From prescription medicines and alcohol to cocaine and cannabis, the use of drugs has reached an unprecedented high. We have always sought to alter our moods and relieve pain, so why today are some drugs prescribed or licensed while others remain prohibited? Cannabis is already partially legalized in more than 50 countries. Should magic mushrooms, MDMA and LSD be next in line?
This illuminating investigation into the effects of drug use on individual and social health considers whether the war on drugs has done more harm than the drugs themselves and if microdosing is the future. It advocates for decriminalization and calls for safe spaces for drug consumption where there is a need. Finally, it examines the case for a fully regulated market: is it now time for stimulants and psychedelics to be legalized and sold over the counter in licensed pharmacies?
Product Information
Book Details
Format:Paperback with flaps
Size:22.9 x 15.2 cm
Extent:144 pp
Illustrations:200
Publication date:12 May 2022
ISBN:9780500295687
Contents List
Introduction 1. Evolution of Drug Use and Production 2. Effects on Individual and Social Health 3. Impact of the War on Drugs 4. Decriminalizing and Regulating Drug Use Conclusion
About the Author
Mattha Busby has written widely on drug and health policy, human rights, society and the environment. Currently living in Mexico, he is a freelance journalist who reports regularly for the Guardian and VICE magazine. He is most interested in solutions-based journalism that highlights potential remedies to social issues and the barriers that their introductions face. He won the Hugh Cudlipp award for journalism in 2018 for a series of articles on the gambling industry. Mattha, born in Bletchley, UK, has a BA in History and International Relations from Royal Holloway, University of London, and an MA in Journalism from Goldsmiths college. He has also studied at Concordia University, Canada.