Does Huberman know something?

[tubby]

My favorite analogy for this is always Napster/music sharing VS the RIAA.

You can still download music for free (if you're willing to put in the legwork to figure out the "black market" analog to companies selling music). It's just a little more hidden and requires a few extra steps than downloading Napster and typing in the name of the song you want. But these day, most people just pay for their music (whether through subscriptions or itunes or whatever) because it's not that expensive and much easier to figure out the first time. Enough people are paying that the RIAA is no longer actively going after the remaining ways that people share music underground. As a reminder, there was a point where the RIAA was filing mass lawsuits against individual people nationwide and forcing them to pay settlement offers, as a means of discouraging music sharing.

Likewise, the black/gray peptide market will always exist in some form, but I suspect much more pressure will be applied to drive it deep underground. Your average person is perfectly happy to pay a buck or two for a song they like, but paying hundreds of dollars a month for a weight loss subscription is a steep enough cost that your average person is willing to put in much more legwork to find alternative sources. I'm not sure what a crackdown looks like, but I can assure you that it will be relentlessly pursued until industry believes that they've captured at least 80% of the market through whatever ethical (or perhaps unethical) means at their disposal.

 

[YoYoFat]

The gray he is talking about are the US resellers/websites and hawkers on social media.

He's right. Big pharma is gonna grease whatever wheels they need to in order to clamp down on those picking their pockets. They will do it under the guise of safety, but make no mistake, it's about dollars and shareholder return.

People have been saying that since March 2024.

 

[YoYoFat]

He's been on a tear about the grey markets and a coming crackdown for months now. It almost seems personal for whatever reason.

Huberman seems relatively open minded about most things, so I don't get why he is so negative about this unless he has some undisclosed financial interest.

Ding ding ding.

But not undisclosed. You just have to connect the dots of all his sponsors. IMO, if we use peptides, we have no need for all his sponsors’ products.

 

[BNLFL]

I have 5 kits in the freezer now, and I'm still going to buy two more. Just deciding on who with, or maybe wait for a pre-buy sale.

 

[FarmgirlRebel]

Ding ding ding.

But not undisclosed. You just have to connect the dots of all his sponsors. IMO, if we use peptides, we have no need for all his sponsors’ products.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Mr. Blonde]

Exactly this. But also nothing wrong with buyinga few extra kits for the freezer if it gives you peace of mind.

The black/gray market has been around since the beginning of time. You may just have to go further down the rabbit hole to find it. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just stock up when you can afford it.

 

[Habibibi]

In some ways they are more capitalist than we are. If there is a buck to be made they are going to try. I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned the astonishing level of corruption involved. In many places of the world it is business as usual to pay someone to look the other way or worst case scenario cut them in.

That also applies to the US too, now more than ever. They have many legal names for it, "vertical integration" is one of them.

 

[Habibibi]

Speaking of the small players: Ever since GYC disappeared for a little while in June due to an " inspection ," I've thought the China side would be the bigger factor regarding enforcement. Then SSA and SRY disappeared, and then it really seemed that the Chinese government has all the cards.

They also said it was expected and not to worry, if i remember well. Less than 2 weeks later they were back selling.

SRY is back now, R30 just went for sale today on the US side. QSC was taken down, QSC is back. The grey market is always changing, but one thing I'm not seeing it doing so far is shrinking.

 

[Habibibi]

I'm sure he is very well connected but China will never be stopped. They banned steroids and widely available to those that want them.

Based on this, I expect Huberman will start sponsoring a compounding pharmacy service by the end of the year.

 

[foffspam111]

The gray he is talking about are the US resellers/websites and hawkers on social media.

He's right. Big pharma is gonna grease whatever wheels they need to in order to clamp down on those picking their pockets. They will do it under the guise of safety, but make no mistake, it's about dollars and shareholder return.

A local crossfit gym is selling 20mg of Reta for $350. Big pharma wants that money.

This is a great point. Now those new laws, some of the vendors going dark last year all a bit nerve racking. But all of that is part of the gray itself. There’s always a level of risk, even with your trusted source.

The gray/black market is as old as time and like others have said and if history teaches us anything, it will survive.

Insurance is nice too, have a few extra kits on the way and plan to have a few more extra before summer.

The future is uncertain, and we have little to no control over it. Best we can do is prepare (that’s those extra kits in the freeze) and adapt when necessary.

It’s also why I am thankful for communities such as these. Sharing information, having discussions and potential helping each other adapt when/if necessary.

Keep those sweet RUO peptides flowing! They may not be for human consumption but damn it if they don’t work.