People must fulfill their sensual desires, so they can realize they do not provide lasting happiness, and desire instead an inner peace not dependent on externals, or possibly even abandon craving and attachment, and desiring altogether. Once realized that even the most profound stimulating consciousness altering substances doesn’t produce enlightenment, and that there is still something lacking, only then will one seek the truth to be found within this present moment.

All drugs should be legal, out of the government’s hands, and up to the individual. There are good, and bad reasons to do drugs. For medicinal purposes, life saving reasons, is the best reason. Next would be for scientific research purposes, in discovering ways to improve the welfare of living beings, as well as understanding reality, consciousness, and in general, the scientific understanding of the brain and cognitive structures / psychology. Next would be for personal spiritual growth, experiencing different states of consciousness, expanding perspective, to learn about the mind, and better it. Next for social fun, enjoyment, a good time, so to say. Next, to escape from reality, escape from the normal state of consciousness, which is one of suffering. And the worst reason to be doing or trying drugs is to fit in with the masses, to be cool, or like someone else, for popularity, social pressure, or for status contrary to one’s own beliefs. So there is a range of intentions when doing drugs which can be used as a reference in whether you are doing them for the right reasons, the first three I would say it would be positive, and the rest negative, thus I would encourage drug use if someone had honest intentions of the first reasons, and discourage it for the other reasons, based on its potential benefit to the individual and others.

This is a hierarchy of what is a good reason to a bad reason, relating to individual welfare, societal wellbeing, insight, wisdom, and inner peace. As always, the moral realist perspective holds, in that there are right and wrong answers to moral questions, based upon the axiom that morality necessarily entails the suffering and satisfaction of life, and the movement away from complete utter suffering for all beings across time would constitute the “good”. Thus, here we refer to the use of drugs being “right” when the net wellbeing of the situation is optimal to the progression of the individuals who indulge. This isn’t necessarily a utilitarian account of pleasure, as I believe suffering, as a rule, will always outweigh the pleasure, but rather, it is in looking for a morally neutral, or in a better case, a wellbeing optimal position, in which the use will instantiate.

 In general, if someone wishes to try a new substance, they should do extensive research and be prepared mentally and physically for the experience, as well as be aware of the potential risk and negative side effects, or else they have the potential of paying the price of ignorance later on. If the experience ends up being a net positive, then more power to the individual, if they can avoid attachment, addiction, or injustice to others, the possibility of which the doer must be aware of beforehand in order to combat the actualization of these effects, and if under their sway, the responsibility rests on the government to imprison them for wrongdoing, and on the universe to choose to help them out of addiction or never escape it, a possibility which is important to be known prior to indulgence. If the individuals experience turns out to be negative, or leads to addiction or injustice, the individual will suffer the consequences, his family and society will too, which is the greatest argument against legalization of most drugs, yet must be the price we pay for freedom and liberty.

The possibility of the benefit of positive attributes such as knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and free exploration of one’s own consciousness can potentially outweigh the negatives in certain situations. It’s worth noting that even a negative experience on drugs can teach you how your consciousness can be changed, and the silver lining may outweigh the present dissatisfaction with the experience. Of course trauma, and a lifelong causal influence of misery or addiction, is something one must keep in the forefront of their mind as a possibility when consuming any type of mind altering substance. Wisdom will be necessary to avoid pitfalls, and improve the quality of one’s experiences. The majority of people are currently using drugs for purposes low in the above hierarchy, yet, for government to take away the possibility, albeit of the small minority who are interested in an honest, virtuous inquiry into the most important aspect of all life, consciousness, is a crime in itself. The ignorant, unintelligent, unwise, unvirtuous people will undergo the misuse and abuse of drugs and pay for it in suffering, but this is the price a nation must pay for its freedom to explore the unexplored, and seek the truth. 

There also exists a hierarchy for the most beneficial drugs for the purpose of spiritual insight, and medical treatment. I think if drugs like meth/crack/heroine were legal, and the public is properly informed on their effects, neural toxicity, chance of death, moral defilement, etc., then most people would never try them, and those that do, do it fully understanding what they are getting themselves into, and if they break the law on drugs, if morals change to commit crimes, then they will face familial/societal/federal punishments for their acts, whether it came from ignorance, delusion, or enlightened thought, the law of the land will still hold (the question on the current law of the land and its atrocities is another conversation).  Complete legalization of drugs would also reduce gang activity, street violence, improve the quality and price of substances, reduce criminal acts that are secondary to its acquirement and the underground business, lessen danger in the unknown content of drugs coming from currently unlicensed, anonymous sources, in which the drug could be spiked, impure, and the possibility of robbery and violence in acquiring it also gets significantly removed as the business moves from thugs in alleyways to licensed businesses with FDA tested quality.