Marijuana And Other Drugs
Information
Because research constantly provides new information about most drugs, current journal articles and legitimate web sites are often the best sources for up-to-date facts. Caution should be used, however, when checking web sites because many contain one-sided views, and others post blatantly incorrect information. Even government and prevention agencies can be biased in the information they provide as well. Books and references published by universities or medical schools are usually the best source of unbiased information.
Anyone thinking of taking an illegal drug should consider, among other things, the risk of contaminants. In fact, assuming that a designer drug contains some type of unhealthy adulterant is probably best because illegal drugs are processed in non-secure non-sterile labs. Drugs such as ecstasy, cocaine, LSD, and others are rarely produced according to a specific chemical formula, but rather, the ingredients are determined by their individual manufacturer.
Also, because simply possessing such drugs is illegal, the risk of arrest must always be considered.
Objective Learning
One factual and objective book is: "Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs", authored by faculty members at the Duke University Medical School. A book recommended by Dr. Susan Kennedy of the Denison University Psychology Department is "Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts: A Review of the Scientific Evidence"
Dr. Kennedy's class at Denison, Psychopharmacology, provides a thorough examination of drugs and their effects. The course begins with an intensive overview of the ways in which psychoactive drugs work, followed by the use of drugs in the treatment of psychological disorders, and finally, recreational drug use is examined. Issues of drugs, society and behavior are emphasized throughout the course.