Whether you look at it as the stair way to enlightenment or the Highway to Hell drugs (and I include alcohol in that mix) have been and probably always will be an influence and often a detriment to our world, culture and way of life. (I have no idea where I took the above picture however the main one is from the Cassaddga Hotel http://www.cassadagahotel.net/).
1965 Mary Jane – Janis Joplin
Written by Janis and recorded in sessions held between January and April with the Dick Oxtot Oakland Athletics Jazz Band, this early song appears on the soundtrack to the film, Janis: “Now when I go to work, I work all day / Always turns out the same / When I bring home my hard-earned pay / I spend my money all on Mary Jane / Mary Jane, Mary Jane, Lord, my Mary Jane.” Sigh. http://www.ukcia.org/potculture/references/record2.html
As you all know I came of age in the 60’s and the generation pretty much took the stand that they invented drugs: “One of the most influential, commercially successful, and critically acclaimed bands of the decade was The Beatles. Their music career has been intricately linked with drugs, from their early pre-fame days on Benzedrine, to the psychedelic era of LSD, and onto harder drugs as the 1960s ended….In 1964, Bob Dylan introduced The Beatles to cannabis which had a significant effect on their music, making it more mellow and contemplative….Within the next few years, they converted their drug…to LSD which had a profound effect on their songwriting and recording….Others questioned whether the song “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” was named after their countless trips on the drug, but the Beatles denied this. ” http://blogs.longwood.edu/worldmusicsm/2013/04/29/the-influence-of-drugs-throughout-music-in-the-1960s-the-psychedelic-era/
BLACK SABBATH — “Sweet Leaf” (1971)
“You give me a new belief,” Ozzy Osbourne espoused in this pre-metal glorification of ganja. Updated by Sacred Reich on HEMPILATION http://hightimes.com/read/top-25-pot-songs-all-time
Getting High as we called it isn’t a new thing, for instance:
Aubrey in his Book Remaines (17th century) notes that it was a custom to mix the ashes of brunt human bones with ale to increase the potency and “induce extreme intoxication” https://archive.org/details/remainesgentili01aubrgoog
And it goes back long before that: “Our taste for addictive psychoactive substances is attested to in the earliest human records. Historically, psychoactive substances have been used by (i) priests in religious ceremonies (eg, amanita muscaria); (ii) healers for medicinal purposes (eg, opium); or (iii) the general population in a socially approved way (eg, alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine). Our forebears refined more potent compounds and devised faster routes of administration, which contributed to abuse. Pathological use was described as early as classical Antiquity. The issue of loss of control of the substance, heralding today’s concept of addiction, was already being discussed in the 17th century. ” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3202501/
and: “Humans have used drugs of one sort or another for thousands of years. Wine was used at least from the time of the early Egyptians; narcotics from 4000 B.C.; and medicinal use of marijuana has been dated to 2737 B.C. in China. But not until the 19th cent. A.D. were the active substances in drugs extracted. There followed a time when some of these newly discovered substances—morphine, laudanum, cocaine—were completely unregulated and prescribed freely by physicians for a wide variety of ailments. They were available in patent medicines and sold by traveling tinkers, in drugstores, or through the mail. During the American Civil War, morphine was used freely, and wounded veterans returned home with their kits of morphine and hypodermic needles. Opium dens flourished. By the early 1900s there were an estimated 250,000 addicts in the United States.” http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/drug-addiction-drug-abuse-history.html
Brewer & Shipley, “One Toke Over The Line”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejvcd-JeVCQ
Drugs would be all good and well if we didn’t drive while we took them, didn’t get dependent on them and ruin our lives in their haze. One man that you might know had a problem with more than drugs: “Then there is Marcus Antonius of Rome, famous as the other half of Cleopatra, of noble birth but with a reputation for heavy drinking and a known gambling problem(not included in addiction issues but….). As the historian Seneca put it: ‘What else was it but drinking to excess together with a passion for Cleopatra, that ruined that great and gifted man?’ Certainly Mark Antony’s foray into Egypt which began well, descended into chaos and disaster in a way that will seem familiar to a lot of addicted people today. – http://www.castlecraig.co.uk/blog/08/2013/ancient-addictions#sthash.WRPHy1or.dpuf
But it’s scary when you look at it today:
The bare facts
We know what can and needs to be done to help reduce the burden of psychoactive substance use. Therefore, WHO is committed to assisting countries in the development, organization, monitoring and evaluation of treatment and other services.
- The harmful use of alcohol results in 3.3 million deaths each year.
- On average every person in the world aged 15 years or older drinks 6.2 litres of pure alcohol per year.
- Less than half the population (38.3%) actually drinks alcohol, this means that those who do drink consume on average 17 litres of pure alcohol annually.
- At least 15.3 million persons have drug use disorders.
- Injecting drug use reported in 148 countries, of which 120 report HIV infection among this population. http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/facts/en/
Along Comes Mary – The Association – Key Double Lyric of song: “And then along comes Mary, and does she want to give me kicks, and be my steady chick“ (1) Mary is a nice girl the song’s writer met (this was the line/lie fed to radio stations by the Association’s record company back in the ’60s, so the song wouldn’t get banned); (2) Main/real meaning: “Mary” is slang for marijuana, and that is what the song is about, smoking weed. http://www.keno.org/classic_rock/double_meaning_lyrics.htm
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AND if one does something to extreme or becomes addicted which is often the case with drink and drugs then we need cures
The 17th century which gave us human ashes for making one drunker also suggested that we put live eels in drinks to cure a man (and one presumes a woman) of drinking too much—-one thinks that finding something like that in one’s Margarita might well cure one forever of alcohol–OMG. (Encyclopedia of Superstitions Ed Christina Hole)
As long as there has been addiction there has been treatment: “In the past, society viewed drug addiction as a moral flaw. Popular “treatments” involved imprisonment, sentencing to asylums, and church-guided prayer. Not surprisingly, these methods were generally ineffective.
Today we understand that addiction is a brain disease characterized by fundamental and long-lasting changes in the brain. Modern treatments are based on scientific research. Treatment is tailored to the individual and typically involves a combination of drug and behavioral therapy. Today’s methods are very effective, with 40-70% of patients remaining drug-free.” http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/drug-addiction-drug-abuse-history.html
There is some variance with certain addictions: “The modern disease theory of alcoholism states that problem drinking is sometimes caused by a disease of the brain, characterized by altered brain structure and function. The American Medical Association (AMA) had declared that alcoholism was an illness in 1956. In 1991, The AMA further endorsed the dual classification of alcoholism by the International Classification of Diseases under both psychiatric and medical sections. ” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disease_theory_of_alcoholism
SYMPTOMS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE:
- Has drinking and drug use caused relationship problems for the individual?
- Has drinking or drug use caused problems with the individual’s primary responsibilities (work, school, caring for children, etc.)?
- Has the individual ever tried to stop using alcohol or drugs but was unsuccessful?
- Has drinking or drug use caused any legal difficulties?
- Has drinking or drug use caused the individual to show signs of illness (shakiness, vomiting, paranoia, depression, etc.)?
- Does the individual find it difficult to have a good time without using substances?
- Have others expressed concerns about the individual’s alcohol or drug use?
- http://www.caron.org/Understanding-Addiction/Substance-Abuse-Addiction?gclid=Cj0KEQjwvJqvBRCL77m2-uKczsIBEiQAkx8VjIB5-0EcT0w-x6ixpwnmZZiPatlkUkb2g9j7JBAAmygaAvB48P8HAQ
White Rabbit – (1967) Surrealistic Pillow This song, with references to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and certain drugs, got us high just listening to it. Feed Your Head! http://www.hipplanet.com/books/atoz/music.htm
STERLING MARLIN MAXWELL HOUSE RACING TEAM 1992 POST CARD SIGNED BY DRIVER $8.00 http://www.ebay.com/itm/262030173108?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2648
AS TO MY WORST ADDICTION:
CHECK OUT THESE SITES WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE OF YOUR CHOICE: http://outlanderaddiction.com/outlandish_websites/
AND CHECK OUT MY PINTREST: https://www.pinterest.com/lindachase56829/why-i-love-outlander/
BUT ALL KIDDING ASIDE:
IF YOU FIND YOUR LIFE DESCRIBED IN THOSE SYMPTOMS THEN CONSIDER DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT
Overcoming Drug Addiction:
1: Decide to make a change
2: Explore your treatment options
3: Reach out for support
4: Learn healthy ways to cope with stress
5: Keep triggers and cravings in check
6: Build a meaningful drug-free life
7: Don’t let relapse keep you down
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/addiction/overcoming-drug-addiction.htm
My honorable mention of the day IS Papilio www.facebook.com/papiliomountdora a great little shop in Mount Dora where nature and creativity coexist. And inside this same shop Is Zen Cowgirl http://www.zen-cowgirl.com/ .
“Minnie the Moocher” is one of the best known and most loved drug songs of all time. First recorded by Cab Calloway in 1931, it turned out to be one of the legendary jazz vocalist’s most enduring songs. He re-recorded it several times during his storied career. Interestingly, the drug references were often smoothed out in later versions to reflect shifting mores—it’s best to seek out the original version. Here Calloway tells the tragic story of Minnie—a “red-hot Hoochie-Coocher”—and her tragic dalliance with the grimy glory of the opium pipe.
