imo, it seems like she has plenty of experience turning out addicts. for example, she reached for the morphine before rue actually asked her for it or agreed she wanted it. also, that bag was full of pills and other drugs, but she only offered rue the needle. she knew what rue was going to do, and how to game her.
also, the locked room is, imo, clear foreshadowing of just how bad it could get for someone in rue’s position. or how bad it will get if Laurie shows up next season.
I don’t think she’s going out of the way per say. I think turning fiends into prostitutes is what laurie does, the same way drugs is what laurie does.