I feel like I'm losing my mind. I could have sworn that Maldy had spoken about doing drugs (heroin or meth) during his post-SL homeless arc. I can't find any trace of it in the thread, making me think I either misread something, or we have changed timelines. Either way, if he was homeless in either California or Washington, he has probably done hard, life-ruining drugs. This makes me think, without any evidence whatsoever, that he is currently on a relapse, and took a "vacation" to try and conceal it. I think that when he comes back, he will really start his spiral in earnest with visible drug use, even more erratic behavior, and a domestic abuse arc with his ferret tender.
Whether a product of my faulty memory or the Mandela effect, I firmly believe he has dabbled in hard drugs and will likely do so again in the near future, all for our entertainment.