Psychedelic drugs get a bad reputation due to their dissimilarity with all other types of psychoactive drugs. Psychedelic experiences are vastly different than any of the other drug experiences that an average person might have had. The mystery and uncertainty create a stigma that paints an unfair picture of psychedelics. All other psychoactive drugs make the user feel ‘good’ in some way by changing the levels of certain hormones (often dopamine or serotonin) in the brain, while psychedelic drugs only temporarily change the way that the user’s brain interprets sensory impulses. The aforementioned hormone changes caused by psychoactive drugs cause almost all of the negative long-term effects associated with drug use. This difference entails that psychedelic drug-users don’t build up tolerance or experience withdrawal, while risking neither drug synergy, nor addiction. In addition, an overdose is impossible when using any popular psychedelic. Psychedelic drugs avoid the long-term and short term consequences of drug use, so they should be legalized.
Not only do psychedelic drugs lack negative effects, but they are more useful than any other recreationally legal drug. A significant link exists between psychedelic use and creativity level. An entire era of music was shaped by psychedelics, particularly LSD. Steve Jobs, founder of Apple said, “Doing LSD was one of the two or three most important things I have done in my life.”
Most people are uncomfortable with their government supporting any kind of drug with no medical use. And yet, while laws concerning psychedelic drugs will remain unchanged for the foreseeable future, the United States will continue to pump Adderall and other ADHD medications into its future generation. One in ten school-age children is prescribed medication for ADHD. That percentage is over twenty times greater than that of countries such as France. So, rather than encourage creativity, America encourages drug-fueled education that won’t be of any help when graduates find a job and must stop taking the Adderall (as most ADHD sufferers do upon reaching adulthood). So, those who oppose psychedelic drugs must not forget what the government is already doing.While legalization is a long way down the road for psychedelic drugs, the first step is raising awareness.
I agree with the central premise. However, I think it is a considerable stretch to say that psychedelic drugs lack negative effects.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree with many of your points here, especially the one about ADHD medication, I really don't think that psychedelic drugs should be legal. In fact I'd argue that prescription medication needs to be more strictly regulated.
ReplyDeleteEverything I said is true with regards to LSD and shrooms. There is no addiction, tolerance, or overdose with LSD or psylocybin/shrooms. I focused on these drugs because their usage accounts for a significant majority of psychedelic drug usage. I cannot speak for the dozens of other little-known research chemicals, herbs, and fungi that have psychedelic effects.
ReplyDeleteYes, there are some negative effects, but all of the ones I am aware are nullified when the drugs are used responsibly. Bad trips happen due to bad mindset or bad setting. Psychedelic drugs multiply the user's mood, so a depressed/anxious person or a user in an uncomfortable/unfamiliar environment should expect bad trips. Acid flashbacks are recurrences of bad trips. They do not happen otherwise, so a responsible, knowledgeable user would only use psychedelics in a safe situation and eliminate these effects. Yes, a user can lose control and do stupid things, but if users puts themselves in situations where they can hurt themselves, then they are not being responsible and should not be using in the first place. For example, drunk people should not put themselves in a position where they need to drive. If they do, then the drunk drivers are stupid. We don't blame alcohol and call for its prohibition.
I adamantly oppose ADHD distribution but could you explain how the government is responsible for that? Also I think it is far-fetched to say that psychedelics are harmless. Syd Barrett supposedly lost his mind to acid.
ReplyDeleteThe government is not directly responsible for the rampancy of ADHD medication, however it is the public schools that encourage this distribution. Our schools try to confine children to desks for eight hours per day while the human race is built for hunting. When kids(usually boys) are unable to perform well in this environment, our solution is to medicate them. Secondly, the government could easily change the drug schedule to make prescriptions harder to obtain.
ReplyDeleteAll of the research I have done says that the Syd Barrett story and others are myths. My hypothesis about Barrett is that used too often, while combining with other drugs, and the stress of his job led to his schizophrenia. Any responsible user would not use in the same circumstances, and would easily be able to avoid it. While it may have played a part, we dont ban alcohol because of drunk drivers, so why should psychedelics be banned if they are safe when used responsibly?