Psychotropics

The period of American history from 1965-1975 was the exception that proves the rule. Those of us who were fortunate enough to witness it remember it as a period (coinciding, a good friend of mine insists, with experimentation with psychotropic drugs as a means of achieving enlightenment—not escape) when there was broad questioning of just what the hell we were doing.

Given, however, that that period was exceptional, we need to adjust (downward) our expectations of what is possible most of the time, and certainly at the present time.

There is some room for hope as Colorado and California decriminalize some psychotropics and other states consider following suit (when they see the bonanza they can reap through taxing the sale of the stuff). But the keys to the decade from '65 to '75 were the spirit of experimentation and the goal of enlightenment. When escape is the goal, the results are not the same. And, in the long run, psychotropics can only show a person that things need not be as they are, they cannot show anyone how things ought to be. There is a different wine for that:

via GIPHY