April 6th, CTST Dinner. Let’s talk about substance… and its roles as experience, escape, addiction, or medication. From coffee, alcohol, and cigarettes, to weed, mushrooms, cocaine, and more, drugs raise concerns but is rarely discussed. Are there good and bad reasons to use any drug? What defines right and wrong? What’s the role of law or our peers? What is its effect on health? What’s exciting or frightening to you?

General notes:
Safety and intention before everything else. Educate yourself about the consequences. Ask yourself why you’d like to use any drug. Google! Be prepared!

It seems it’s most important to use substance as a treat, rather than as escape or a way to cope with life in the long-term. If you use with peers, they should have your best interests at heart.

At every dinner, we pass around a note pad for anyone to write done something they’ll remember. Here are some of the thoughts this evening:

The experience is only good when you’re in a good place

Create a safe environment, with good ambience (music)

Best to do it with friends, people you trust

Interested to experience how different senses mix into each other

Find a drug mentor

When I was younger, I was open and willing to experiment with drugs — not so much now, sometimes I miss that feeling

Alcohol users sometimes criticise the use of other drugs, it feels hypocritical

It’s hard to share a good drug experience I’ve had without being judged

It is like going on a vacation – something you decided to treat yourself to

Ge intentional

Don’t let drugs be a surprise

Get all the information first — prepare and be ok with the consequences

Question “why” you’re doing it