Like most young people, I started using drugs as a form of experimentation always expecting something extraordinary to happen. For example smoking weed would make me immune to all diseases and give other worldly artistic capabilities as a song-writer. Coke somehow being a tool to find the ways to get rich, successful guy that can pretty much hit on any woman and get anyone to do what you want without being ever rejected because the insane manipulation tactics and communication skills you suddenly posses. LSD making you figure out the entire universe, etc.

What I've learned is that these assumptions couldn't be farther from the truth, since on the web you can mainly see two types of people. One of them being anti-drug thinking that if you try it once you're immediately hooked, and that everybody who uses is a low-life and has ruined his life. The other being those who passionately defend and advocate the use of their drug of choice, as being the best thing that has happened since the dawn of mankind. There is no middle ground, so I would like to clear this up right away.

-Weed can make music sound much better, but you're not any more better of a songwriter than without it. Probably worse too, since once the high wears of you forget about it, and are really unmotivated to do anything afterwards. It can be fun, is good for stress and can help people heal when they have no other treatment.

-Hard drugs (coke, smack, meth and even molly) give them a miss, since they offer not much besides temporary good feelings and mess with your natural reward circuits in the brain which ultimately makes you just chase the high because you don't look forward to anything besides it. You won't get hooked right away though, and they can be fun too without a tolerance but like with drinking you'll be funny at times but most of the times make a fool out of yourself.

-Psychedelics It is not by any means a miracle potion that gets rid of all your problems simply by taking a tab of acid, and eating some shrooms. What many people don't realize is that even though it is a psychedelic, it is still a drug, and if someone ask you what you have learned from all those psychedelics most people will say they affirmed what they already knew, probably matured a bit faster than if they would without it and that's about it. They are magnifiers, they will magnify what ever it is you are feeling at that moment and in the meanwhile you will get visuals, hallucinations and intoxication too but that's what psychedelics really are.

It sounds like you had some pretty unrealistic expectations of what drug use could achieve.

A few points. Regarding cannabis, research has shown it can result in hyper-priming and divergent thinking, allowing users to form connections or join dots between loose associations, compared to when sober. This in itself can be a source of creativity, and a great deal of amazing music has been inspired by musicians using cannabis and psychedelics, so it's kinda their word against yours. No, using cannabis isn't going to make you a musical or creative genius out of thin air...there needs to be some kind of latent talent...but it definitely has the potential to be used as a creative tool. It can definitely be overused though and have detrimental effects like you say. But some of these stoned insights can and do remain valid when one returns to sobriety, I've experienced this myself. The great cosmologist and cannabis advocate Carl Sagan has an interesting insight on his cannabis use with regard to his perception of music.



I agree with your points about the hard drugs, although I wouldn't personally lump MDMA with those other drugs you listed, as bar potential psychotherapeutic potential, its use tends to be self-regulating (i.e. rapid loss of magic if overused) compared to those other substances which are psychologically and physically addictive.

Regarding psychedelics, I think one would have to be very naive indeed to think they would eliminate all their problems simply by taking them. I think one of their great powers is their amplifying, magnifying effect. Psilocybin and ayahuasca have been found to increase measure of openness long term in people...i.e. psychedelics can have impacts on human personality, long after they are out of one's system, which makes the unique. Human personality is generally viewed to be pretty fixed by the age of 30, and it's difficult to change it (unless you experience something major like an NDE). Openness as a personality trait is linked to appreciation of new experiences, imagination, aesthetics and creativity...and interesting openness tends to decline in people as they age. So this transformative effect of just a single dose of a psychedelic is pretty profound.

I like Rick Doblin's (head of MAPS) perspective of the psychedelic experience:

Why do you keep using drugs then ?
To me, it's more complicated. I could agree to some extent to some of your interpretation.
But, now, I've been asked too, obvioiusly from unexperienced poeple in the matter, what did I learn from using them ( normally them drugs being psilocybin shrooms, LSD, DMT and Aya, mescaline and Iboga ). Well in a conversation like that, I have often hard time to synthesize it all.

But I know I started learning using some of these plants of substances better. My way of thinking wasn't already the usual type, and the alambicated way or down to earth self discussions were, and still are to a lesser extent an incredibly way to go think outside the box.
As long as playing music, I don't think it's always related, and it depends upon the character.
I'm a drummer, who don't practice nowadays. But I had to play on few occasion these last 8 years. And I played twice percussions ( djembé type, west African drum) on psilocybes ( once in the mountain of austria, for a drums gathering ) and once in the jungle of brazil, where we drunk local cubensis tea. Both Time I managed to go in a half trance, maybe dissociation stage, where you Just do it ( no advertisement intended lol ), and nearly watch yourself playing ( the play is highly orgasmic and the poeple love it ). I think it's more how when WE think to ourself we are not in the " now " as much as we should go make the better. Thats what, from my experience, I could achieve without training for long years, j'y playing on psylo or also once on drums and kratom ( couldnt repeat it des weeks later, si its hit or miss ).

Now, the dmt, 5 meo dmt, and I would add salvinorin, had this breakthrough effect, which, for me, is more of a metaphysical experience and inspiration ( to think and ponder about how possibly our experience or reality might not be " the truth " but a multi faceted that you may, or may not contemplate for life, such the possibilities are many, and the Rabbit hole, Deep.
Cannabis I have an on and off story with it. But it helped and still help to calme me and at Time, slow this fast and Furious pace to a more meditative one.
It was the door for me, to all psychedelics and other drugs, as I then believe, I would have much to gain on the experi-mental level.
Then, I don't think it is usable for everyone, thus not as advocating everyone shall drop acid or drink Aya ...
And as we often Say, don't expect it to do the work for you.
If you want to better yourself, you have to practice. They are focus tool, they are sponges you can wipe your inner board with, and sponges you Can soak with whatever you contemplate. It will be you who have to be good at what you're doing, but IME it Can help to gather the best and, stay focus to animate a creative project.

There is indeed a middle ground, but the people that stand on that middle ground are off living their lives going to work, paying the bills, taking care of their loved ones, and likely unwinding in front of the television of the evening with their substance of choice. They aren't spending their time violently advocating for or against drugs on facebook or fairly obscure drug forums.

According to Dr. Carl Hart of Columbia University, 80-90% of people who use drugs don't become addicted. Whether is weed, opiates, cocaine, meth, booze, or what have you, it appears the majority of substance users are average people living average lives.

I think Bill sums it up pretty good! Drugs have done some very good things for us as a species. I would argue that we would not be what and who we are now without them. This has been going on for thousands of years. People discover drugs, try them, and figure it all out. We are still young in many ways. Still figuring it all out. What does this do? What does that do? I have hope that people will start to really break down what is truly good and what is a detriment to everyday living. I think we are starting to see this happen right now with the legalization of marijuana and many looking at other psychoactive substances with a higher curiosity for positive uses, including MDMA, psilocybin, Ayahuasca, DMT, and I am sure we could list more.

Moderation and a good sense of yourself is what is needed when approaching drugs. Sure try it but know what you are trying. It's just like the sorcerer's apprentice, getting a hold of magic that he doesn't know how to control. It has to be learned. The tools have to be learned. If not, it will all fall out of control, and broomsticks will be running a muck.

We use drugs for so many various reasons. These reasons define if the drug use is good or bad I feel. What is the intention behind it? What does it produce? Positive or negative. If negative, can I pull my hand from the flame or let it burn me. If positive, how can I apply this positivity to my life. Learning and developing a relationship to the drugs with good intentions. Learning what they do, how they do it and do some positive magic.

Basically what I've learned from years of drug use?

That it's tools with outcome according to wielding.
I think people easily forget they're talking more about their selves than about drugs when they cut into the subject.

I have not taken drugs other than psychedelics for about 10 years now, and my use of psychedelics is actually quite rare.

I never expected anything from psychoactives, mostly I was just curious, and I'll admit I enjoy altered states of consciousness.

...but, what I eventually learned is that while all drugs have benefits, and can be amazing, and while even the "worst" drugs did have a good side, and did have benefits and/or positive effect on me, this "good side "is far outweighed by the negative aspects of using these substances. I eventually came to a point where I had no desire to further experiment with these drugs. I had seen what they were all about, and was no longer curious, further more I've never enjoyed these substances much, so letting them go was not an issue.

people will always judge you just for knowing that you had tried these substances, however I feel that you can not judge others by the substances they have used or the hardships they have faced, only by the content of their character and by how well they had recovered from these hardships.

-eg