Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear
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- Author：Carl L. Hart
- ISBN：1101981660
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Summary
From one of the world's foremost experts on the effects of recreational drugs on the mind and body， a powerful argument that the greatest dangers from drugs flow from their being illegal， and a testament to how they can be part of a responsible and happy life。
Dr。 Carl 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 also 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 both decades of research and his own personal experience to argue definitively that the criminalization and demonization of drug use is itself far and away the greatest scourge drugs inflict on America。
Carl Hart did not always have this view， to put it mildly。 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 predominantly bad outcomes。 But one problem kept cropping up: the evidence from his research did not support his hypothesis。 And indeed， no one else's evidence did either。 From the inside of the massively well-funded research side of the American war on drugs， he saw how the inconvenient truth that the facts didn't support the ideology was dismissed， denied 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: it challenges head-on some of our strongest moral reflexes about drugs and citizenship。 The propaganda war， Hart argues， has been tremendously effective。 Imagine if the only subject of any conversation about driving automobiles was fatal car crashes。 We regulate driving， just as we regulate alcohol。 During Prohibition， fatalities from alcohol use skyrocketed， because people didn't know what they were drinking， and hundreds of thousands were inadvertently poisoned。 So it is with the opioid epidemic， response has been driven by a mass panic that in many respects reminds Hart of the crack cocaine panic of the 1980's。 Drug Use for Grown-Ups offers a radically different vision: of how， when used responsibly， drugs can powerfully enrich and enhance our lives。
The nexus of special interests that benefit from drug criminalization and demonization， Hart shows us， has kept this country in a terrible place， but change is beginning to come。 Ultimately this is about education: the facts are clear。 In every country with a more permissive and humane drug regime， all human outcomes are better， from mortality to addiction to overall quality of life， and the countries with the most permissive regimes， like Portugal and Switzerland， have the best outcomes。 We have a long way to go， but the vital conversation this book will generate is an extraordinarily important step。
Dr。 Carl 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 also 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 both decades of research and his own personal experience to argue definitively that the criminalization and demonization of drug use is itself far and away the greatest scourge drugs inflict on America。
Carl Hart did not always have this view， to put it mildly。 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 predominantly bad outcomes。 But one problem kept cropping up: the evidence from his research did not support his hypothesis。 And indeed， no one else's evidence did either。 From the inside of the massively well-funded research side of the American war on drugs， he saw how the inconvenient truth that the facts didn't support the ideology was dismissed， denied 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: it challenges head-on some of our strongest moral reflexes about drugs and citizenship。 The propaganda war， Hart argues， has been tremendously effective。 Imagine if the only subject of any conversation about driving automobiles was fatal car crashes。 We regulate driving， just as we regulate alcohol。 During Prohibition， fatalities from alcohol use skyrocketed， because people didn't know what they were drinking， and hundreds of thousands were inadvertently poisoned。 So it is with the opioid epidemic， response has been driven by a mass panic that in many respects reminds Hart of the crack cocaine panic of the 1980's。 Drug Use for Grown-Ups offers a radically different vision: of how， when used responsibly， drugs can powerfully enrich and enhance our lives。
The nexus of special interests that benefit from drug criminalization and demonization， Hart shows us， has kept this country in a terrible place， but change is beginning to come。 Ultimately this is about education: the facts are clear。 In every country with a more permissive and humane drug regime， all human outcomes are better， from mortality to addiction to overall quality of life， and the countries with the most permissive regimes， like Portugal and Switzerland， have the best outcomes。 We have a long way to go， but the vital conversation this book will generate is an extraordinarily important step。
Reviews
Margherita Melillo
，
I was expecting more of this book honestly。 I've watched Carl Hart's interviews and he seemed very competent。 I respect a lot his story and his work。 But this book tries to make a bold claim （"all drugs should be legalized"） from a purely medical perspective， which ignores many pressing public health and policy issues。 For example， he insists that even the most powerful of drugs， heroin， causes addiction only to 30% of its users。 It's true that this is much less than what public campaigns Trains I was expecting more of this book honestly。 I've watched Carl Hart's interviews and he seemed very competent。 I respect a lot his story and his work。 But this book tries to make a bold claim （"all drugs should be legalized"） from a purely medical perspective， which ignores many pressing public health and policy issues。 For example， he insists that even the most powerful of drugs， heroin， causes addiction only to 30% of its users。 It's true that this is much less than what public campaigns Trainspotting-like depict。 But: only？！ Imagine having it legalized without taking other policy measures （like the prohibition of advertising， regulation of content， restrictions on points of sale）， and as a consequence having it become widespread and getting 30% of the world population addicted。 It would be a disaster。 See for example what has happened with opioid medications in the USA。 Carl Hart addresses the topic trying to downplay its importance， but honestly it's not convincing。 Another moment when Carl Hart's blindspots are exposed is when he clarifies that only healthy adults should take drugs， with the exclusion of people with mental health disorders， including depressed or anxious people， or people who are going through a moment of crisis。 That's a lot of people！ And how exactly would we make sure as a society that these people don't have access to drugs？ In a way， Carl Hart reveals his disinterest in broader public and policy issues when he reveals that the whole motivation for the book lies in his extreme libertarianism and "pursuit of freedom"。 He's one of those who think that "guns don't kill people， people kill people"。 So I can see why he's not interested in the societal repercussions of what he proposes。 But I don't agree with it。 Aside from that， it's interesting to read to learn more about specific drugs like cocaine， psychedelics， etc。 。。。more
Kena Gilmour
，
some eye opening sections， especially for those socialized by war on drugs propaganda; so all of us glad hart connects racialization & drug vilification， but it seems his analysis falls flat after that。 wish he had extended further。。 how he ignored class in his analytical framework I can’t tell u。 how he relied on white western ideology to bolster his claims， idk。 if this book intermeshed a capitalist critique it’d be golden， without that it’s still thought provoking but not satiating anyone pro some eye opening sections， especially for those socialized by war on drugs propaganda; so all of us glad hart connects racialization & drug vilification， but it seems his analysis falls flat after that。 wish he had extended further。。 how he ignored class in his analytical framework I can’t tell u。 how he relied on white western ideology to bolster his claims， idk。 if this book intermeshed a capitalist critique it’d be golden， without that it’s still thought provoking but not satiating anyone pro police， quoting jefferson， and supporting u。s。 armed forces can’t really hope to abolish drug criminalization， can they？ 。。。more
Cruise H
，
Great book that dispels the mass propaganda that has been spread through the years， while also commenting on the racist background of many anecdotal drug reports and the， "war on drugs"。 Great book that dispels the mass propaganda that has been spread through the years， while also commenting on the racist background of many anecdotal drug reports and the， "war on drugs"。 。。。more
Claire Nuñez
，
Really interesting — we often see everything from one POV and we shift data with our own biases。 If anything， I was shown the importance of not ignoring biases in research， news， and data。 A must-read for anyone working in social sciences （in any capacity）。
Mike Riordan
，
Very disappointed in this book。 I was looking forward to it after listening to the author on Joe Rogan but it's mostly just anecdotes。 Everything is constantly brought back to an individual's skin color regardless on the impact it actually has on the events。 Very disappointed in this book。 I was looking forward to it after listening to the author on Joe Rogan but it's mostly just anecdotes。 Everything is constantly brought back to an individual's skin color regardless on the impact it actually has on the events。 。。。more
Michael
，
Dr。 Hart has made quite a splash with his bestselling "Drug Use for Grown Ups"。 Hart is no light weight。 A professor of psychology at Columbia University， he has crossed all his Ts and dotted all his I's for professorial legitimacy including a solid track record of publications in the neuroscience of substance use。 In "Drug Use for Grown Ups" Hart fires shots across the bow of the the establishment paradigm of addiction and addictive substances。 Hart courageously comes clean on his own "recreati Dr。 Hart has made quite a splash with his bestselling "Drug Use for Grown Ups"。 Hart is no light weight。 A professor of psychology at Columbia University， he has crossed all his Ts and dotted all his I's for professorial legitimacy including a solid track record of publications in the neuroscience of substance use。 In "Drug Use for Grown Ups" Hart fires shots across the bow of the the establishment paradigm of addiction and addictive substances。 Hart courageously comes clean on his own "recreational" use of heroin and cocaine and challenges conventional wisdom on the dangerousness and the claims of negative effects of some of our most vilified substances including crack cocaine and PCP。 Hart makes convincing arguments that these substances have been the subject of intentional scare mongering for the purposes of gaining political points and supporting the budgets of police departments and the massive incarceration system in the United States and most western nations。 Hart shines a light on some of the more enlightened approaches to substance misuse in Switzerland and Portugal and the apparent intentional unwillingness to accept this data in his own home country， as well as parallels with the notoriously corrupt political situations in Brazil and the Philippines。 For the most part。 I believe that Hart's perspective is a valuable and timely antithesis to the thesis of our unquestioned paradigm of vilification and ineffective prohibition approaches to a slate of substances that can be seen to have many positive and pleasurable effects and few negative effects for mature and responsible users。 On the other hand， Hart can be seen as skating over the reality of addiction and the nature of substance misuse。 In my estimation the irresponsible use of these powerful substances can easily become justified and the harm they can cause to human relationships when their use becomes habitual and covert is brushed aside by Hart as the consequence of "mental health problems"。 I think we need a true synthesis of the standing paradigm and Hart's antithesis。 The truth is that relationships with powerful substances are at least as complicated as our relationships with one anther and truly harmonizing our relationships with each other as humans and our relationships with powerful and dependance forming substances is anything but simple and easy to define as "bad" or "good"。 The truth is that if we want to include these powerful substances into our daily life， we need to get much better at harmonizing our relationships with each other and within ourselves。 Today's world has many challenges and turning to substances for happiness and fulfillment is a dance filled with the potential for dangerous missteps。 。。。more
Alex
，
Yes， drug policies， war on drugs， etc， etc are bad。 Oftentimes， they lead to discriminatory outcomes。 But jumping to the idea that everyone should be free to use whatever drug they want seems to ignore an important discussion revolving around the reality that lack of opportunities， poor support networks /social infrastructure， and complex social-emotional health concerns don't seem to go well with drug use。 I appreciate that Dr。 Hart brings it up， but I do think the discussion needs to be more s Yes， drug policies， war on drugs， etc， etc are bad。 Oftentimes， they lead to discriminatory outcomes。 But jumping to the idea that everyone should be free to use whatever drug they want seems to ignore an important discussion revolving around the reality that lack of opportunities， poor support networks /social infrastructure， and complex social-emotional health concerns don't seem to go well with drug use。 I appreciate that Dr。 Hart brings it up， but I do think the discussion needs to be more substantial to even consider the position that everyone should be able to do whatever drugs they want。 This is coming from someone who uses drugs and strongly believes that drug use is important and can be beneficial for humans whether for pleasure or for health benefits like managing and deconstructing trauma。 I really enjoyed the examination of drug chemistry and how certain drugs are either the same or similar， but one drug may have a different connotation。 I also liked how Dr。 Hart looked at drug policies and attitudes in other parts of the world。 。。。more
Brad Dunn
，
I quit liked this book。 I had heard the author， a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Columbia talk about his regular drug use and thought his ideas at facinating。 Put simply， more adults use drugs today recreationally and do not have the negative impacts we have learned from movies， and this covers opioids too。 The author， a heroin user， does break down a lot of myths about drug use and how different media outlets have exaggerated the effects of addiction。 It's quite a compelling read and I quit liked this book。 I had heard the author， a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Columbia talk about his regular drug use and thought his ideas at facinating。 Put simply， more adults use drugs today recreationally and do not have the negative impacts we have learned from movies， and this covers opioids too。 The author， a heroin user， does break down a lot of myths about drug use and how different media outlets have exaggerated the effects of addiction。 It's quite a compelling read and worth a shot。 I feel politicians would get a lot from this book。 。。。more
Emma
，
I got introduced to Dr。 Carl L。 Hart through an interview on the Talk Nerdy podcast。 I was intrigued and provoked by his arguments， so I wanted to understand better where he came from - hence reading the book！ Drug Use of Grown-Ups is an interesting read。 While I don’t agree with Dr。 Hart in all his conclusions， it definitely made me question some of my strongly held opinions。 The book takes its starting point in the US Declaration of Independence and its assertion that everyone has the right to I got introduced to Dr。 Carl L。 Hart through an interview on the Talk Nerdy podcast。 I was intrigued and provoked by his arguments， so I wanted to understand better where he came from - hence reading the book！ Drug Use of Grown-Ups is an interesting read。 While I don’t agree with Dr。 Hart in all his conclusions， it definitely made me question some of my strongly held opinions。 The book takes its starting point in the US Declaration of Independence and its assertion that everyone has the right to “Life， Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness。” It then clarifies that the drug use discussed is that by “autonomous， responsible， well-functioning， healthy adults。” At times， this feels like a cop-out， as the book makes it sound as if there are hardly any negative side effects to drug use， and the risk of addiction is trivialized。 Here are some of my takeaways and quotes I want to remember: - The decision that some drugs （alcohol， prescription medications） are safe while others are not is not a good representation of their respective danger。 For example， “one can die from alcohol withdrawal but not from heroin withdrawal。 In addition， of the two drugs， only alcohol can cause severe liver damage leading to death。” As another example， paracetamol/acetaminophen in regular pain relievers can cause liver damage。 Those that try to get an opioid high from pills including both substances can be of higher risk of liver damage than of any risk from the opioid。 - It’s impossible to discuss the perception， regulation， and law enforcement regarding drug use without including class & race。 - Some drug use is considered “better” than others， e。g。， using it for spiritual enlightenment is better than just for feeling good。 “Most people， especially well-educated professionals， classify drugs in the manner that best serves their own purposes。 For example， a drug such as MDMA is categorized as a psychedelic by respectable， middle-class white folks because they use and enjoy it。 Methamphetamine， however， is not included among the psychedelics because middle-class drug elitists revile it。” - “Seventy percent or more of drug users—whether they use alcohol， cocaine， prescription medications， or other drugs— do not meet the criteria for drug addiction。 Indeed， research shows repeatedly that such issues affect only 10 to 30 percent of those who use even the most stigmatized drugs， such as heroin and methamphetamine。” While Dr。 Hart here wants to show that the fear of addiction is overstated， but instead it seems like he trivializes the 10-30% that will get addicted。 - Researchers and scientists are not free from bias， either implicit or because they know what gets the grants。 “[S]ome scientists overemphasize negative effects in order to enhance the public health importance of their articles and grant applications。 The greater the perceived problem， the more impactful the research。 Other scientists might characterize their behavior as erring on the side of caution。 In other words， it is better to highlight any potential dangers—even those that are remote—while downplaying potential benefits， including obvious ones。” - Dr。 Hart details the existing scientific tools for brain imaging， as they are often used in scientific studies about drug use。 He breaks down what some specific studies actually can prove compared to what the title or press coverage shows。 In summary， “there are virtually no data on humans indicating that responsible recreational drug use causes brain abnormalities in otherwise healthy individuals。” It is hard to prove a negative， but I need more to believe a statement as radical as this one。 。。。more
Maher Razouk
，
This is the most honest book ever
Dan
，
Destigmatizes addiction whilst providing insight。 Normalises a lot of drug use with in society。
Josh A
，
mostly anecdotal stuff。
Lauren Stalls
，
It changed my perspective on drugs， I would definitely recommend it
Henrik
，
Etter å ha lest boken har denne NarkoGutten vokst opp og blitt en voksen og ansvarlig NarkoMann。Drug use for Grown ups setter seg inn i rekken av bøker som skriker etter rusreform。 Forfatteren Carl Hart er psykologiprofessor og forsker ved det prestisjefylte colombia university i USA。 Spesialiteten hans er avhengighet og rusbruk。 Det som imidlertid skiller Hart fra de fleste andre akademikere er hans åpenhet rundt egen rusbruk。 Han er helt åpen om relativt hyppig bruk av Kokain， MDMA， metamfetam Etter å ha lest boken har denne NarkoGutten vokst opp og blitt en voksen og ansvarlig NarkoMann。Drug use for Grown ups setter seg inn i rekken av bøker som skriker etter rusreform。 Forfatteren Carl Hart er psykologiprofessor og forsker ved det prestisjefylte colombia university i USA。 Spesialiteten hans er avhengighet og rusbruk。 Det som imidlertid skiller Hart fra de fleste andre akademikere er hans åpenhet rundt egen rusbruk。 Han er helt åpen om relativt hyppig bruk av Kokain， MDMA， metamfetamin， 6-AP ， Cannabis， heroin， m。fl。 Hart er derimot ingen bajas， hans meritter innen forskning er formidable。 Han har et svimlende antall artikler og siteringer， vært medlem i talløse styrer， og stiller stadig opp i samfunnsdebatter både i usa og internasjonalt， som igjen har ført til flere priser。 Miami har til og med utnevnt 1 februar til “Dr。 Carl Hart Day” til ære for alt hans samfunnsengasjement。 Denne mannen vet med andre ord hva han snakker om。Målet hans med “Drug Use for Grown Ups” er å knuse farlige myter rundt rusbruk og komme med en apell for endring av lovgivningen rundt rusmidler。 Boken er interessant og lærerik lesning， men det er viktig å påpeke at dette i større er en aktivistisk bok heller enn en bok som skal lære bort ansvarlig rusbruk eller rusforskning - selv om dette også er til stede。 Han påpeker flere ganger at det meste av ruslitteratur fokuserer på det negative med rusbruk， som de igjen overdriver， uten å påpeke rusens goder， som til syvende og sist er grunnen til at vi ruser oss。 Hans beskjed er klar: godene overveier det negative。 Avhengighet er， ifølge Hart， forårsaket av kontekstuelle faktorer eller mangel på kunnskap， ikke dopet i seg selv。Det jeg likte best med boken （dette er også det jeg likte best med en av hans andre bøker “High Price”） er hans skapre， no-bullshit， hardtslående penn som sloss for likestilling。 Han tar ikke bare opp strukturell rasisme （både i lovverket knyttet til rusmidler， og hverdags dag-til-dag rasisme）， men også den nedlatende moralistiske diskrimineringen vi gjør mot rusbrukere。Her viser han også ingen nåde mot andre tilsynelatende meningsfeller og andre rusbrukere。Han kritiserer blant annet psykonauter for å ha en rusmiddeleksepsjonalisme som skaper avstand mot andre rusbrukere når de， enten direkte eller indirekte， kommuniserer “jeg er ikke som de andre， jeg bruker kun psykedelika。 Det handler om spirituell vekst， ikke rus。” Av forfattere som befinner seg i denne gruppen nevner han blant annet journalist Michaeal Pollan。 Han liker heller ikke skadereduksjonperskeptivet （harm reduction）， da han opplever dette som i overkant moralistisk， samtidig som det ikke fokuserer nok på rusmidlenes positive sider。 Han ønsker heller et språk som speiler andre risikofylte aktiviteter， slik som for eksempel i ekstremsport， hvor man heller snakker om kunnskapsløft og sikkerhet - har et health and safety-perspektiv。 Hart er radikal， han ønsker null diskriminering， hverken på grunn av rase， klasse， eller ulik rusmiddelbruk。Jeg er stor tilhenger av rusreform selv og det er friskt med en sterk røst som Harts som en motvekt i debatten， men bokens aktivisme-preg får av og til det hele til å virke litt vel tendensiøst。 Han ønsker å vektlegge rusen positive opplevelser og av og til blir det litt for mye av det gode。 Selv om han skriver om det som kan gjøre de ulike rusmidlene farlige og mer risikable， virker det av og til litt som han beskriver soloklatring og fri soloklatring om hverandre （tross det like navnet er den ene med tau og den andre uten og dermed mye farligere） når han prater om hvor heftig utsikten i fjellveggen er og hvilket kick det er å klatre， samtidig som han poengterer hvordan det er klatrekunnskaper og ferdigheter som fører til om man skader seg eller ikke。 Selv om språket hans er sensitivt og inkluderende， samt det er svært tydelig at han kjemper for de marginaliserte， slår det dessverre litt feil ut i nest siste kapittel， som omhandler opiater。 Han forteller om et personlig eksperiment hvor han tar morfinpiller hver dag i tre uker， for så å stoppe cold turkey， kun å kjenne hvordan opiatabstinens oppleves。 Eksperimentet stanser 48 timer før han skal holde en forelesning， som han ifølge han selv både klarer å forberede seg til， og utføre med glans - etter mer enn et døgn i et sant smertehelvete。 Han bruker så dette for å konkludere med at media overdriver opiaters negative effekter。 Jeg har hvertfall to problemer med dette。 Det første er at han bruker et casestudie/anekdote， seg selv， til å underbygge konklusjonen， etter at han （som en god forsker） bruker dette som argument for at hans meningsmotstandere ikke har belegg for sine påstander andre steder i boken。 Det andre er et mer subtilt， men kanskje større problem。 Hart sier at uvitenhet er det farligste med rusmidler， samtidig som han påpeker andre faktorer， slik som fattigdom og en dårlig allmennhelse， både psykisk og fysisk。 Og selv om han gjennom hele boken er tydelig med at det stort sett er systemiske skjevheter som fører til disse risikofaktorer for avhengighet， er han farlig nær med å bli like nedlatende mot dem som har problematisk rusbruk som meningsmotstanderne hans gjennom dette dagblad-aktige se-på-meg-hva-jeg-ikke-synes-var-særlig-vanskelig-når-alt-kom-til-alt-stuntet 。Les boken！ Det er en svært god en， og så vidt jeg kan vurdere det er Harts tolkning av forskningen on point， men som nevnt over er den til tider i overkan tendensiøs。 Hart er en aktivitsttvers igjennom， og denne boken vil ikke alene kunne endre lovverk。 Akkurat på samme måte som Martin Luther King Jr。 hadde realpolitikere i bakgrunnen som inngikk politiske kompromisser。Det som imidlertid er bokens største svakhet， tror jeg， er at den vil fungere som en hundefløyte。 De som er enige med Hart， vil lese den， de som ikke er det， vil legge den fra seg。 Om du ønsker en ruspolitisk bok som på nøytralt vis ser på risikoen ved rusmiddelbruk， uten moralisme， vil du nok ha bedre hell med for eksempel David Nutt sin bok “Drugs Without the Hot Air” eller Andreas Blomquist sin “Ulovlig Medisin”， eller eventuelt Øystein Skjælaaen sin “Meningen med Rus” for rusens kulturelle betydning i samfunnet。Og hvis du eller noen du kjenner benytter seg av rusmidler i deres “pursuit of happiness”。 Gå inn på rusopplysningen 。 no for sikker informasjon norsk。 。。。more
Isabela Terra
，
Não diria que concordo com tudo， mas com certeza me fez repensar vários conceitos que eu possuía sobre utilização de drogas e querer pesquisar muito mais sobre o assunto。
Jess
，
An absolute must-read。 Hart’s science-based pragmatism highlights how much society determines drug policy based on moral judgments about some drugs over others。 His bravery in “coming out” as a recreational heroin user will hopefully open the door for more honest discussions about what drugs （used safely and with accurate information on the content of the substance） provide the most life-enhancing experiences。 I hope it also informs the medical community on not overreacting to anecdotal and flaw An absolute must-read。 Hart’s science-based pragmatism highlights how much society determines drug policy based on moral judgments about some drugs over others。 His bravery in “coming out” as a recreational heroin user will hopefully open the door for more honest discussions about what drugs （used safely and with accurate information on the content of the substance） provide the most life-enhancing experiences。 I hope it also informs the medical community on not overreacting to anecdotal and flawed information about whatever drug is currently seen as a mor（t）al threat。 For example， the small amount of opioid pain relievers that I use for chronic pain represent a much smaller threat to my long-term health than the acetaminophen they’re compounded with。 Hart’s approach centre’s compassion， acknowledging that one of the points of every drug’s use is to mitigate pain， and that that effect improves quality of life， a factor that doctors’ fear and judgmentalism often overshadows。 。。。more
Kate
，
Definitely makes you think， though maybe could have used some more caveats。
Bumbierītis
，
I wanted to like this book， I really did， since I am in agreement with the author that all drug use should be legalized and de-stigmatized。 But this book is just not good。 About 2/3 of it is a rant about racial injustice and 1/3 is a rant about how everyone in the drug field is stupid except for the author and a select few of his friends。 The writing is chaotic， jumps all over the place and who is Robin and what's with the random music soundtracks？My biggest issue was that the scientific argumen I wanted to like this book， I really did， since I am in agreement with the author that all drug use should be legalized and de-stigmatized。 But this book is just not good。 About 2/3 of it is a rant about racial injustice and 1/3 is a rant about how everyone in the drug field is stupid except for the author and a select few of his friends。 The writing is chaotic， jumps all over the place and who is Robin and what's with the random music soundtracks？My biggest issue was that the scientific argumentation just wasn't very good。 There were a lot of problems but some that stood out to me the most:* In the introduction part Hart says that the bad effects of drugs are overstated because the experiments showing harm from drug use are poorly conducted。 But surely， if the experiments are poorly conducted then the only conclusion that can be drawn is that there can be no conclusions - good or bad - because we don't have the data。 * He also makes it sound like the only way drugs are studied is by human medical imaging experiments or behavioral tests。 In reality human experiments are a tiny part of pharmacology research with the vast majority of work done in vitro （i。e。 using molecular or cellular methods） or in animal models。 That allows to study drug effects with high precision。 The way science works is that the same issue is studied using a wide variety of methods and if the data converge to the same results， a scientific consensus is formed。 And the scientific consensus is that drug use is not without risks。 Of course it is not without risks， the basic principle of pharmacology is that any substance use should be assessed in terms of risk/benefit。 There isn't a single substance in this world without risks， but Hart makes it sound like illicit drug use risks should be ignored。* Furthermore， some of the best research in the last few years has been done with psychedelics， the quality of which should surely make Hart happy。 Nope， he dismisses the use of psychedelics as middle-class white-folks folly。 Because， see， he also tried low doses of some psychedelics and didn't get a kick out of it。 Seems like a massive bias coming from somebody that accuses everyone else of biases。All in all， in the end I wasn't sure if Hart is so set in his opinion that he literally is blind to a more balanced view of risks/benefits， or perhaps he considers that the lay reader can only be convinced by a one-sided， no-risks argument。 There are much better and much more balanced books on this topic。 。。。more
daniel dillon
，
The book is fine， but repetitive。 Hart largely reiterates well worn arguments， using common observations about racialized drug enforcement， and occasionally peppers in criticism of shoddy science or contributes something from his research career。 Mildly informative。 Likely an exercise in preaching to the choir。
John Kaleekal
，
Straight forward writing。 Really great ideas worth sitting with。
Ron Christiansen
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What a mess our response to drugs and "addiction" have been。 I've known this for a long time in terms of which drugs are schedule I or II and the atrocious/racist/stupid incarceration rates。 But Hart takes these critiques to a whole new level。 He not only admits to using marijuana and psychedelic use which is cool to admit these days， but also many other drugs such as heroin。 His framework in the Declaration of Independence and our fundamental right to the pursuit of happiness， "I am an unapolog What a mess our response to drugs and "addiction" have been。 I've known this for a long time in terms of which drugs are schedule I or II and the atrocious/racist/stupid incarceration rates。 But Hart takes these critiques to a whole new level。 He not only admits to using marijuana and psychedelic use which is cool to admit these days， but also many other drugs such as heroin。 His framework in the Declaration of Independence and our fundamental right to the pursuit of happiness， "I am an unapologetic drug user。 I take drugs as part of my pursuit of happiness， and they work。 I am a happier and better person because of them。 I am also a scientist and professor of psychology specializing in neuroscience at Columbia University" （1）。 I've read and have been for the legalization of all （maybe most） drugs for a long time because， as many would argue， it is safer and it works without increasing drug use by much。 But until reading this book I had not read an unqualified argument for drugs not solely focused on safety and the prison system but on the pursuit of happiness。 It's strange because my young students at the alternative high school where I talk 20+ years ago may have been more right than I realized。 They talked about drugs and freedom。 They wrote 420 on the board。 They argued drugs should be legal and that the system was coming after them for their drug use simply as a way of keeping them down because of their race and/or class。 Hart does make one qualification which is troubling and it seems impossible to parse: he only supports drug use for those individuals who are "healthy， responsible adults。" Of course that's impossible to shape in the real world。 To me it's a gap in his logic that he does not address。 Still， it's clear we would be much better off as a society if drugs were legal。 。。。more
Kaitlin
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I read a lot of books about drugs。 This isn't a secret to anyone who knows me or looks at my Goodreads。 I also do drugs recreationally- a secret that maybe I've been more inspired to put out there publicly since reading Dr。 Hart's book。 Despite being a scientist and reading a lot of books about drugs， this still had a lot to offer me。 If you're drug-curious， or even a drug-skeptic， I think his rational and nuanced arguments linking freedom to alter our consciousnesses to the freedom to pursue li I read a lot of books about drugs。 This isn't a secret to anyone who knows me or looks at my Goodreads。 I also do drugs recreationally- a secret that maybe I've been more inspired to put out there publicly since reading Dr。 Hart's book。 Despite being a scientist and reading a lot of books about drugs， this still had a lot to offer me。 If you're drug-curious， or even a drug-skeptic， I think his rational and nuanced arguments linking freedom to alter our consciousnesses to the freedom to pursue life， liberty， and happiness awarded to Americans by the founding fathers may be of interest。 Generally I also appreciated reading about drugs from a person of color， since all the other drug books I've read have been by white people。 Hope this gets widespread readership。 。。。more
Vaughn
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4。5 very bold for an ivy league neuro professor to admit he uses heroin but the whole point of the book is that it shouldn’t be considered bold。 completely shifted my views of drug use （and legalization） and even the language we use surrounding drugs。 points out scientific missteps and how outdated rhetoric and biases taint so much research we blindly accept。 think the order of the book should be changed a bit。 ppl should be allowed to pursue pleasure period！！！！
Jess Dollar
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Not sure how I feel about this book yet。 I don’t care what anyone says， I’m never doing heroine。 But I’m happy to educate myself and listen to other perspectives， especially as someone who thinks common wisdom is usually wrong。
Adam Osth
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Really incredible book about drug use that is both personally inspired and contains actual science from a well respected psychopharmacologist。 Carl Hart initially became interested in neuroscience to help fight the crack epidemic that he believed was hurting inner cities and holding back the black community。 Decades of research on the subject taught him that everything he knew was wrong - that crack was no more harmful than many other drugs， and that the stigmatization of drug use through crimin Really incredible book about drug use that is both personally inspired and contains actual science from a well respected psychopharmacologist。 Carl Hart initially became interested in neuroscience to help fight the crack epidemic that he believed was hurting inner cities and holding back the black community。 Decades of research on the subject taught him that everything he knew was wrong - that crack was no more harmful than many other drugs， and that the stigmatization of drug use through criminalization has been doing the most harm。This was a really eye opening book。 Even for many allegedly dangerous drugs， such as heroin， methamphetamines， crack， cocaine， PCP， etc。， show very little evidence of harm from regular and responsible usage。 Addiction rates range from 10-30% per drug， but there is no such thing as a drug that gets you addicted instantly。Others have made the claims that drugs damage your brains。 There is also no credible evidence for this。 Hart reviewed these studies and found that either there were only small brain differences， or the brain differences that emerged showed no relationship to behavior or cognition。 In other words， there are no cognitive impairments from ordinary usage of many of these drugs， and therefore it's unclear what to make of the brain differences。 Many of these studies do not control for usage of other drugs like alcohol and cigarettes。PCP is actually a psychedelic。 Many are scared of PCP for inciting violence， but these are stories that originated with law enforcement。 Laboratory studies and pharmacologists have found no relationship between PCP and violence。He was also very critical of marijuana and psychedelic advocates。 Not because he doesn't share their views about these drugs - he does - but instead he criticizes the hypocrisy of such advocates for distancing themselves from many other street drugs that are popular in poor or black areas， where similar arguments can be given。It's become extremely clear to me from reading this that we need a broader push for decriminalization and legalization of drugs。 We also need clearer education on the effects of these drugs。 。。。more
Aidan Hagemann
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Anyone with eyes can see that the War on Drugs in America has been a complete failure but arguing for the decriminalization of ALL recreational drugs and fighting for the destigmatization of using them responsibly （including heroin） certainly goes directly against the social norm over the past century。 But this is what Dr。 Hart attempts to do in this book！ As someone who had much to learn about the topic， I was eager to hear an experienced researcher's perspective， especially one that is so agai Anyone with eyes can see that the War on Drugs in America has been a complete failure but arguing for the decriminalization of ALL recreational drugs and fighting for the destigmatization of using them responsibly （including heroin） certainly goes directly against the social norm over the past century。 But this is what Dr。 Hart attempts to do in this book！ As someone who had much to learn about the topic， I was eager to hear an experienced researcher's perspective， especially one that is so against everything those I grew up around would have me believe。 Part of what makes Dr。 Hart's story more interesting is that he was once aligned with mainstream thought about drugs: they were dangerous， responsible for destroying communities， and those who partook became irresponsible members of society。 But the years of research he has conducted in addition to many personal experiences around the world have completely changed his point of view。 Not only do a majority of drug users （yes， even heroin users） avoid addiction， they also manage to hold jobs， pay bills， and， yes， even parent children responsibly。 Dr。 Hart's perspective is that many adults use drugs in a pursuit of happiness and that， because the Declaration of Independence claims that pursuit as a right， drugs should not be criminalized。 Although this book is not primarily about addiction， he also shares other country's methods of stemming it that are much more effective than America's penal approach。 Many reviewers here have noted that Dr。 Harl seemingly downplays how damaging addiction is for some people and， while I agree he could have discussed the topic more， he certainly doesn't disregard the issue entirely and his main goal is obviously to push back on the pervasive idea that addiction affects a majority of users。In the end， it's impossible for me to state concisely how much I learned from this book。 I found Dr。 Hart's reasoning to be compelling， even when he had to critique his peer's own research papers which have seemingly become poisoned by society's bias against drugs， preventing intellectual honesty。 Anyone interested in learning more about the political debate on drugs should absolutely read this book。 。。。more
Greg Pentecost
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I really hoped for a worthwhile perspective from this book。The first 4 chapters were full of promise as he states the main case of the title and asks many excellent questions。 Unfortunately the other 2/3s of the book fail to deliver on this initial query and assertions。To begin with he shares his field of study as an academic professor and researcher。 Included are some of his controls to eliminate bias from the drug research studies he leads。 He clearly debunks many of the studies on the harmful I really hoped for a worthwhile perspective from this book。The first 4 chapters were full of promise as he states the main case of the title and asks many excellent questions。 Unfortunately the other 2/3s of the book fail to deliver on this initial query and assertions。To begin with he shares his field of study as an academic professor and researcher。 Included are some of his controls to eliminate bias from the drug research studies he leads。 He clearly debunks many of the studies on the harmful effects of drug use， showing that many more controls and questions should have been used to eliminate bias in the studies。The he promotes quite a unique view: Drug use shows no mental， physical， emotional， spiritual or socially negative effects。 They are used for the benefit of pleasure much as alcohol or cigarettes are。At this point I am VERY curious to hear what his findings and recommendations are。 If even some of this assertion could be proven as true this could be GROUNDBREAKING work！Then， as he begins to share his ever present social anxiety， chapter after chapter devolve into unscientific bias leading to the one and only problem he sees that the world faces: Racism against the black male。Unfortunately this is not the premise of the drug research discussed during the first 4 chapters。As he shares the privileged life of an esteemed college professor， taking us around the world during his meeting with a variety of people from judges to social justice warriors， he does little in the additional chapters to convince the audience that drug use for grown ups is valuable or beneficial。 On occasion a restating of an assertion made during the first 4 chapters is made， but no additional value to support the point is provided。He also never addresses concerns regarding escapism or actual negative effects of drug use and or abuse。 Instead he spends his time throughout the meetings and situations he encounters sharing with the reader his victimhood and perceived notion of the singular cause of all wrongs in the world。 It is sad that for such an esteemed person who is so clearly capable to evaluate the bias in others research and findings is unable to do so in his own work and life。 Example: It is very clear in chapter after chapter that he has a hard time seeing beyond the color of someone's skin when he meets them。 Additionally: Many of the concerns he brings up in the latter part of the book would be better answered by a sociologist than a clinical researcher。I do wish that he completes the work started in first 4 chapters as I would love to see his take regarding the benefits of the currently illegal drugs， and while it seems he truly may have some great insight regarding the title's topic， he failed to deliver in this book。 。。。more
Sally Isabel
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Poetic and convincing。 I view meth and heroin in a very altered way now。 If you enjoy having your preconceived notions confronted， try this book out and it’ll blow you away。
Ville Verkkapuro
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Alright alright alright。 This was insanely good。 And bold， dangerous and ground-breaking。 Totally outrageous， unseen and unheard of。 Dr。 Carl Hart is speaking with the authority of a professor and neuroscientist of a prestigious New York university and has all the evidence， studies and experience。 And then he nonchalantly tells about his casual heroin use and other substances。 Insanely brave。 The way Hart puts himself on the line （no pun intended）， snorts and continues to perform and deliver is Alright alright alright。 This was insanely good。 And bold， dangerous and ground-breaking。 Totally outrageous， unseen and unheard of。 Dr。 Carl Hart is speaking with the authority of a professor and neuroscientist of a prestigious New York university and has all the evidence， studies and experience。 And then he nonchalantly tells about his casual heroin use and other substances。 Insanely brave。 The way Hart puts himself on the line （no pun intended）， snorts and continues to perform and deliver is the definition of pure science。 He truly believes in something。 And that something is Humanity with a capital H。This as a subject is something that I've been thinking about for the longest time， but haven't found much kinship。 What pleasures and magic can drugs bring into the world。 And what chaos， sorrow， illness and horrors alcohol and cigarettes brings。 Of course it's childish to compare them， but the hypocrisy is so obvious。 But I'd happily buy good sativa， MDMA and other uppers and psychedelics from the store instead of alcohol when going to a party。 As for now I'm sober and could use a bit of something to take me somewhere else once in a while， but there is no other legal way to do it than to buy neurotoxin from the store that gets me depressed。 The same toxin that has killed multiple family members and caused me a lot of pain。 Great follow-up for High Price。 A bit more focused， less of an autobiography and more of a step-by-step walkthrough of the issue， focusing on different substances and social issues。 As a black man Hart is the preset for the victim， so he speaks from a perfect position。 The racism regarding drugs can be seen miles away。 The war on drugs and the reputation of drugs is laughable。 It dehumanizes good， decent human being。 People should be free to do whatever they will， drugs should be decriminalized， addicts should be treated and not punished。 The treatment should focus on the root causes for the addiction， on the trauma and so on。Addiction and drugs should be separated。 Addiction has multiple sources， drugs have multiple uses。Drugs should be regulated， tested。 Impurities kill， doses kill， ignorance kills。 The whole policy kills people and puts those who suffer into jail to suffer more， it's a never-ending cycle。 Addiction and resilience are both born somewhere that has nothing to do with the drugs。 I've said it before with Carl Hart， but I'll say it again; I'll quote the fuck out of this book in my upcoming novel and you can't do nothing about it。 Because it has my thoughts exactly。 。。。more
Anne Donohoe Wexler
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