black market and it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where to look.

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These marketplaces are often used by drug dealers to sell their products anonymously. Cryptomarkets are difficult to police, and it is relatively easy for buyers and sellers to remain anonymous. In the case of Garnett Smith, one of Baltimore’s biggest drug dealers, the DEA finally caught up with him through his Instagram photos of gold bricks, fast cars, and designer gear—for which he had no other source of income.

“I only talk about my mushroom thing in person or through Signal,” said the shroom dealer outside Austin. The report comes during a period of renewed scrutiny of how Instagram and Facebook affect the mental and physical health of its adolescent and teen users. A group of academic researchers published an open letter Monday calling for Meta to be more transparent about its research on the mental health of its young users. Congress held hearings on the platforms in October after reports in The Wall Street Journal highlighted concerns that Instagram could harm the mental health of young users, particularly teenage girls. During those hearings, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) pointed to another TTP report, which found that Facebook approved ads promoting drug use and anorexia.

“Recently, lacing with fentanyl specifically is causing a lot of accidental overdoses,” said Nzinga Harrison, Chief Medical Officer for the addiction treatment center Eleanor Health. “Fentanyl has been found in cocaine, pain pills like Oxycontin, and downers like Xanax when bought underground.” Increasingly, it’s also been found in other drugs, like ecstasy, ketamine, and even weed. It’s 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and accounts for the majority of over 36,000 synthetic opioid deaths reported in 2019—and fentanyl deaths are on the rise, increasing by 63 percent between 2019 and 2020. After being in and out of the justice and rehab system for a number of years since the age of 17, Moe says that arrests for drugs bought online tend to happen separately to the initial transaction. “You get the drugs, then you do something stupid with the drugs on you, or you sell them in person,” he says.

Some users post requests but that’s the easiest way to get scammed or arrested, so, if you’re trying to buy, you’re better off searching for sellers and messaging them directly. Since most dealers aren’t manufacturing their own drugs, they may not know exactly what they’re selling. Cocaine, for example, often changes hands six or more times between production and final sale, said Caulkins. “Even if you are buying drugs from your best friend, not an anonymous seller, the friend would usually have bought from someone else,” he pointed out.

“More degrees of separation theoretically means less potential legal exposure,” he said. Drugs may also contain unknown substances simply due to poor manufacturing. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks.