Many, many people took recreational drugs in the 90s. Where are they now?

[perhapsiwill]

I'm not a drug addict and none of my friends were at the time, we just took Es at the weekend, sometimes other drugs. We all went to work or college, seemed like everyone else did this too. We had a great time, weekends were for dancing and hugging, I didn't get on with drunk people and one night stands and it suited me much better.
I moved away from where I grew up, nice area to another nice area.
When I mention partying in my youth to other mums where I live now, they look at me as if I'm an addict who needs help .
Are they all pretending? There were thousands of us doing this so where are they now? And why do people who never took drugs appear to feel so morally superior? One of the women where I live openly talks about cheating the system financially yet looks at me like I'm scum because I went out and had fun 20 years ago. (And probably once a year now!) I feel that because I mentioned this one evening in a pub I have alienated myself from the local mums.

I think I phased that badly.

I'm not jealous of addicts or people who have suffered because of drugs/drinks I'm just a bit jealous (if that's the right word) that I could never really experiment when younger iyswim.

And Cote you come across as obnoxious. At least Find admits she's patronising. Point taken however.

The best thing about them was that they kept you so slim

I know plenty in jail.
Other than that they are married and have kids

"My older brother's friend smoked some cannabis and jumped off the roof to prove he could fly."

That sounds more like PCP ("angel dust") although I have no personal experience of it.

Thinking you can fly and jumping off roofs just doesn't happen on cannabis. Just the thought of finding the energy to go up the roof You are far more likely to melt into the couch for hours.

I spent thirty quid on eBay last night buying old rave flyers.

I so wish I had kept all mine, the memories they have just bought back are priceless.

I wish I had kept my Cyberdog clothes from the old days. They were mad and fantastic.

Thinking you can fly and jumping off roofs just doesn't happen on cannabis

Not even if you have long term addiction? Fair enough, I accept that.
It's the story I was told, but I was quite young and maybe didn't get the whole story. However, visiting him in the Psychiatric Unit I did see many young people whose lives had been blighted by illegal drugs. It sure put me off trying anything on the rare occasion I was offered. None of my friends did it anyway.

It's not a question of long term or short term use. That's just not its effect. What he was smoking may not have been just cannabis but an added dissociative/hallucinogenic substance such as angel dust (on which people have rather often jumped off roofs thinking they can fly).

Cannabis is to make you feel heavy & comfortable, far more likely to sink into your sofa (hence the term "stoned" - immobile/heavy like a stone) and chat or watch films for hours than climb roofs and feel obliged to prove stuff to people.

Have you seen the film The Big Lebowski?

I wish I had kept my Cyberdog clothes from the old days. They were mad and fantastic

Yes Cyberdog clothes, and crazy coloured contact lenses for me!
I fully embraced the contact lens fad (and still do from time to time).

My thinking was, that not only did it look great, nobody would even know I was off my face because my huge pupils were hidden. The jaw gave it away though

Erm... apart from that film is not the be all and end all...

Cannabis is no longer the stoner drug it used to be! There are a few round here who have been caught out by skunk and its psychotic effects.

Just last year it was cited as being responsible for more than 25% of all new episodes of psychosis, including hallucinations.

Weed hasn't been 'for sinking into the sofa' for decades!

waves

Ex-raver/festival goer/recreational drug taker here who has, over the years, morphed into a graduate married mother of 3 with a great career.

Who woulda thunk it, eh?

Another one here who dabbled in the early 00's.
Was anyone in the Lakota?! Fun times. Found your post interesting OP, I look back on those times and smile, don't regret a thing. But I don't mention the past to people that didn't know me then. I don't think they'd ever believe it anyway, I'm more into green smoothies nowadays, :)

Here is an interesting article on using Ketamine to treat depression:

www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21708655-new-generation-drugs-could-change-way-depression-treated-novel-drugs

Ketamine works for 75% of patients who have been resistant to other forms of treatment, such as Prozac (which works in 58% of patients). Moreover, it works in hours, sometimes even minutes, and its effects last for several weeks. A single dose can reduce thoughts of suicide

Waves to others !
Had lots of fun clubbing in the 90's & early 00's & taking shit to strangers for hours about the universe and why it all exists !!
Married mother of 3 now with a professional, graduate 🎓 job.
Definitely don't advertise my past and happy that that's what it is...the past.

Talking not taking but probably was taking some shit too !!

"nobody would even know I was off my face because my huge pupils were hidden. The jaw gave it away though "

Oh and the incessant talking, hugs for all strangers, and the inability to stop dancing, I'm guessing

"Cannabis is no longer the stoner drug it used to be! There are a few round here who have been caught out by skunk and its psychotic effects."

Skunk isn't that new. We were smoking it back in early-2000s. Yes, I hear that it is stronger these days but that's like something sweet getting sweeter. It isn't going to have totally different effects.

Psychotic episodes in a few people (who were quite probably predisposed) doesn't mean that cannabis isn't a "downer". It is. It is just not an "upper" like E, amphetamines, and cocaine under the influence of which you might feel like climbing stuff just to prove a point (but you still wouldn't jump off a roof to prove you can fly).

Never mind. If you think 2000 is a long time ago.... and can happily ignore NHS/GMC stats to make a point!

Skunk does induce entirely different effects to less strong/old fashioned weed - that's the point!

The problem with skunk is that it isn't all about predispositions.... and is no longer 'a few' people, as a few recent gold standard research papers have reported! Look up the work of Sir Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at King’s College London. His latest research shows compelling evidence of a causal link between smoking strong cannabis and the risk of mental illness.

Unfortunately, because its illegal, you don't know quite what you are getting...it's not like it's gone a through quality control!

"If you think 2000 is a long time ago..."

It was 17 years ago. Is that not a long time for you, then?

2000 was also the peak of my party life and I can confirm that much skunk was had around that time. None of us developed psychosis or other mental health issues.

I understand that skunk is stronger than normal weed but it is still weed and its effects (i.e. how it makes you feel) are more of less the same. I hear you re increased risk of psychosis etc but that's because it's a strain of weed that has more THC, not an entirely different drug to cannabis.

I find it hard to believe that anyone would jump off a roof after smoking skunk, it may have happened but it would be very very rare. Skunk ie, sativa indica hybrid has been around at least since the early 1990's although it used to be more expensive.

Cannabis is dangerous if you do it alot but not as dangerous as alcohol. Drink driving is very dangerous and is still quite common.

Fruitbat I was frequently in the Lakota and Club Loco

Oh and the incessant talking, hugs for all strangers, and the inability to stop dancing, I'm guessing

And all of that!
I was so slim and energetic back then

Me and DH still go to the occasional event for as long as we can get away with it without looking tragic

Benadryl: is anything still going? All the places I know have closed.