I had posted a while back about the last time I tried to buy cold medicine, I ended up having to put my name & address into a book which as far as I know has me permanently on record for the date & time I bought the stuff.

Well, it turns out California is nowhere near the worst. You see, I went to Oregon for Christmas, and my wife started to develop a cold. So I searched the cold medicine available on the shelf and could not find the Alive Cold & Sinus (the only cold medicine I trust), so I went to the pharmacy counter...

As it turns out, in Oregon you now need a prescription to buy non-prescription medication! Being its Christmas time the only place a tourist can really get a prescription would be in a hospital. And being the price of an emergency room visit, its not exactly economically viable...

The worst part about this whole situation is the medication itself isn't the problem, its the fact that a chemical in the medication can be used for illegal purposes. Being this is the full justification, the road we're on is one where you will eventually need a permit to buy table salt... You see, salt contains 2 primary ingredients, a highly volatile substance that explodes in contact with water, and a highly toxic gas. Two very dangerous chemicals indeed, either of which can easily cause death...

But in the end what is really happening here is that the average joe pays the ultimate price. Those who need the chemicals out of the medications for illegal purposes will continue to get it unabated. Those who need the medication to keep them from feeling so sick are left to suffer without any recourse. The only people hurt are those who follow the law in the first place...