I used to be very anti-drug. I believed that nobody should use addictive
substances as an escape route. Still do, in fact; I haven't changed into
thinking that street drugs are okay, but I'm coming to believe that sometimes
using certain drugs isn't as bad an idea as it might seem.
  I'm not talking about the "medicinal marijuana" debate that's been going on
for a long time either, or even about the use of drugs to treat people with
medical problems of any kind. I've simply come to realize that the human body
is, by its very nature, one big container of drugs, and as such, drugs are as
natural as breathing.
  The point that really drives this point home for me is exercise. Many
people use exercise as a way to make themselves feel better. When you
exercise, you experience a rush that makes you feel good; this feeling can be
addictive, and indeed is often known as "runner's high". That's certainly
appropriate, because when people exercise, the body releases endorphins into
its bloodstream, and endorphins interact with the body in the same way as
opiates. That's why exercise makes you feel good: Essentially, it injects
opium into your system.
  So when you see someone exercising to feel good, they're really just
another drug user. Unless I'm missing something, it's not "bad"; it's just
the body's natural way of reacting to a stimulus. And it changes how you
feel, because how you feel is mostly a chemical. The human body's emotions
are largely dictated by the levels of various hormones that exist in the
bloodstream at any point in time. Change your chemistry, and you change your
mood. The body does this naturally. The body is full of chemicals; the body
really is just a big amalgamation of many different chemicals. Knowing this,
then, why is it inappropriate to change your body chemistry to achieve a
certain effect? In essence, that's what you're doing every time you eat or
drink anything.
  The problem with drugs, of course, is that people misuse them. Addicts get
so used to the feeling of whatever drug they're taking that they don't want
to stop taking it. After a while, they can't deal with a "normal" body
chemistry anymore. But the same is true of anyone: Any human being would feel
depressed or confused given the right chemicals in their body.
  In light of all this, although I still don't suggest common street drugs to
anyone, I can't deny the sensibility of using chemicals to change yourself
into the best person you can be. Just remember that what's best isn't always
what *feels* the best.