I am currently taking this course, and its pretty cool. Overall the teacher seems to have a very accurate view on the subject. I believe I am the only one in the class that sees any value in psychedelics, but I expected that.

Our first assignment is to find an article on drugs or alcohol in out society and to comment on the articles relevance and explain why it is important.

I started writing it on On Being Stoned http://www.lycaeum.org/books/books/On_Being_Stoned/TARTCONT.HTM

I was talking about how people don't understand that marijuana and psychedelics have a wide array of potential effects, and that most of the effects are not the same across users. And about how the effects of marijuana are influenced by your personality.

I realized this is not what the teacher wants at all and now I am trying to find a different article. I leave for the class in an hour. I am not sure what I am going to do.

Can totse point me in the direction of an interesting article on drugs and society?

Hmm... sounds definitely like a decent class.

What about Afghanistan and their opium/heroin problems? Or Colombia/Peru and coca farmers?

What about the Native American church where peyote is legal?

...just throwing around some ideas...

Thank you, both things I have read about before, but completely forgot about. I might select the topic of Native American peyote use. I am torn though, because I really think On Being Stoned is an excellent piece of work, it just requires too much to write on its relation to society as a whole.

I remember reading something on erowid on MDMA therapy, specifically a report from a father whos daughter had a terminal illness and was given MDMA to cope with death. Very interesting, and I suggest looking around erowid.

Anyways I found the thing I was looking for, (http://www.maps.org/ritesofpassage/passages.html). I dunno if this really pertains what your paper is about, but I'm sure it will help.

Not the best thing I've ever written, but I pulled it off. Its a small percentage of our final grade, so whatever.
Here it is:

I find this article to be relevant in that although there are an estimated 11 million regular users of marijuana, there is not much scientific knowledge on the experience of being stoned. I believe that the reasons people choose to smoke Marijuana are not properly understood by most.
Marijuana is different from most drugs in that most of its effects are potential effects. It is very different from most drugs where you can expect specific effects to occur with almost all users. Because the states of consciousness possible with marijuana depend on psychological, and environmental factors, it provides a very unique experience and an interesting state of mind for meditation and reflection on oneself and ones environment. I believe that the “good” feeling associated with marijuana is not caused directly by the drug, it is a result of the thoughts you have in this state of mind. It is commonly thought that while under the influence of marijuana, the experience of having profound insight into the world is an illusion, this is not true, the perspective offered by marijuana are just as valid as a sober perspective. The article states that many users report the ability to come down from being high at will. This has value in the argument for legalization.
Marijuana is a very unique drug that is not understood well. It is important for members of a society where this drug is illegal to be informed about the drug, and to try and understand the perspective of someone who is using the drug.

I wrote a paper on MDMA for an english 100 class. I got a pretty good grade and my professor liked it, but he said MAPS isn't a reliable source.