Weed would be another digression entirely. As a plant, it has a much longer history. And as a plant, it never really became the drug of the rich and powerful. Maybe because smoking too much causes introspection, which the rich and powerful cannot abide.

There’s a lot of armchair psychoanalysis here. The rich and powerful seem to like uppers, because those let them think they’re getting more work done. And they like alcohol as the social lubricant and memory suppressor that it is. At least those are the socially acceptable drugs. Even Meth is acceptable to them if taken in pill for rather than being smoked.

The downers all seem to be demonized. The refrain is that they make you lazy or some such bullshit. As if some of the most (admittedly misguidedly) productive times of my life weren’t fueled by pot.

I got really into carpentry and stone carving for a time back in high school, and if YouTube had existed I would likely have gotten into metal casting as well. All to make some okay pipes and bongs. I’m sure I could do better these days, but was proud at the time.