High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies

High Weirdness: Drugs, Esoterica, and Visionary Experience in the Seventies by Erik Davis

The book is weird. It is also long. Over an hour into the audiobook, it was still telling me what it was going to tell me. The focus is 1974 and thereabouts with psychedelic weirdness. Phillip K. Dick is the one that stood out. He claimed to have special visions while still clinging to Christianity. There were also other more typical people that would trip out. Jesus freaks were an interesting category of weirdos who adopted a hippie infused form of Christianity. The book could really use some editing. Perhaps it was intended to be consumed while tripping out on a psychedelic substance. 

Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle

Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle by Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsberg

In the 1920s, the best treatment for diabetes was a starvation diet. This would allow somebody to live a few more months of life, but with a significantly degraded quality of life. The hope was that this would allow them to live long enough for a potential "cure" that would just be around the corner.

In Canada, Frederick Banting was a maverick doctor who talked his way into a research position in Toronto. He was convinced that he could help isolate a substance from pancreatic tissue that could treat diabetes. With Charles Best and James Collip they extracted what was to be named insulin and injected into to dogs that were forced to be diabetic. They had success in reducing the diabetic symptoms. John MacLeod was the "adult supervision" that helped give their research credibility and run the clinical trials. Eli Lilly in Indianapolis was also interested in the work and led their work to help mass produce insulin. They were one of the first drug companies to have a research arm. They were able to have more success producing large quantities of insulin than the Toronto labs. This was one of the earlier cases of patent and technology transfer by educational institutions and the start of "big pharma".

Banting was quite a character, and seemed to have issues with many people. His story was intertwined with the story of Elizabeth Hughes. She was the diabetic doctor of a high ranking politician (who narrowly failed to get elected president, and later served as secretary of state.) She was among the first Americans to receive insulin and was able to live a long life with the injections. 

Wonder Drug: The Secret History of Thalidomide in America and Its Hidden Victims

Wonder Drug: The Secret History of Thalidomide in America and Its Hidden Victims by Jennifer Vanderbes

Thalidomide was once seen as a wonder drug that could help with many conditions with minimal side effects. It came from German pharmaceutical companies and was used in Europe. In the US, it was never fully approved. However, it had been used extensively in "trials". It was later determined that the drug could lead to birth defects when taken during pregnancy. This was thought to be a "European problem". Alas, the "trial" in the US had a much greater scope than anyone knew. The record-keeping was lacking and the doctors had little knowledge of the drug and had spread it to many others. Many people took it without knowing what it was. The book primarily covers the history of the drug and the politics involved with regulating the drug industry. The end drags on with quests for lawsuits and the difficulty in suing many years later. (You wonder what the point is doing this decades later. Would it really help people?) Only recently has the drug been approved by the FDA for limited use cases. The book tries to set up some heroes, but tends to focus more on the facts rather than narrative.

Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic

Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Are Creating the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic by Ben Westhoff

In the past, people had to go to a dark corner in the bad part of town to feed their drug habits. Today, they can go on the dark web and have drugs sent directly to their house. This drug economy still poses plenty of risk. You can never be sure exactly what you or ordering, or if what you ordered will be seized. Where do these drugs come from? There are often a number of steps in the process. You may order from a distributor. They may have obtained it from another source that would create the final concoction. This may have required different ingredients that were professionally produced - often in labs in China.

With "designer drugs" and fentanyl, the government is in an uphill battle trying to keep up with new innovations in drug design. Previously, drugs would need to be "scheduled" one at a time. However, labs can easily cook up a slightly different drug and get around it. Thus, there are laws to ban analogs. There are also precursors that can be used to create the drugs. Different countries have different laws. Many Chinese labs operate "above board" in China, but sell chemicals to countries where they are banned.  Scientists also do research to find chemicals with valuable uses, but then see them turn up on the black market. Drug cartels have also pivoted. Mexican cartels help supply fentanyl to US markets. While they may have gun battles in the streets of Mexico, they tend to be peaceful distributors in the US.

Some of the biggest dangers with illegal drugs is the lack of understanding of the contents. Fentanyl is potent and may be concentrated in much higher doses than users are accustomed. Addicts will often be attracted to drugs that have caused others to overdose. Regulation leads to increased black market uses. (The book discusses the challenges of overdoses with ecstasy after it was banned.)

Some harm reduction activities seem to have worked. Testing of drugs so that people know what they are getting can reduce overdoses. Providing opportunities for addicts to safely handle their addiction can allow them to be productive members of society (and not resort to crime.) How can harm reduction be balanced with the desire to reduce preponderance of drugs?

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence

How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan went from writing about food to writing about drugs. In this book he explores psychedelic drugs. LSD had been studied extensively since it was first synthesized in 1938. The company that synthesized it gave samples to researchers and it spread. However, by the late 1960s, it became associated with the counterculture movement and was banned as a recreational drug. Recently more research has been underway. Other drugs, such as "magic mushrooms" and peyote have manage to escape as significant negative associations, and have been able to continue limited "legitimate use" as part of religious rituals.

The drugs enable experiences that are similar to religious experiences. They are almost "religion for those that don't believe". Some are also used in conjunction with religious experiences. The place and setting when a drug is consumed can change the experience. There does appear to be some use for the drugs. However, it tends to require a more wholistic approach than trying to break it down to individual components.

The most interesting part about the book is the history. There have been a lot of ups and downs and "interesting" characters involved with psychedelics. It has been "super serious" and "counter-cultural" at times. It is still not totally clear what they do. They seem to cut off some automatic "filling in of the blanks" as well as allowing more free associations. Are there other ways to accomplish what the drugs help accelerate? Could they be used for a "one time" cure for ailments, or would they end up just being a regular consumption drug. Could they even be legitimized? Or are the associations and history too strong to allow them in a lefit area?

This Is Your Mind on Plants

Plants and animals have lived together for millions of years. Plants depend on animals for their propagation. Different substances have different impacts.

In this book, Pollan focuses on three mind-altering substances that come from plants: opium from poppies, Caffeine from coffee and tea and mescaline from peyote cactus. 

The war on drugs caused some very interesting issues with these. It was legal to grow poppies. However, it was not legal to produce drugs from them. You could be arrested if you had poppies and knew how to produce the drugs from them. (The same drugs are legal when concentrated in prescription drugs.) 

Peyote is connected to a revitalized Native American Church. However, it was also caught in the war on drugs. This led to some interesting conflicts involving religious exercise, cultural appropriation, native rights and drugs.

Caffeine is a drug that has been well accepted in society. Part of this may be due to what it replaced. Alcohol was a "safe" beverage that could be consumed. However, it led to drunkeness. Coffee and tea were consumed using boiling water, thus also tended to be safe. They led to sharper thought, thus making them an ideal replacement for alcohol. Alas, caffeine also can become addictive. It must be daily consumed to overcome the withdrawal symptoms.

It is interesting that "legality" of plants can be quite different than the "danger" of certain plants. 

Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction

Judith Grisel lived a life as a drug addict, before becoming clean and getting a PhD in behavioral neuroscience. Never Enough goes through many different drugs, describing what they do to the body and how they are addictive. She also includes experiences of her own as well as those she knows. Light drugs like caffeine are covered, as are "legal" drugs like alcohol and tobacco. The bulk is spent with discussion on the "street drugs", though the addictive prescription drugs are also given substantial coverage.

The "reversion to the mean" is a part of the issue with drugs. The "highs" are often accompanied by a similar low. Drugs can often simulate natural occurrences. However, the drug can be made very predictable, thus encourage their abuse. Even when there is not a physical addiction, there is often a strong association with the drug and a desire to continue. Often a removal from the environment is needed to break the habit.

After covering the various drugs, the author looks at the general drug epidemic. There is often a social aspect to drug use. However, there is with it a very anti-social flavor, with addicts looking for the high over any other moral beliefs. The author doesn't blame anyone for the drug epidemic, but does believe everyone has some responsibility.

Dopesick

I found myself confused with the messaging in Dopesick. The first part of the book argued that Purdue pharma had forced the opioid epidemic on an unwitting middle-america. It argued that they kept on coming up with "better" opioids that were not as addictive as the previously addictive opioids. Unfortunately, they were over prescribed and ended up being just as addictive. The later part of the book argues that we need better support for treatment options and these treatments should include drugs to help successfully wean people off the drugs. But wait, isn't a "better drug" how we got into this mess in the first place? I do understand that research now shows that the treatment drugs are not addictive. But what if we show later problems?

Aside from this messaging, the book has a scary portrayal of rural America. It gives the impression that these are areas to be avoided. They are just filled with people that are addicted to drugs. They regularly steel and commit other crimes in order to fulfill their drug habit. People from these small towns work their way up from pain relief subscription to drug addict to drug dealer. Once a dealer is knocked out, another one comes into place to fulfill the need. Rural America sounds a crime zone that must be avoided. To add to the misery, there are few job opportunities available and companies are unwilling to move in due to the poor state of the working population. (These regions also often have large number of "non-working" people on disability.)

Big pharma is portrayed as the evil player that thrust this on the people. The drug company reps encouraged doctors to prescribe these medicines to reduce pain. The reps lavished various premiums on the doctors to continue prescribing more. However, the problem is even deeper. "Pain relief" was seen as something similar to a right. The American medical system continues to be based on a system of instantaneous relief without effort. Drugs that can provide this solution are the ideal solution. They are cheaper than therapy or other efforts that require more effort on the part of the patient. The desire for a quick, cheap drug solution helped lead to the big problem. 

Current attempts to address the problem miss the mark. Reducing the drug company monetary  incentives for doctors to prescribe certain drugs is a step in the right direction. However, this is just a small part of the problem. There also needs to be overall reform of the current medical system. There needs to be an incentive for the system to maintain overall health, rather than just look for the quick fix. We also need to make sure people do not slip through the cracks without getting access to treatment they need. The book is a strong advocate for long-term treatment (mentioning the 5 year treatment plans for people such as pilots.) This will be helpful for those already addicted. Though without reforms in the front end, it will be an endless battle with more addictions (and the associated crime, homelessness, despair, and other issues.)

Naked Lunch: The Restored Text

Naked Lunch is a series of somewhat autobiographical experiences from the author's drugged up mind. The "book" is only about half the audiobook. Afterwards, there is some correspondence, including the author's views of best ways to treat drug addiction. There are also some "outtakes" and editorial details. The analysis of the different types of drug addiction and different ways to help an addict were some of the best parts. The book itself does not try to do anything to glorify the underground sex and drug scene. It is horrible depravity. It feels absolutely disgusting. The junkie is stuck with a nasty addiction and a need for more "junk" just to put up with living in their world.

Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge : A Radical History of Plants, Drugs, and Human Evolution

If you look hard enough you can find anything you want. In food of the gods, the author finds hallucinogenic mushrooms are the key point to the evolution of men. Hallucinogens are also a key component of a female-based partnership society. (Thus they are condemned by domineering, male-based society.) He sees the drugs as an important step that helped humans to progress from being "mere apes" to the higher intelligence they have today. Some cultures in the Amazon are able to hold on this "shaman" culture. He is enamored with the drug induced states and would love for society to have a greater respect for plants and psychoactive states they can provide.
He criticizes the drug policy of today for not performing more research into positive uses of drugs. This does seem to be a valid concern. However, he takes it further. Much further. For him drug policy is a means by which the male "dominate" group can assert their dominance over the female partnership society. Drug policy is how those in power stay in power. They pick drugs that they like and restrict other drugs so that they can get a cut of the revenue from them. 

His theories (such as "stoned ape" evolution do tend to be extreme. However, when the book does venture away from theory, it has some interesting content. A section describes the "drug history" of the world. The new world had a lot more available drugs than the old world. Some drugs like alcohol and tobacco assumed a regular place in civilized society. Others, including marijuana and heroine were shunned. Others, such as coffee, chocolate and sugar are not even considered to be drugs, yet they have significant psychoactive impact on humans. It is an interesting read that tries to make sense of the way that drugs have evolved to be placed in different buckets in our culture. It almost makes up for the extremeness of the general theories of hallucinogenics being the source of most human advancement. 

A Scanner Darkly

A Scanner Darkly is a book about drugged out junkies. Because it was written by Philip K. Dick, he threw in a few science fiction elements (such as a "scramble suit", however, it wouldn't take much work to take those out and make it a "straight" piece on the drug users. He, alas, seems to know the community well from experience. These are people that made a choice and are now paying the consequences. The plot centers around an undercover narcotics agent who also happens to be a drug addict and dealer. One of his main female contacts is, unbeknownst to him, also undercover. She is using him to infiltrate a drug rehab center, which we find is the supplier for the highly-addictive "substance D". In between, we have many drug-induced hallucinations and details of the behavior of these junkies. It is typical Dick trippy darkness, but without the imagination and story-telling of his other works.