First of all, hello and thanks for checking this guide out. This guide consists of 4 major chapters that'll help you understand everything you need to know about drugs and roleplay involving drugs. I've used different sources that are listed down below all the chapters.
CONTENT
I. Types of Drugs Commonly Used/Abused and Effects
II. Drug Pricing
III. Drug Sentencing Guidelines
IV. Roleplay Around Drugs
Chapter I - Types of Drugs Commonly Used/Abused and Effects
1. Heroin
As a destructive opioid, heroin can lead to seizures, psychosis, and hallucinations when it is abused. Heroin injections can also spread diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis. This drug is known to cause serious health issues when it is abused because it interferes with the brain’s receptors. Users can become physically dependent on it very quickly, requiring them to take more and more to achieve the same high, but too much heroin can lead to a fatal overdose. Individuals who take heroin always require professional rehabilitation because the symptoms of withdrawal may be life-threatening.
2. Cocaine
Cocaine is a very dangerous stimulant even when taken in small amounts. It induces euphoria, increases blood pressure, and accelerates the heart rate. The drug may lead to fatal strokes or heart attacks for some users. The abuse of cocaine is also known to cause financial, legal, and physical issues. Due to the severe consequences of using cocaine, users require immediate professional treatment.
3. Crack
A potent form of cocaine, crack is often smoked and suddenly creates an intense euphoric sensation for a short while. Crack has turned into a problem because it is cheap and easy to buy and use. Abusing the substance, however, can lead to immediate addiction. Abusers are also at risk of suffering heart attacks and strokes with every use. Long-term use can cause liver, kidney, and lung damage. Abusers must seek help in rehabilitation facilities because the withdrawal symptoms are dangerous.
4. Hallucinogens
PCP (phencyclidine) and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) are hallucinogens, which means that they make users feel, see, and hear things that are not real. While they experience hallucinations with these drugs, users lose touch with reality and enter mental states of disconnection, as if their bodies and minds are not working together or connected. Some users of PCP and LSD enter violent states of psychosis. Serious injury could occur while hallucinating on these substances, which have caused permanent neurological damage in cases of repeated abuse. Withdrawing from hallucinogens is not easy, and abusers will need professional treatment in a rehab facility.
5. Amphetamines
Accelerating the user’s bodily and mental functions, amphetamines can cause manic periods of distress in abusers. These periods are usually accompanied by extreme paranoia, inexplicable behavior, and delusions. Some amphetamine abusers become very violent and attack loved ones unintentionally and could suffer permanent physical changes in appearance, irreversible brain damage, and nerve damage. Amphetamines are harsh, dangerous drugs, and users need medical attention and safe rehabilitation in professional facilities.
6. Marijuana
Marijuana is the most common illegal drug that is abused, and many people begin using it as a recreational drug in social situations. Continued abuse of marijuana can lead to addiction, and the substance can affect the physical coordination, memory, and mental functions of users over time. Some users have even lost relationships, jobs, and homes because they abused the drug. While it is easy to abuse marijuana, it is not easy to stop using it, so professional treatment is very important to refrain from abuse.
Chapter II - Drug Pricing
Considering the server hasn't launched officially yet, I have no idea how the economy on Bay Area Rolepaly will look like, so I'll just use real life sources for this chapter and edit it later on.
1. Heroin
As most of you probably know, a single dose of heroin doesn't cost that much. Well, how much does it cost, really? It depends on two different factors, they are - how available the drug is to the public at a given time and how the drug is "cut" and processed. Pretty much, "per gram price" depends on the drug's purity and availability. The average cost of a single heroin dose (0.1 g) purchased on the street is between $15 and $20 in the United States state of Ohio. Someone with a hardcore heroin habit might pay $150-$200 per day in order to feed their addiction. The reason for such a high daily spending habit has its roots in the nature of heroin addiction. As individuals become more dependent on the drug, they build tolerance to it – meaning that it takes more and more heroin to get high. This leads to an expensive habit – and the constant threat of overdose.
2. Cocaine
Cocaine remains the world's priciest party drug, according to the released 2015 Global Drug Survey, but it's much more expensive in some places than others. For example, the average "per gram price" of cocaine in the US is about $62. Cocaine is most commonly snorted by the user, though crystal “crack” can be smoked or injected. This recreational drug is highly addictive. A typical “line” of cocaine is 50 milligrams, yielding 20 uses from a single gram. The effects of cocaine last approximately 30 minutes. For a heavy user, cocaine addiction can cost over $120 per day.
3. Crack
Like any other drug, the price depends on the quality and the availability of the drug at a given time. According to an RCMP price list for illicit drugs sold in Toronto in 2009, a gram of crack sold for $80 to $100 and a rock weighing about a tenth of a gram sold for about $20.
4. Hallucinogens
The average price of LSD is about $15 and the average of PCP is about $25. I'm not just talking about the USA here, I'm talking about world-wide pricing of PCP and LSD. However, it is highly possible that you find PCP for about 5 to 10 dollars in some ghetto in the USA, but there's also a high chance of getting robbed.
5. Amphetamines
Average "per gram prices" of amphetamine, base amphetamine and methamphetamine: amphetamine - around $16; base amphetamine - around $22; methamphetamine - around $35. Here, the price range highly depends on the purity of the product.
6. Marijuana
Marijuana is often referred to as the “gateway drug” of addiction and is the most easily accessed drug on the street and can be smoked or ingested. With many strains, the price can vary with the dealer. The average cost of marijuana is $15 per gram. A moderate user will consume up to 1 gram per day.
Chapter III - Drug Sentencing Guidelines
1. Heroin
First time possession charge: 1 year in prison and $5000 fine.
Second time possession charge: 2 years in prison and $10,000 fine.
First time sale or manufacture charge: maximum 15 years in prison and $25,000 fine.
Second time sale or manufacture charge: 30 years in prison and $50,000 fine.
Possession: up to 7 years jail sentence and up to $50,000 fine.
Sale or distribution: up to life in prison, but more commonly between 10 to 15 years and $100,000 fine.
2&3. Cocaine & Crack Cocaine
Possession: 3rd degree felony; possession of 28 g (an ounce) is trafficking, which is 1st degree felony.
Sale: 2nd degree felony.
Trafficking: 28-200 g, $50,000 fine & 3 years minimum. 200-400 g, $100,000 fine & 7 years minimum. 400 g-150 kg, $200,000 fine and 15 years of imprisonment. Over 150 kg - potential life imprisonment.
An average sentence for crack cocaine and/or cocaine possession is 7 years. Supply and production is up to life in prison and an unlimited fine for both. It depends on many factors.
4. Hallucinogens
Just like the ones listed above, the PCP & the LSD are a Class A drug, which means, maximum penalties for both. Possession of LSD or PCP: up to 7 years in prison and an unlimited fine. Supply and production is the same as cocaine and crack cocaine. Can lead up to a life sentence and an unlimited fine. It also depends on different, and many factors.
5. Amphetamines
It's a little bit different here from the drugs listed above, all amphetamines are considered a Class B drug, which means, lower, but still harsh penatlies for both possession and supplying. Almost forgot production, too. You can get up to 5 years for possession, unlimited fines for all kinds. Supply and production, up to 14 years in prison, also an unlimited fine. Life sentences are rare, but they exist, it depends.
6. Marijuana
It's different for every state, just like every single drug. Possession of marijuana is punishable by up to one year in jail and a minimum fine of $1,000 for a first conviction. For a second conviction, the penalties increase to a 15-day mandatory minimum sentence with a maximum of two years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500. Subsequent convictions carry a 90-day mandatory minimum sentence and a maximum of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Distribution of a small amount of marijuana, for no remuneration, is treated as possession. Manufacture or distribution of less than 50 plants or 50 kilograms of marijuana is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. For 50-99 plants or 50-99 kilograms the penalty increases not more than 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million if an individual, $5 million if other than an individual for the first offense. Manufacture or distribution of 100-999 plants or 100-999 kilograms carries a penalty of 5 - 40 years in prison and a fine of $2-$5 Million. For 1000 plants or 1000 kilograms or more, the penalty increases to 10 years - life in prison and a fine of $4-$10 Million. Distribution of greater than 5 grams of marijuana to a minor under the age of 21 doubles the possible penalties. Distribution within 1,000 feet of a school, playground, public housing or within 100 feet of a youth center, public pool or video arcade also doubles the possible penalties. The sale of paraphernalia is punishable by up to three years in prison.
Chapter IV - Roleplay Around Drugs
I'm 100% sure all of us want to have the best SAMP roleplay experience here, on Bay Area Roleplay, but to have that, everything must be done properly and as realistic as possible. Drugs play a huge part in SAMP roleplay servers for organized crime groups, gangs, motorcycle clubs, junkies and even civilian roleplayers. I still don't know what kind of drug system the server will have, but I'll do my best to present this chapter. I'll start off with one of the most important things for me and roleplay around drugs, there's two sides of that. Side number one: you being the distributor. Side number two: you being the user. Let's talk about side number one. You being the distributor. Roleplaying a distributor can mean a lot of things, you can be a gang member, you can be an enforcer in an organized crime group, you can be a civilian with no criminal background. You can literally be anything and be a distributor, as long as you have the drugs. How to roleplay that as realistically as possible? Let's say your character goes to nightclubs and sells pills, LSD, PCP, even MDMA. Like I said in Chapter II, I still don't know what the server's economy will be, but you need to set a realistic price of your drug. Keep everything as realistic as possible, that's our goal. After you have a price set, you need to be able to deliver that drug safely (so you don't get caught) to the customer. Think of a realistic way to deal drugs in nightclubs. For example, you could tell the price to your customer and make them meet you in the bathroom with the money, once you both meet there, you do the trade. Another example, if the club's crowded, you could simply do the exchange through a handshake. There's many, many more ways to sell pills in a club, being as realistic as possible. It all comes down to your imagination, really. Let's talk about side number two with you being the drug user. Your character being a drug user, in order to roleplay a drug user properly, you should know what the drug you're using is doing to you. For example, you roleplay taking coke, cocaine enduces euphoria, increases blood pressure and accelerates the heart rate. Your character has emotion, too. Your character could be scared that they'll be caught with drugs. Your character could be scared that something will happen to them once they use a given drug, but they're too eager to find out what's going to happen. What I'm trying to say here is: roleplay drug effects accordingly. Now, there's a third side and that's you being the supplier. Let's say your character is a lieutenant in some kind of a drug organization, let's say your character is a supplier. What does that mean? That means your character must be extremely cautious. You supply different gangs, organization and whatnot. Use different phones, hell, even use pagers (just like The Wire), use payphones. Pick different spots every single time when you have to deliver a product. Know your price. Switch locations suddenly. Know what you're selling. Is it pure 100% pure? Is it 50% pure? Is it the worst drug ever? Pick business partners carefully. Use secret codes for spots, just pretty much anything that comes to your mind. Anything that you've picked off of TV series and such. All of that helps and makes roleplay 100% more entertaining and realistic. Thank you for reading this guide.
BONUS - Street Names of Common Drugs
1. Heroin - brown sugar, smack, horse, dope, H, Big H, junk, skag, skunk, white horse, China white.
2. Cocaine & Crack Cocaine - candy, snow, rock, flake, blow, toot, C, coke, bump, Charlie.
3. Methamphetamines - meth, ice, crank, speed, jibb, tina, glass, fire, chalk, crystal, crystal meth.
4. Marijuana - pot, weed, reefer, dope, ganja, grass, herb, bud, green, trees, skunk, smoke, sinsemilla.
Sources used: Wikipedia, HavocScope & RehabCenter