If my son were to ask me (he is now 16 years old) about drugs, I would have to tell him to stay away from the stuff. Life is so much easier if you can do without, but other than that I would have to take a deep breath.


Artificial vs Natural.
Scientists say that every emotion we have is due to our own manufacturing of drugs. Our brains and bodies lob chemical molecules around like basket-ball teams. The receptors we have in our brain can detect and react to compounds also found outside the body, in nature's fauna. Certain chemicals make us feel in certain ways and thanks in part to science, man has concentrated or synthesized these chemicals to boost the effect. One result of such research has been the increased ability by medicine to manage severe pain and suppress emotions (for better or worse). Drugs intensify our perception - we use coffee, tea, cigarettes, pain medications, sugar and caffeine drinks, sleeping pills, keep-driving-pills, herbal remedies, doctor-prescribed peptide inhibitors and enhancers. Plants containing drugs have been used for thousands of years by a variety of civilizations for vision-quests or to enhance stamina. Some were used for pleasure, and some to control populations by creating mindless slaves. Drugs are ingested, inhaled, injected and absorbed. They are natural and synthetic, and they can heal or kill.

Addiction
From my observations, an addiction to drugs can be chemical or psychological, but it would be safe to say that if something offers temporary relief from an undesireable condition (such as a bad neighborhood or an intolerable situation) and that condition doesn't change over time, then that "something" continues to be an attractive alternative - from a psychological perspective. Chemically the brain seems to enjoy the pleasant effects of drugs, such as Nicotine found in cigarettes. When the effect wears off, a smoker's brain sends a "we need more of this" signal - often by way of a negative emotion. Cigarette manufacturers have, naturally, been happy about this arrangement, as have dealers and manufacturers of caffeine, sugar, and countless street-drugs.

What complicates matters is that although western medicine has largely regarded all humans to be chemically the same, we now recognize that different compounds affect humans in sometimes slight, sometimes extremely different ways. Beer, for example, puts some people to sleep while others become up-beat and highly social - or in some cases angry and destructive.

Illegal Spells Profit.
The fact that many drugs made to induce pleasure (if only for a short while) are illegal to the public adds a huge economical incentive to cultivate addicts, who would steal the bells of Santa's sleigh for their next fix. On the black market there are no quality controls, and drugs are often mixed with stuff that is cheaper and even more damaging than the substance it pro ports to be - and just like the prohibition was the greatest boon to the liquor industry, some say illegality aids in the building of addicts, because greed and callousy go together.

The History of Drugs.
Weather in the hands of a doctor, a healer or a street-peddler, drugs are not likely to go away. Throughout all recorded history substances of many kinds have been used in order to cause a shift in perspective. Some subtle, as a cigar after dinner, some more spectacular in nature. Alcohol was often the easiest to make - using anything that would ferment from potatoes to rice, grain, fruit and grapes - but other compounds found in nature were also cultivated. The Danish Vikings apparently ingested a certain mushroom, Fly Agaric, before going into battles making them go berserk and be impervious to pain. American Indians used the Peyote Cactus, Mescaline and "Magic Mushrooms" for vision quest journeys. The sacred "Peace Pipe" passed around could have contained only tobacco, but maybe not. Further south, the medicine people in the Brazilian Rainforest for thousands of years have used the bark of the Ayahuasca tree, and parts of the Jurema Shrub in ceremonies - claiming to connect with a spirit world. The word "assassin" comes from the Mid-Eastern word "hashhassin" - meaning Hash-Eater, and even such venerable institutions as the "Oracle of Delphi" where "To thine own self be true" was edged over the entrance - featured a person affected by "a mildly toxic" steam rising in the cave. People have had a need for stimulation for as long as we can imagine and often as a way to percieve a connection with the unknown.

The Arts and Drugs.
Although the generally accepted idea today is that contact with drugs (and alcohol) can only be destructive, many artists have contributed countless paintings, books, movies, songs and music under an "influence" of some sort. Mozart drank an extraordinary amount of punch and wine during his short, genius life, as actors like Robben Williams today freely admits to using cocaine (and being on everything but roller skates) during his rise to fame. The Beatles sang about pot and LSD in the Sixties, and one can speculate what songs would have been produced, had they led pias, sober lives. Another great band, The Doobie Brothers, probably also had some knowledge of what a doobie was. Country music is more famous for alchoholic stars, but some like Willie Nelson are known for their fondness of Marijuanna. The world of Jazz seem to attracting artists more of a hard-core presuation. Ray Charles, and Charlie Parter come to mind - with their well known addictions to Heroin. Historically speaking several of the founding fathers are rumored to have enjoyed a bowl of "loco-weed" now and then. When Benjamin Franklin floated himself accross the village pond pulled by a kite, I personally think he had more than tobacco in his pipe that day. Lately it has also been pointed out to me that the "snuff" used by many arristocrats during the time of the European Renaissance was a mixture of cocaine and tobacco (no wonder the French Revolution took them by surprise). Although fictional, Sherlock Holmes was in today's terms also a coke-head, exhibiting all the driven, keen behaviour typical of a cocaine user. During the 60'es and 70'es many university scientists (some working for the Army) experimented with LSD, and the field of "psychopharmacology" developed at that time. Recently singer/writer Paul Simon got in hot water for having weed in his limmo during a routine traffic-check, Paul McCartney is said to have divorced over the issue of pot, and do we want to talk about reggae and the Rasta religion?

Two Kinds of Users.
I think users fall into two basic categories: Those wishing to escape, and those on a quest. Those who's only goal it is to escape a "reality" are easy targets for exploitation, as a drug's effect is only temporary while the need keeps growing (It is said that the first shot of Heroin or Meth gives a pleasure rush so intense that the user will spend the rest of his/her life trying to duplicate it - and it will actually never happen). If, on the other hand, a drug is used is for the purpose of exploration, the picture may be a little different. A drug like Ecstasy, for instance, were originally developed for intra-personal therapy by a scientists named Alexander Sholgun, who had found a way to mimic what the brain releases when it wants to feel euphoric. Originally a therapist would use the drug to guide couples - typically married, but at an impasse of their relationship - though a journey "of the heart" and often with lasting success. Under the guidance of a counceller while under medication couples were able to put personality and events aside and see the universality of each other. The remarkable claims about this method was that the insights, lessons learned and connection made did not vanish with the morning light. In this case the drug was helpful in a certain situation, but as it became popular, it's use also changed. In general terms users who are motivated by curiosity, rather than need, seem less likely to become addicts.

Witch Hunt.
Lately there has been a lot of world attention to athletes using drugs to improve their performance. There has been talk about removing suspected users of Steroids from the Hall of Fame (presumably to the Hall of Shame)... Although most would agree to punish unhealthy pratices, giving unfair advantages in sports, should we also ban countless musical compositions and paintings because they were created "under the influence"?

On the surface it seems that society celebrates creative people when we can either ignore our suspicion that they may be "on" something, or if they say they used to... but have put it behind them now. If a person has led a "rough" life, they are considered seasoned and an inspiration to others.

Threat to the public
Since drugs (and alcohol) have been around forever, and the so-called "war on drugs" have not had any decernable effect, it would perhaps make sense to pause - and ask a few basic questions such as: Is doing drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and other unhealthy behavior a personal issue or should government get involved? Most would agree that if a person behaves in a dangerous way, we would like action to be taken to to minimize danger to others, but what someone does in private how does this constitude a threat to society?

In short I think freedom means the right to figure life out by ourselves, and we have each other to help. Some of us get addicted to credit cards, sex, bad relationships, gambling, sugar or fast food - does this mean that the government should step in before we do more harm to ourselves? Do we want the authorities to protect us from ourselves? Not unless we look to government to also define the reason for living, and this, I think, is the central question regarding drugs:

What do we think life is for?
It seems to me, that if we believe life is a test to do the "right" thing in order to be rewarded at death by a Supreme Being, then the race is on to determine what is right and what is wrong before it's too late. If life, on the other hand, is an opportunity for a unique experience including personal choice, and there is no "judgment" or "right way" in the eyes of the Univers, then we are each free to choose what kind of experience we want. This doesn't mean we can go crazy because there is no one to punish us: It would indeed be our own loss if we found ourselves wasting away on Opium in the slums of Hong Kong, much like if a foolish action left us crippled or stranded on a barren island. Free Will also means personal responsibility, and no one to blame but ourselves. (more here on "Free Will"

Many Christians believe we are all sinners and must repent. Jews were told they were the chosen people and have been isolated by other tribes ever since. Muslims have not yet separated faith from science, something the Christians called Reformation. Buddhists attempt all-acceptance, but are driven out of lands by those tolerating nothing - and Native Indians see all animals, plants, earth, water, fire and sky as connected, but not so modern society. Most faiths attempt to gain access to the unknown by restricting or modifying behaviour and governing thought. Since drugs challenge accepted views of life, they are often regarded at a threat to "tradition", hence banned as evil.

The down side
of Drugs is that the user often becomes isolated in a personal experience that others can't relate to, or is caught in either a mental, or chemical dependancy. Drug abusers become despondent, listless, and without interests beyond the drug itself. We say that when there are drugs or alcohol involved, the person is not fully able to make good judgments about choices in life and therefore it is a compassionate response to step in and change the situation.
In my view, a well functioning community of friends, family and neighbors is probably better suited for such intervention, rather than laws and government. Little is done to help by putting someone in jail.

America
was founded on the idea of personal freedom to pursue a life of one's own choosing. We are allowed to tattoo ourselves from head to toe, eat twinkies for all our meals, smoke cigarettes non stop and never see a dentist, but we are not permitted to alter our minds with any other substance than alcohol.

Personally Speaking,
I grew up during the sixties and had my fair share of various herbs and spices such as Pot, LSD, Mushrooms, and MDMA. I learned a lot and never had a bad experience, but luckily I was never attracted to the hard stuff. Pot helped me better than Prozac and Dextrin during a depressing period of my life, but I found it manageable to put it aside as circumstances changed for the better. Now I appreciate having a keen mind, and living in the same world as those around me. I also like that I am able to remember my own name and show up on appointments with all my gear. My friends and loved ones helped me to see this, not the government.

So if my son one day asks me about drugs, maybe I will take a deep breath and ask him to just say "know".



More useful (unbiased) information available from the book: "Hallucionogenic Plants" by Richard Evans Schultes published by Golden Press, NY.