> I tend to think it's lack of regulation in the pharma space. According to what I've read online though, most of the illegal opioids are not prescription, bu

> I tend to think it's lack of regulation in the pharma space. According to what I've read online though, most of the illegal opioids are not prescription, but rather from Chinese manufacturers via Mexican drug cartels. I think that the thing that started this was the demand for psychedelics and pain killers among the rich tech workers of Silicon Valley, LA, SF, Seattle, etc, which have infected the west coast with the false notion that drugs are a 'victimless' crime. I've personally witnessed many very educated, very rich college students, take opioids -- not from a doctor's prescription -- but because they thought it would be fun. Perhaps they are not the addicts talked about here, but the fact is that their ability and desire to pay thousands for this stuff means that the drug cartels are enabled, enriched, and now have an incentive to market to less individually-wealthy, but larger markets.