most illegal drugs can not be used safely in any way, tell me of what medical benefit can crack cocaine or black tar heroin?
with the exception of marijuna they're inherently unsafe with no justifiable use.
The unsafe aspect of most illegal drugs is that since they are black market, you often get adulterated drugs and/or there is no way of knowing the potency which is of course dangerous.
This isn't the case with diverted prescription drugs, of course.
The medical benefit of heroin is as a narcotic analgesic. Heroin was originally synthesized FOR exactly that purpose and in some countries heroin is used by doctors for that purpose to this day. For example, in the UK heroin is PRESCRIBED legally for severe pain.
Crack cocaine has no medical use, but cocaine itself is used in certain surgeries to this day. That's why it's schedule II. It has legitimate medical use
As long as one knows the dosage one is getting and if the drug is not adulterated, MOST illegal drugs can be used safely. They also can be absued and of course all the way tot he point of OD and death.
I've been to a LOT of heroin OD's. Imo, narcan should be OTC because 2/3 of all heroin/opioid overdoses are observed and thus there would be somebody present to administer if the person stops breathing. I've seen it used in the field (currently I am a cop and used to be a firefighter/medic) and it's magic.
Marijuana, another illegal drug, (but not in my state), has a host of medical benefits. For example, it can help improve appetite for people suffering various ailments.
And of course being able to be used safely is a differnt metric than offering a medical benefit.
The "justifiable use" for MOST illegal drugs is the pleasurable feeling they provide. That's not a bad thing; that's why many people use alcohol. Those of us who are agains the war on drugs, think that it's entirely justified for people to use whatever drug they want to seek a high, as long as they pay the consequences for abuse.
One example of a "justifiable use" of an illegal drug is that many people find that amphetamines help them focus and stay alert for studying. I knew a guy in college who was one of the top students in the school who used them for that purpose. The military for many years issued amphetamines to pilots and some other people for use in circ's where they needed to stay alert and awake.
Most drugs have benefits and drawbacks. And most drugs can be abused to the point where they are dangerous and detrimental to health, but that's a function of how they are used, not the drugs themselves. A person who uses cocaine once a week or so for pleasure isn't harming anybody and isn't endangering themselves if they do it responsibly, and assuming they can get cocaine that isn't adulterated with god knows what.