Species survival.

Like it, don’t like it, nature doesn’t care. Humans have survived and thrived by using drugs for about 200 million years. Drug use is not just in our history, its hardwired into these weird meat husks we call bodies.

The best evidence of humans’ drug use throughout our existence is our brains’ ability to process drugs and experience their benefits. For example, heroin, marijuana, and caffeine all produce positive effects because our brains have developed the ability to process these drugs to produce the pleasant effects we experience such as euphoria, pain relief, or increased energy. These drugs work because our brains have specialized receptors just for these chemicals. For example, our brains have receptors called opioid receptors and cannabinoid receptors which allow us to experience the effects of drugs like heroin and marijuana. So yes, we evolved to use drugs; by using drugs.

These meat husks also come fully equipped with a cool safety feature; protection. If our bodies consume too much of a drug which causes danger, (ahem alcohol), our bodies begin to reject the drug through vomiting. Another cool built in survival mechanism.

But why did we start using drugs in the first place? Were our cave dwelling ancestors just bored?

Sex and emotions. Sex and emotions.

Ever wonder why most of us like feeling happy and don’t like feeling sad? That’s your evolutionary wiring at play. Pleasant emotional states such as happiness, contentment, safety, and fulfillment are states that helped our ancestors achieve their main goal: reproduction. States such as fear, distress, and discontent are states that discouraged reproduction and survival. Our ancestors were less likely to survive and reproduce when they were afraid, angry, or sad so millennia of evolution have conditioned us to dislike these emotions. Guess what helped our cave dwelling ancestors feel more content in their environment and helped them reproduce? Yep, drugs.

Remember that during our earliest days, our ridiculous attitudes about drugs did not exist. The environment was used to survive. Drugs were not drugs, they were simply food sources. The majority of our drugs, even today, are plant based. When eaten, many of these plants changed the way the person thought and felt. Over time humans learned more about the effects of different plants and used them more intentionally. This was the recipe for survival in harsh environments in the earliest days of our species

Use became more intentional over time as our ancestors became more knowledgeable. Early humans used stimulants such as nicotine, khat, betel nuts, ephedrine, and cocaine to increase energy and decrease fatigue which allowed them to hunt and scavenge for extended periods. These plants provided early humans with vitamins and minerals and helped them tap into their bodies’ energy stores. This energy helped them acquire the food and supplies necessary for their tribes’ survival.

A common question I get is “Ed, shouldn’t you be trying to convince people not to use drugs?” My response is always a resounding no. First off, that never works. Second and most importantly, drugs are how humans have survived; and the reason they work on us is because we have been using them since our cave dwelling days. My goal is to help people learn to use drugs successfully and safely. Why work against our wiring? Can you stop the wind or the tides? Nope. Same with our drive to explore altering our thoughts and feelings through drugs and other methods.

Three takeaways

1. Humans have been using drugs for 200 million years.

2. Our brains are wired to use drugs because we have been using drugs for 200 million years.

3. Early humans used drugs to feel secure in their environment so they could reproduce.