Most of us are familiar with the dangers of illegal drugs. Along with the risk of addiction, severe health problems and other unwanted side effects, there is also the danger that a drug user will face punishment if caught. Depending on the drug and area, this punishment can involve anything from a warning to a lengthy jail sentence. But things weren’t always that way. Many drugs that are severely restricted today were once commonplace and completely legal. In fact, not only were these drugs available, they were actually recommended and promoted by healthcare professionals, often with unfortunate results. Here are ten of them:

10. Opium

Its usage is much older, but this form of dried juice from the opium poppy became popular in the United States during the 19th Century. Back then, it was freely prescribed by doctors and even available at grocery stores. Chinese laborers had brought the practice of opium smoking to the West during the mid-nineteenth century, and laudanum, a solution of opium and alcohol, was also popular. Opium was often given to women to treat menstrual cramps and to infants to help with teething pain. Around the turn of the 20th Century, most opium addicts were older women.

San Francisco first banned opium dens in 1875, and California restricted opium possession in 1907. The 1914 Harrison Narcotics Tax Act effectively outlawed the drug throughout America. Today, drugs derived from the opium poppy, such as morphine and codeine, are legal but heavily restricted.

9. Marijuana

Usage of the cannabis plant, from which the psychoactive drug marijuana is derived, was unrestricted in America until the early twentieth century. In fact, in 1619 a Virginia law required farmers to grow native hemp on their plantations in order to produce textiles! Ironically, given its later reputation, the earliest state to ban the plant was California in 1913. Federal laws passed in 1937 restricted marijuana usage to the medicinal, and later laws in the 1950s introduced mandatory sentencing for possession, with the justification that marijuana was a ‘gateway drug’ into heavier narcotics.

Medical marijuana is now legal in over a dozen states, although still prohibited by federal law. The current administration has indicated that federal laws involving medical marijuana will not be enforced in these states.

The rest of the list is continued below for your druggy enjoyment.

8. Methamphetamine

Nowadays a popular target for public service announcements, methamphetamine was first created by a Japanese chemist in 1893. In 1944, it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the US to treat a selection of medical conditions including narcolepsy, alcoholism, mild depression, and even seasonal allergies. By the 1950s, this legal medication had become popular under the name of Methedrine, but abuse had also become common. Passed in 1970, the Controlled Substances Act severely restricted its usage, although meth is still available under the name of Desoxyn for very limited uses.

Bad news for the congested: since the 1980s, there have also been strict crackdowns on several legal cold-and-flu drugs that can be used to produce methamphetamine, like ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. These previously over-the-counter medications now often require ID to purchase.

7. Peyote

Mescaline, a hallucinogenic chemical derived from the peyote cactus, has been used by Native American religious ceremonies for thousands of years. Peyote use was outlawed in several US states in the 1920s and 30s, but remained legal in most of the US throughout the 1960s and was often shipped interstate to interested parties.

Mescaline was restricted by Congress under the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. Currently, members of the federally-recognized Native American Church are exempt from criminal penalties for peyote use, as long as further state restrictions do not apply.

6. Cocaine

Many famous people of the early 20th century, including Sigmund Freud and the Pope, were cocaine users. Although cocaine is derived from the coca plant, which has been in use for at least 3000 years, its modern incarnation only appeared around the 1860s. Available in many forms, including dissolved into wine, it was prescribed by doctors to treat depression and morphine addiction.

In America, it was popular as a treatment for coughs and pain, and was famously included in early versions of Coca-Cola. Although technically restricted by the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act in 1914, prosecution for cocaine usage was rare, and only became common after it was listed a controlled substance in 1970.

5. LSD

The psychedelic effects of LSD, or ‘acid’, were discovered by accident in 1943, after the Swiss scientist who invented the chemical accidentally absorbed some through his skin. During the 1950s the US Army, along with the CIA, researched the uses of LSD as a potential ‘truth drug’ for use in brainwashing. Their experiments involved giving LSD to everyone from CIA agents to prostitutes, and recording the results. Soon, psychiatrists also became interested in its potential therapeutic benefits. Although LSD was still being imported from Switzerland at this time, the drug’s formula could be purchased for a small sum from the US patent office, after which a user could synthesize LSD himself.

In 1966, after widespread abuse and ill-effects caused in part by people making the drug incorrectly, LSD was outlawed in California. In 1970, it was listed by Congress as a Schedule I substance, meaning it has no recognized medicinal or therapeutic uses.

4. GHB

Famous these days as a ‘date rape’ drug, GHB is a naturally-occurring neurochemical that produces a depressant, pain-relieving effect. A lab-made version was synthesized in the 1960s and was used widely in Europe as an anesthetic, particularly in childbirth. In the 1980s, it became popular among body builders as a legal sleep aid, and eventually as a legal recreational drug. After GHB became associated with abuse and accidental deaths, the FDA cracked down on its sale in 1990. It was not listed federally as a controlled substance (illegal to possess as well as to sell) until 2000 when, like LSD, it became a Schedule 1 drug. However, GHB has recently been approved as a heavily-controlled treatment for narcolepsy.

3. Magic Mushrooms

Also known as shrooms, magic mushrooms are fungi native to Asia and the Americas that contain psilocybin, a compound that produces an LSD-like effect in users. Magic mushrooms have been in use for millennia, but as recently as the early 20th century Western academics were still arguing whether or not they existed. Use among Westerners was popularized in the 1950s after an article on the subject appeared in Life Magazine. In the 1960s, psychologist Timothy Leary and many others promoted these mushrooms for psychological use.

Possession of psilocybin-containing mushrooms was outlawed in 1968. However, since the mushroom spores do not contain psilocybin, spores are still legal in most states.

2. Ecstasy

MDMA, or ecstasy, was legal in the United States as recently as 1984. Synthesized and patented in 1912 by a chemist working for pharmaceutical company Merck, it was largely forgotten until the mid 1970s, when Berkeley professor Alexander Shulgin popularized it for use in psychotherapy. Shulgin claimed that it could help psychiatric patients achieve greater introspection and more openness with their therapists. Ecstasy also became popular in non-therapeutic settings, particularly nightclubs, and in 1985 was put under an ‘emergency ban’ and became a Schedule I controlled drug.

1. Heroin

First synthesized in 1874, heroin was first created as a non-addictive alternative to morphine. The word ‘heroin’ is actually a brand name created by the pharmaceutical company that invented it, Bayer. In the early 20th century, it was also marketed in the US as a treatment for coughs and as a kind of old-fashioned methadone program for morphine users.

Unfortunately, the drug turned out to be more addictive than morphine. After hundreds of thousands of Americans saw their sore throats relieved only to be replaced with crippling addiction, heroin usage was severely restricted in the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914, and outlawed altogether in 1924.

There has been a lot of talk about “winning” lately from a few maniacs out there but what is the difference between winning and losing, between winners and losers most importantly is the question. Here is a breakdown of what it means to be a winner, and to be a loser, which category do you fall into that is the question. I am getting the feeling a lot of losers are reading this, pysch only winners read zoot, that is a fact. WINNINGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.

The Winner is always part of the answer;
The Loser is always part of the problem.

The Winner always has a program;
The Loser always has an excuse.

The Winner says, “Let me do it for you”;
The Loser says, “That is not my job.”

The Winner sees an answer for every problem;
The Loser sees a problem for every answer.

The Winner says, “It may be difficult but it is possible”;
The Loser says, “It may be possible but it is too difficult.”

When a Winner makes a mistake, he says, “I was wrong”;
When a Loser makes a mistake, he says, “It wasn’t my fault.”

More winners vs losers below

A Winner makes commitments;
A Loser makes promises.

Winners have dreams;
Losers have schemes.

Winners say, “I must do something”;
Losers say, “Something must be done.”

Winners are a part of the team;
Losers are apart from the team.

Winners see the gain;
Losers see the pain.

Winners see possibilities;
Losers see problems.

Winners believe in win-win;
Losers believe for them to win someone has to lose.

Winners see the potential;
Losers see the past.

Winners are like a thermostat;
Losers are like thermometers.

Winners choose what they say;
Losers say what they choose.

Winners use hard arguments but soft words;
Losers use soft arguments but hard words.

Winners stand firm on values but compromise on petty things;
Losers stand firm on petty things but compromise on values.

Winners follow the philosophy of empathy: “Don’t do to others what you would not want them to do to you”;
Losers follow the philosophy, “Do it to others before they do it to you.”

Winners make it happen;
Losers let it happen.

What is going on in Japan is horrible, there is no doubt about that and we are not being dicks. But honestly in 2 months no one will give a crap about the people still without homes or food in Japan. People are dying every day and no one cares, it is just how it works sadly.

1. I don’t know about you, but a highlight of my childhood was talking into the fan to hear my robot voice.

2. I think my other three stove burners are becoming jealous of front-right.

3. Every phone should have the same charger.

4. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

5. Double-Stuffed Oreos should just be called Oreos, and regular Oreos should be called Diet Oreos.

The rest of the ruminations to be pondered over are found below, enjoy

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Every bar bathroom should have a cupholder.

8. It never ceases to amaze me that the little space between the driver’s seat and the center console in my car will fit any object that can possibly be dropped, but will not fit a hand.

9. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you’ve made up your mind that you just aren’t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

10. I don’t write on your facebook wall so you can comment on it. I write on your wall so you will write back on mine and make me seem more popular. Work with me here.

11. Lol has gone from meaning, “laugh out loud” to “i have nothing else to say”.

12. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

13. Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the fuck was going on when I first saw it.

14. I have an irrational fear of wasting a good outfit on an insignificant day.

15. My GPS says “Estimated Arrival Time.” I see “Time to Beat.”

Unless you lay there like a dead fish, sex can be a great work out, and not only sex, but everything leading up to it and after as well. So everyone out there complaining about being fat, just start going off in the bedroom after you eat your 7 cheeseburgers and you will burn those calories right off, you have no excuses anymore. Below is the complete breakdown of everything done before, during, and after sex, and the calories you burn while doing it. And people wonder why I am 25 years old and weigh 85 pounds, well now you know why bitches, WINNING.

Calorie breakdown continues below, write this stuff down.

Are you addicted to pornography? Well guess what you aren’t alone, because from this infographic America likes porn, and they like it A LOT. Online Psychology Degree sent us this infographic chock full of facts and figures about porn addiction in America. Breaking news! America loves boobs! Don’t worry, it’s safe for work. In fact, according to the infographic, you’re probably looking at things far worse than this while at work.

More fun bizarre porno statistics below

The first zombie gathering run as a non-promotional event and billed as a “Zombie Walk” was held in October 2003, in Toronto, Ontario. It was organized by local horror movie fan, Thea Munster, and had only six participants. In subsequent years the Toronto Zombie Walk grew tremendously in size.This year the number of zombies cruising the streets rose over 10,000 people, that’s a lot of dead people.

More creepy weird zombie walkers below

Youtuber Damewse continues his one-man media makeover for the space agency with another beautifully edited video. The first one if you remember was called The Frontier Is Everywhere, seen here, and this is one is just as good if not better. The best part about the video is at the very end when it shows a graph depicting the world’s military spending vs space exploration spending, as you could guess the military spending is about 500 times as much. This video has some amazing footage, and even better commentary to make your brain think a little bit today.

Here are a few real life last meal request from former death row prisoners. Now lets start an honest discussion and let me ask you what would your last meal on this planet would consist of? Me personally I would ask for two slices of sausage pizza from my local pizzeria, a plate of gravy cheese fries from a diner, a cherry Italian ice, 2 packs of sour path kids with 1 pack of Haribo gummy bears, a virgin Miami Vice, a tall glass of ice water, then finally wash all that down with a bottle of Johnny Walker blue label to go out drunk as piss.

More amazingly odd last meal requests below

When I saw that BBC was coming out with a tv series following up “Planet Earth”, which I routinely watched with a bunch of my friends in college every week, WHAT UP TEMPLE, yea we were fucking crazy. Anyway when I saw the trailer for “Human Planet” I was in awe, it looks unbelievable and I really can’t wait, here is BBC in their own words about the show.

A new TV series by the BBC:

Human Planet is an awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, heart-stopping landmark series that marvels at mankind’s incredible relationship with nature in the world today.

Uniquely in the animal kingdom, humans have managed to adapt and thrive in every environment on Earth. Each episode takes you to the extremes of our planet: the arctic, mountains, oceans, jungles, grasslands, deserts, rivers and even the urban jungle. Here you will meet people who survive by building complex, exciting and often mutually beneficial relationships with their animal neighbors and the hostile elements of the natural world.

Check out the video below for a scene from the show, it is freakin gnar gnar.

Another clip features Bajau fisherman, Sulbin, freediving for 2 1/2 minutes on one breath to catch a fish.