Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear
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- Author：Carl Hart
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Summary
"Hart's argument that we need to drastically revise our current view of illegal drugs is both powerful and timely 。 。 。 when it comes to the legacy of this country's war on drugs， we should all share his outrage。" --The New York Times Book Review
From one of the world's foremost experts on the subject， a powerful argument that the greatest damage from drugs flows from their being illegal， and a hopeful reckoning with the possibility of their use as part of a responsible and happy life
Dr。 Carl L。 Hart， Ziff Professor at Columbia University and former chair of the Department of Psychology， is one of the world's preeminent experts on the effects of so-called recreational drugs on the human mind and body。 Dr。 Hart is open about the fact that he uses drugs himself， in a happy balance with the rest of his full and productive life as a colleague， husband， father， and friend。 In Drug Use for Grown-Ups， he draws on decades of research and his own personal experience to argue definitively that the criminalization and demonization of drug use--not drugs themselves--have been a tremendous scourge on America， not least in reinforcing this country's enduring structural racism。
Dr。 Hart did not always have this view。 He came of age in one of Miami's most troubled neighborhoods at a time when many ills were being laid at the door of crack cocaine。 His initial work as a researcher was aimed at proving that drug use caused bad outcomes。 But one problem kept cropping up: the evidence from his research did not support his hypothesis。 From inside the massively well-funded research arm of the American war on drugs， he saw how the facts did not support the ideology。 The truth was dismissed and distorted in order to keep fear and outrage stoked， the funds rolling in， and Black and brown bodies behind bars。
Drug Use for Grown-Ups will be controversial， to be sure: the propaganda war， Dr。 Hart argues， has been tremendously effective。 Imagine if the only subject of any discussion about driving automobiles was fatal car crashes。 Drug Use for Grown-Ups offers a radically different vision: when used responsibly， drugs can enrich and enhance our lives。 We have a long way to go， but the vital conversation this book will generate is an extraordinarily important step。
From one of the world's foremost experts on the subject， a powerful argument that the greatest damage from drugs flows from their being illegal， and a hopeful reckoning with the possibility of their use as part of a responsible and happy life
Dr。 Carl L。 Hart， Ziff Professor at Columbia University and former chair of the Department of Psychology， is one of the world's preeminent experts on the effects of so-called recreational drugs on the human mind and body。 Dr。 Hart is open about the fact that he uses drugs himself， in a happy balance with the rest of his full and productive life as a colleague， husband， father， and friend。 In Drug Use for Grown-Ups， he draws on decades of research and his own personal experience to argue definitively that the criminalization and demonization of drug use--not drugs themselves--have been a tremendous scourge on America， not least in reinforcing this country's enduring structural racism。
Dr。 Hart did not always have this view。 He came of age in one of Miami's most troubled neighborhoods at a time when many ills were being laid at the door of crack cocaine。 His initial work as a researcher was aimed at proving that drug use caused bad outcomes。 But one problem kept cropping up: the evidence from his research did not support his hypothesis。 From inside the massively well-funded research arm of the American war on drugs， he saw how the facts did not support the ideology。 The truth was dismissed and distorted in order to keep fear and outrage stoked， the funds rolling in， and Black and brown bodies behind bars。
Drug Use for Grown-Ups will be controversial， to be sure: the propaganda war， Dr。 Hart argues， has been tremendously effective。 Imagine if the only subject of any discussion about driving automobiles was fatal car crashes。 Drug Use for Grown-Ups offers a radically different vision: when used responsibly， drugs can enrich and enhance our lives。 We have a long way to go， but the vital conversation this book will generate is an extraordinarily important step。
Reviews
Joeyarnaudgmail。Com
，
I really think this and Chasing the Scream are a valuable read for everyone， fear and demonisation of drugs cause a lot of pain， discrimination and much more which gets discussed throughout the book
Dori
，
Easy to read， but very controversial obviously。
Derek Frasure
，
Phenomenal。 Hart has clearly grown as a writer since his High Price。 This book has far more focus on the topic at hand and less biography。 This book is a systematic destruction of everything you thought you knew about recreational drugs and their users。 Vital and I wish this was taught to every American。 The book does a great job of presenting these ideas and data to the average American （this book's rhetorical structure is heavily geared toward an American mindset）。 Phenomenal。 Hart has clearly grown as a writer since his High Price。 This book has far more focus on the topic at hand and less biography。 This book is a systematic destruction of everything you thought you knew about recreational drugs and their users。 Vital and I wish this was taught to every American。 The book does a great job of presenting these ideas and data to the average American （this book's rhetorical structure is heavily geared toward an American mindset）。 。。。more
Ellen
，
After reading this I fear for Carl Hart's liberty。 Only the rich and white get to do drugs when they want， Carl！ GOD。 *sarcasm* After reading this I fear for Carl Hart's liberty。 Only the rich and white get to do drugs when they want， Carl！ GOD。 *sarcasm* 。。。more
Nicole
，
Unpopular review ahead。。。。I had high hopes for this book。 I picked it up because I am all for responsible drug use and destigmatizing/ decriminalizing drug use。 I also have loved ones who have been affected by addiction so I was attracted to the idea of safe drug use。 Sure the author discusses important ideas like free/ safe/ non discriminating drug testing for content。 But so much of this book felt like all it was about was race and media。 Yes， does racism and drug stigma go hand in hand？ Absol Unpopular review ahead。。。。I had high hopes for this book。 I picked it up because I am all for responsible drug use and destigmatizing/ decriminalizing drug use。 I also have loved ones who have been affected by addiction so I was attracted to the idea of safe drug use。 Sure the author discusses important ideas like free/ safe/ non discriminating drug testing for content。 But so much of this book felt like all it was about was race and media。 Yes， does racism and drug stigma go hand in hand？ Absolutely。 However I hoped for more science， less politics。 The book was more about why drugs are so stigmatized， rather than anything about responsible use in adults。 I was hoping there would be more food for thought。。。 the sort of science that an anti-drug person would read and feel the need pause rethink their position。。。 but I found little。 What I really disliked about this book were a few statements the author makes that feel dangerous or irresponsible。 Like marijuana can’t hurt an unborn fetus。 Or heroin is no more dangerous than marijuana。 Yes， he provides some science to support this， but I’d be willing to bet there is also science to debunk his claim。 Instead of acknowledging that， he basically says all other science is conducted wrong/ overstated/ plain bad。 It felt very “me right， them wrong。” He says things like there is no opioid epidemic， essentially this is just fake news。 I can’t say I agree。 Overall， the book makes some interesting points。 But it felt a lot like propaganda， although the author claims the opposite。 I definitely didn’t feel I learned much。 The main thing I learned was how different countries treat and criminalize drug use。 Pros， it was a quick read。 Overall， I would only recommend this book to someone wondering why drugs have such a stigma in the US。 。。。more
Zainab
，
Good enough writing。 Occasionally witty。 Made me think actively。 So， yeah。Before reading the book I wasn't sure if I had any opinion on the legality of drugs。 And now， well， I don't know if it's strong， but it's lurking somewhere there in the air。 And I was listening to what Carl had to say。 I'm still unsure because it doesn't affect me。 Selfish？ Maybe。 But sometimes， you have to be there before saying， "Yeah， I understand。" No， I haven't been there。 No， I don't understand。So， I tried to pretend Good enough writing。 Occasionally witty。 Made me think actively。 So， yeah。Before reading the book I wasn't sure if I had any opinion on the legality of drugs。 And now， well， I don't know if it's strong， but it's lurking somewhere there in the air。 And I was listening to what Carl had to say。 I'm still unsure because it doesn't affect me。 Selfish？ Maybe。 But sometimes， you have to be there before saying， "Yeah， I understand。" No， I haven't been there。 No， I don't understand。So， I tried to pretend like a rational individual without any irrational instincts while reading this one。Carl reminded me of my university days， late teens， naive idealism （still stuck with this one） when a friend of mine and I thought that we saw two random university guys exchanging what seemed like white powder。 Scandalous。 Super-worried about their future （what were we thinking？）， we exchanged views whether we should inform someone who can stop them。 Future， right？ Our random act of uncalled-for idealism would also have destroyed their future。 What a dilemma。 We happened to be thoughtful enough to understand that dilemma。 So， we decided not to say anything out of sheer laziness and doubt that stopped us to reach an ethical conclusion。 So， what is the right thing to do？ I do think Carl is super concerned about this question。 I wasn't in context to this issue while I was reading it。 Because I was pretending， remember？ He seemed to be too much concerned about the freedom to use drugs just like every other American teenager seems to be on American TV shows。 I find this particular argument almost irrelevant。 Irrelevant， because it almost sounded like "government can't force us to wear masks。" Moreover， he supports his claim that it's our right to enjoy recreational drugs with the evidence that if we can use alcohol responsibly， so can we use drugs。 Alcohol， drugs。 Potato， potato。 Almost， because， well he talks about using drugs responsibly。 Responsibly in the sense that people should do their homework before enjoying their right to ecstasy。 He argues that people who are more likely to become addicted are ignorant teens/grown-ups， already depressed adults， financially unstable folks， or a combination of all of these。 I agree。 So， instead of just pointing all guns at soulless drugs， using drug trade to racially discriminate against Black people， and throw labels at people finding momentary bliss in drugs， governments and non-government folks should try for once to sincerely launch an operation enduring financial-and mental-health-freedom instead of launching a war on drugs。 Yes， sir。 He also proposes that the same powerful folks with more than enough resources should spread awareness about responsible drug use。 But these awareness campaigns can only work if drugs are legal。 Why？ Because when people are too concerned about getting caught， they spend all the time doing their maths homework that they forget that science can help them too。 I do agree that some "immoralities" shouldn't be codified。 I mean it's too much bureaucracy that is bound to fail。 Sure， but what's 'responsible' use here exactly？ If our freedom is restricted by the freedom of other humans， animals， and aliens， then shouldn't we be concerned as much about losing control for the sake of our 'right' to ecstasy？ If losing control was freedom， I would have agreed with Carl。 But I don't think it is。 In short， I agree with most of his proposals， but I don't agree with his thinking process。 For many， the thinking process can be irrelevant。 For me， that's why I read。 。。。more
Monique
，
I picked up this book from the library because I saw an interview with the author on TV。 I thought it was courageous for Dr。 Hart to admit to regular drug use。 The fact that him and his wife chose to use in order to achieve complete happiness is thought provoking。 The data presented is compelling but still leaves me against the regular use of illegal drugs。 More research should be done with open and honest discussions before I could be swayed to believe anything differently。
Betsy
，
Quite a good book！ I’ve read many books， articles， and studies on licit/illicit drug use and drug policies as well as the effects of various drugs。 This book reaffirmed most of what I already knew， and reaffirmed my belief that all drugs at least need to be decriminalized for adult use （because education is the answer， not restriction）， and even added some important information about crack and opioids that I hadn’t previously known。Definitely recommend to anyone who wants to know more about what Quite a good book！ I’ve read many books， articles， and studies on licit/illicit drug use and drug policies as well as the effects of various drugs。 This book reaffirmed most of what I already knew， and reaffirmed my belief that all drugs at least need to be decriminalized for adult use （because education is the answer， not restriction）， and even added some important information about crack and opioids that I hadn’t previously known。Definitely recommend to anyone who wants to know more about what’s wrong （and dangerous， and decidedly NOT “pro-life”） about the USA’s drug policies。 The author writes at length about how we can follow other countries’ examples and follow research-based approaches to do better and to keep all drug users， including （currently） illegal drug users， safer too。 I love that the author is an openly drug-embracing Black doctor as well。 That’s a perspective I was lacking in my previous research and I believe his perspective is an important one given how disproportionately the War on Drugs has negatively affected Black communities。 。。。more
Mikey Will
，
There is an important， timely and controversial component that has been intentionally omitted in the last 100 years of drug abuse education: the existence of autonomous， responsible， well-functioning， healthy adults that recreationally use （illegal） drugs in the pursuit of happiness。Dr。 Carl L。 Hart， Professor of Neurology and former chair of the Department of Psychology at Columbia University， pens an insightful yet uncuffed rebuttal against his decades-long role in drug abuse and addiction res There is an important， timely and controversial component that has been intentionally omitted in the last 100 years of drug abuse education: the existence of autonomous， responsible， well-functioning， healthy adults that recreationally use （illegal） drugs in the pursuit of happiness。Dr。 Carl L。 Hart， Professor of Neurology and former chair of the Department of Psychology at Columbia University， pens an insightful yet uncuffed rebuttal against his decades-long role in drug abuse and addiction research。This book amounts to a no-holds-barred argument for complete drug decriminalization。 A central focus is on the underlying role of racism-fueled drug myths in the development of drug policy。 The mythical "negro cocaine fiends" that shaped the Harrison Narcotics of 1914 reemerges in the 1986's Anti-Drug Abuse Act which set penalties 100x harsher for crack- than powdered-cocaine violations。 The myth has also been repurposed into the scientifically-devoid， superhuman， "PCP-crazed black man" defense used for countless extrajudicial police brutality over the last 30 years。The book presents a unique call-to-arms for respectable middle-class （"privileged class"） drug users to come out of the closet about their concealed use， in an effort to challenge the societal perspective that "all users are irresponsible， troubled members of our society。" Furthermore， the author calls for the unbiased overview of empirical research to unravel the systemic racism of today's drug criminalization。It may be a tough pill to swallow， but its one that has altered my views on a highly-nuanced subject 。。。more
John
，
A special thanks to Dr。 Carl Hart for being so brave and standing behind his point of view in writing this book and speaking his truth。 Just finished reading。 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ all the way。 One of my new favorite people。 A must read！ Editors' pick on Amazon。 A true trail-blazer。 Very informative book。 Check it out！ A special thanks to Dr。 Carl Hart for being so brave and standing behind his point of view in writing this book and speaking his truth。 Just finished reading。 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ all the way。 One of my new favorite people。 A must read！ Editors' pick on Amazon。 A true trail-blazer。 Very informative book。 Check it out！ 。。。more
James Weber
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It's rare that I find myself feeling so drastically aligned with an author in some respects， but so discordant in others。 I get the sense that Dr。 Hart is a staunch libertarian。 As someone who strongly believes in social justice， I was surprised at my reaction to a lot of the things discussed in the book。 Why do I feel so on-board with some things， but so resistant to others？ Overall， I think there were some incongruencies in the author's writing， but it definitely made an impact on the reader。 It's rare that I find myself feeling so drastically aligned with an author in some respects， but so discordant in others。 I get the sense that Dr。 Hart is a staunch libertarian。 As someone who strongly believes in social justice， I was surprised at my reaction to a lot of the things discussed in the book。 Why do I feel so on-board with some things， but so resistant to others？ Overall， I think there were some incongruencies in the author's writing， but it definitely made an impact on the reader。 It also felt like CH was YELLING at the audience much of the time 。。。 maybe this is what he was going for。 。。。more
Darren McManus
，
+ An eye opening alternative perspective on the effects of many class A drugs and their relative contributions to cultural and societal issues for which they are often scapegoated- Made me want to do heroin
Victoria Law
，
I appreciate Dr。 Hart's work in debunking popular and prevailing myths about drugs--and tying these to how they reinforce racist policing and mass imprisonment。 I appreciate the conversational tone throughout the book so that even a non-science person like me could follow along。 I definitely appreciated his repeated connections to these myths about drugs and their fueling of ever-more oppressive drug laws that come down hard on low-income communities of color。What gives me pause is my decades of I appreciate Dr。 Hart's work in debunking popular and prevailing myths about drugs--and tying these to how they reinforce racist policing and mass imprisonment。 I appreciate the conversational tone throughout the book so that even a non-science person like me could follow along。 I definitely appreciated his repeated connections to these myths about drugs and their fueling of ever-more oppressive drug laws that come down hard on low-income communities of color。What gives me pause is my decades of reporting on women's incarceration， which has brought me into contact with dozens of women （and some men though men aren't often the focus of my reporting） whose drug use landed them in prison。 Some are imprisoned for drugs--possession or sale of a controlled substance or， in some cases， conspiracy to traffic one or more controlled substance （thank you Anti-Drug Abuse Acts of 1986 and 1988 for allowing prosecutors the leeway to charge girlfriends， wives， and family members with conspiracy for even the smallest of actions）。 But many of the women are imprisoned for acts of violence they committed while on drugs--like Mary who was sentenced to 40 years in prison。 While high on meth， she drove her brother to someone's house to collect $20 that was owed him。 That person wasn't home， but their roommate told Mary's （then 10-year-old） son that if he came back， he'd kill him。 Mary drove her brother and son home， dropped them off and then drove back， picking up a piece of rebar along the way， and beat the living daylights out of the guy。 In describing her actions， she concluded， "I was on high on meth at the time and I guess I overreacted。" Except for her first imprisonment， her previous & subsequent prison sentences also stemmed from acts while high。 Hart notes that the book is called "Drug Use for Grown-Ups" and cautions that those who are struggling with mental illness and those experiencing acute emotional crises are at greater risk for negative drug-related effects。 Given the many interviews & conversations I've had with currently & formerly incarcerated women over the years， I wonder whether the knots of race， poverty and past histories of violence/trauma/abuse （an experience shared by many who subsequently end up in prison） might also be risk factors。 。。。more
Conor
，
This book is incredibly disappointing。 I agree with Hart that drugs should be decriminalised， even legalised。 Unfortunately， this book is so steeped in American navel-gazing。I found that Hart did not consider how vital delivery would be to enrol people to his cause。 Hart could do with a significant dose of Hanlon's razor "never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by ignorance or stupidity"。 I'm paraphrasing， "I don't hate white people， but there are some I would like to k This book is incredibly disappointing。 I agree with Hart that drugs should be decriminalised， even legalised。 Unfortunately， this book is so steeped in American navel-gazing。I found that Hart did not consider how vital delivery would be to enrol people to his cause。 Hart could do with a significant dose of Hanlon's razor "never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by ignorance or stupidity"。 I'm paraphrasing， "I don't hate white people， but there are some I would like to kill "， is the statement Hart made after describing the racial nature of drug enforcement; in the same paragraph， he stated that position at the time was identical to the authorities？ Where was the editor on this one？ Are all these chapters just a combination of diary entries？He claims to be unbiased while essentially steeping himself in critical race theory， no way to go about it。 While his claims around the disproportionate effect that enforcement of drug policies has on different races is accurate。 The analysis is not。 The incredible disproportionate amount of violence and open dealing on the streets is what got all the attention—distributing these substances in small concentric circles of friends is significantly different than going Scarface。 That attention will lead to a disproportionate amount of attention and ultimately lead to some incredibly unjust laws and punishments for non-violent criminals that is absolutely abhorrent。 But getting this analysis so wrong， in fact never acknowledging the violence， is just complete cognitive dissonance。 Worse， Hart avoids the violence conversation but twice says that he wants to murder and taking drugs makes him less inclined to want to murder？I'm not from America， but even I know the most significant study on police shootings was conducted only recently。 When normalised for violence， African-Americans were no more， in fact， less likely to be shot by American police。 Spending so much time in this space while not being accurate， discredits the whole argument。 Compared to the rest of the world， American police shoot an alarming number of people in general。There is so much repetition; the structure is not particularly convincing。 Somehow we also endure the story about how his family dog put down and non-drug-related disputes with school security？ Every one of Hart's interactions is first a description of the person and why he doesn't want to interact with them？ Including complaining about an ally judge meeting him on a day that messed up his vibe？ Maybe people don't feel comfortable around Hart because he is black and has dreadlocks， but because he has fuck off written all over his face to anyone he considers "not his people"， I believe he described every continent and every colour。。。 As "not his people"。 Not exactly the tone to go for when you are trying to enrol people in such a problematic cause。There should have been much more time spent on unpacking how to deal with legalisation and decriminalisation。 Hart offers no information on how this could be done effectively。 Particularly the concept of legalisation。I hoped this book would matter， but it doesn't。 。。。more
Benjamin Quartey
，
6。5/10Useful perspective
Ivana
，
An extraordinarily eye opening book。 Our relationship with drugs- in the US and other countries- was forged in deep ignorance。 The “just say no” and the war on drugs further pushed us down this dangerous road where the “scientific consensus” on drug use is grossly misinformed and outright dangerous。 This book dispels common myths of drug use， and frames these issues in the society/equity/prison system context。 The same people who sold us the war on drugs as a “good policy” are the ones who hold An extraordinarily eye opening book。 Our relationship with drugs- in the US and other countries- was forged in deep ignorance。 The “just say no” and the war on drugs further pushed us down this dangerous road where the “scientific consensus” on drug use is grossly misinformed and outright dangerous。 This book dispels common myths of drug use， and frames these issues in the society/equity/prison system context。 The same people who sold us the war on drugs as a “good policy” are the ones who hold the funding purse strings and dictate what studies to fund。 And so， all of us are victims of these dangerous and ignorant policies。 In the end， all of us have the right to use drugs as we see fit， so long as our drug use is not negatively impacting others。 And we need more books like these。 。。。more
Luke
，
My man at it again！ Speaks the truth and is so courageous in doing so。 Practical advice that every adult should know。 Definitely recommend。
Kevin
，
From the opening pages， I struggled with the author’s open admission and encouragement of recreationalheroine use。 He openly mocked the opioid epidemic by referring to it as the supposed “opioid epidemic”， placing a great deal of blame simply on “drug ignorance” and drug contamination as opposed to the lethality of opioid drugs themselves。 Just because you have exceptional levels of self control， and can regularly indulge in heroin， does not mean that a large portion of the public safely can。 He From the opening pages， I struggled with the author’s open admission and encouragement of recreationalheroine use。 He openly mocked the opioid epidemic by referring to it as the supposed “opioid epidemic”， placing a great deal of blame simply on “drug ignorance” and drug contamination as opposed to the lethality of opioid drugs themselves。 Just because you have exceptional levels of self control， and can regularly indulge in heroin， does not mean that a large portion of the public safely can。 He wrote this book with a clear agenda: to push forward the idea of legalizing ALL drugs。 While he makes some sound points in his writing， especially regarding the disproportionately devastating effect the War on Drugs has had on the black community， he undermines himself with his flippant disregard of the KNOWN serious harm/death that even recreational use of these drugs can lead to。 Two stars because he makes some sound points， but his overall arrogance and disregard of the Opioid Epidemic simply because it argues against his agenda made this a very frustrating read。 。。。more
Augustinas
，
I watched the documentary Fantastic Fungi and stumbled on a radically fresh view on psychedelics。 It was intriguing， now this Carl Hart book I hoped would expand my understanding about this stigmatized topic of which I knew almost nothing。 While Hart brings some good ideas， most of the book content is about racial injustice in the world， especially the US， and that US politicians are hypocrites。 So if your life is not very tied to the US of A， 2/3 of the book is not very relevant， as it's mainly I watched the documentary Fantastic Fungi and stumbled on a radically fresh view on psychedelics。 It was intriguing， now this Carl Hart book I hoped would expand my understanding about this stigmatized topic of which I knew almost nothing。 While Hart brings some good ideas， most of the book content is about racial injustice in the world， especially the US， and that US politicians are hypocrites。 So if your life is not very tied to the US of A， 2/3 of the book is not very relevant， as it's mainly the author's rant about the hardship of being poor and not white in US and Brazil。 I sympathize with the cause to reduce the suffering in the world， unfortunately， the book is with a misleading name。 Not very educational， but also not boring to read。 。。。more
Lauren Morrell
，
strongly recommend that everyone read this book。 written by a neuroscientist who had started researching drug use thinking it was having a detrimental effect on his community and found that the research did not support that idea。 strong， scientific， policy， and personal arguments against the ongoing drug war in the US。
Stacey
，
In this book， Dr。 Carl Hart argues that all drugs should be legally available to adults for consumption。 He masterfully uses personal anecdotes， scientific evidence， and various governmental regulations around drugs in the US and other countries to show us that legally regulated drugs would create jobs， tons of $$ in tax revenues， reduce drug-related deaths， and overall improve adults’ access to the pursuit of happiness。 I especially loved this book as a Health teacher who tries to teach about s In this book， Dr。 Carl Hart argues that all drugs should be legally available to adults for consumption。 He masterfully uses personal anecdotes， scientific evidence， and various governmental regulations around drugs in the US and other countries to show us that legally regulated drugs would create jobs， tons of $$ in tax revenues， reduce drug-related deaths， and overall improve adults’ access to the pursuit of happiness。 I especially loved this book as a Health teacher who tries to teach about substances in a non-stigmatizing way。 Highly recommend to everyone。 If you’re interested in a little preview， look up his City Arts and Lectures talk wherever you get your podcasts。 :） 。。。more
Kayleigh Reading with A Therapist
，
Drug Use for Grown Ups by Dr。 Hart。 Thank you Dr。 Carl L。 Hart for writing a book so many others haven’t been able to。 This is going to be such a controversial book！ Dr。Hart has opened up about being a drug user， which is an astonishing thing to do because he holds a prestigious position at a very high rated university。 He has spent many years of his life doing human participated research in the affects of drugs and has been all over the world giving lectures。 For this man to come out and say th Drug Use for Grown Ups by Dr。 Hart。 Thank you Dr。 Carl L。 Hart for writing a book so many others haven’t been able to。 This is going to be such a controversial book！ Dr。Hart has opened up about being a drug user， which is an astonishing thing to do because he holds a prestigious position at a very high rated university。 He has spent many years of his life doing human participated research in the affects of drugs and has been all over the world giving lectures。 For this man to come out and say this， is a huge step to destigmatized the way people think of drugs。The whole book is him doing this， presenting evidence and scientific data on the result of drugs。 He coins a new idea around drugs that “we should be able to us substance in our pursuit to happiness”。 That as American citizens it goes against our constitutional rights to have the government tell us what we can and can not put into our body’s （helllo！！！ Yesss）。 If your looking to hear more about the movement of what it actually has meant for drugs to be policed， to learn about some hard truth of drug affects， and to think outside of the “Drugs are bad” speech we have been told since babies， read this book with an open mind。 There are a lot of things in this book some people won’t like， but there are a lot of things in this book that shouldn’t be other people’s business。 This is a book for grown ups who are looking to have an open and respectable conversation about what it is like to use mind and body altering substances as safe and responsible adults， where it doesn’t affect your job or your day to day life。 。。。more
Duke Dahl
，
RATING: 4。6/5While dispelling any stigmas surrounding drug use， spotlighting systemic racism and resenting ignorant drug laws， Dr。 Carl Hart pitches the idea of legalizing and regulating all drugs for a safer， more understanding society。Full takeaways: http://bulletpointreading。com/2021/03。。。 RATING: 4。6/5While dispelling any stigmas surrounding drug use， spotlighting systemic racism and resenting ignorant drug laws， Dr。 Carl Hart pitches the idea of legalizing and regulating all drugs for a safer， more understanding society。Full takeaways: http://bulletpointreading。com/2021/03。。。 。。。more
Karkaim
，
This book is not for the narrow-minded。 It is an important and mind-opening read for the times we live in。 Either if you have tried or haven’t consumed illegal drugs， this book debunks a series of tabus， biased thoughts， and unjustified prohibition regarding substances -supported by more than enough scientific-based research- and provides a clean， earnest approach of an ideal usage of drugs in a grow-up society （please note grown-up， not adults）。
Max Nussenbaum
，
An entertaining and thoroughly researched book that presents some ideas about drugs that even I would consider radical。 The author also outs himself as a casual heroin user。 I’m not sure I agree with everything in this book， but it *really* made me think， and I’d recommend it to everyone。
Alex Giorgio-Rubin
，
I'm not sure that I agree with everything Dr。 Hart has to say regarding drug use， but I do agree that our current laws surrounding drugs and sentencing are racist and not based in science。 An interesting perspective that is worth reading， even if you don't agree。 I'm not sure that I agree with everything Dr。 Hart has to say regarding drug use， but I do agree that our current laws surrounding drugs and sentencing are racist and not based in science。 An interesting perspective that is worth reading， even if you don't agree。 。。。more
Charlotte Carpenter
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This was a paradigm-shifting read for me and one I think most people stand to learn a lot from。 The audience Dr。 Hart addresses is the privileged drug enjoying set， of which he considers himself。 His main call is for us to come "out of the closet" with our drug use so that it becomes normalized and hopefully less stigmatized for poor and marginalized users。 While I think this makes sense， his rhetoric sometimes had me questioning the role of respectability politics in all of this。 In speaking on This was a paradigm-shifting read for me and one I think most people stand to learn a lot from。 The audience Dr。 Hart addresses is the privileged drug enjoying set， of which he considers himself。 His main call is for us to come "out of the closet" with our drug use so that it becomes normalized and hopefully less stigmatized for poor and marginalized users。 While I think this makes sense， his rhetoric sometimes had me questioning the role of respectability politics in all of this。 In speaking only to the "ideal" drug user （not mentally or physically ill， employed， responsible） he sidesteps many crucial questions that relate to how drug use actually functions in a world that conspires to make us sick and sad。 There is no doubt that there is a role for all of us in disrupting the drugs = bad logic that has propagated so much bad policy， lazy science， and everyday ignorance。 Instead， drugs （including the ones that aren't considered ~cool） = good， healing， fun， and restorative。* *In moderate doses， unadulterated purities， and proper set and setting。 Making that asterisks possible for more people everywhere would end an enormous amount of human suffering。 。。。more
Ian
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While the title suggests this book is about examining the positive benefits of drugs and balancing them with your everyday life， it's actually a book about drug policy and bias present in the justice system。 While it's a competently written review of the past century or so in drug policy， I don't think that's what the book sells itself as and it's certainly not as compelling of a topic as that the title suggests。 Even when we finally get to the drug chapters， he goes off on long tangents-- the m While the title suggests this book is about examining the positive benefits of drugs and balancing them with your everyday life， it's actually a book about drug policy and bias present in the justice system。 While it's a competently written review of the past century or so in drug policy， I don't think that's what the book sells itself as and it's certainly not as compelling of a topic as that the title suggests。 Even when we finally get to the drug chapters， he goes off on long tangents-- the most egregious of which was spending the entire chapter on psychadelics talking about PCP hysteria in the media。 I also think Hart has an issue where he approaches drugs too scientifically， like when he wants to test and see whether Meth and MDMA produce the same results in people。 The condescending response give by his coworker "Honey， are you okay？" is how I feel about much of the connections he draws in this book。 。。。more
Martin Blakebrough
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This is a brilliant book debunking the myths surrounding drug use。 It is also a brave one with Carl talking about his personal use。 The academic evidence presented alongside personal experience a very accessible book。 Hopefully one day Government s will read and listen to his words so change may happen that saves lives。
Nick
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