History Main / HighTimesFuture

* ''{{Caprica}}'' mentions a recent passing revelation that drugs have been legalized so as to quash any criminal market that may exist for them. Presumably that was a hook for a future plotline about the [[GenericEthnicCrimeGang Ha'la'tha]] losing income and getting desperate (or going legitimate, leaving [[ProfessionalKiller Sam]] [[{{Gayngster}} Adama]] out of a job).

* ''{{Caprica}}'' mentions a recent passing revelation that drugs have been legalized so as to quash any criminal market that may exist for them.

* ''Literature/{{Dune}}''. The society and economy of the known galaxy revolves around the spice melange, which extends peoples life span, unlocks psychic abilities, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and tastes good in pastries]]. The only down side is people will have blue eyes from overuse of it - and [[PhlebotinumDependence addicts always die if they get cut off.]]

* ''Literature/{{Dune}}''. The society and economy of the known galaxy revolves around the spice melange, which extends peoples life span, unlock psychic abilities, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and tastes good in pastries]]. The only down side is people will have blue eyes from overuse of it - and [[PhlebotinumDependence addicts always die if they get cut off.]]

* ''Literature/{{Dune}}''. The society and economy of the known galaxy revolves around the spice melange, which extends peoples life span, unlock psychic abilities, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and it's good in pastries]]. The only down side is people will have blue eyes from overuse of it - and [[PhlebotinumDependence addicts always die if they get cut off.]]

* ''Literature/{{Dune}}''. The society and economy of the known galaxy revolves around the spice melange, which extends peoples life span, unlock psychic abilities, and it's good in pastries. The only down side is people will have blue eyes from overuse of it - and [[PhlebotinumDependence addicts always die if they get cut off.]]

* Averted in ''TheWarAgainstTheChtorr'' series by David Gerrold, who goes to some trouble to portray a society that's changed both technology-wise and socially. Legal marijuana farms and over-the-counter recreational drugs are mentioned.

* In ''MassEffect'', drugs are mentioned regularly. Red Sand and Hallex are both illegal narcotics of some kind (the former sounds like [[RecycledINSPACE space cocaine]] and the latter like [[RecycledINSPACE space ecstasy]]), and there's a substance called Minagen X3 encountered in a mission that makes your biotics unstable if you come in contact with it. Red Sand is related to minagen since they are both biotic inducing agents; red sand also melts your brain like minagen. Hallex isn't really illegal... what with it being Omega and all. You can also legally purchase Red Sand on Illum from a licensed provider.\\

* In ''MassEffect'', drugs are mentioned regularly. Red Sand and Hallex are both illegal narcotics of some kind (the former sounds like [[RecycledINSPACE space cocaine]] and the latter like [[RecycledINSPACE space ecstasy]]), and there's a substance called Minagen X3 encountered in a mission that makes your biotics unstable if you come in contact with it. Red Sand is related to minagen, they are both biotic inducing agents, red sand also melts your brain like minagen. Hallex isn't really illegal... what with it being Omega and all. You can also legally purchase Red Sand on Illum from a licensed provider.\\

* ''Literature/{{Dune}}''. The society and economy of the known galaxy revolves around the spice melange, which extends peoples life span, unlock psychic abilities, and its good in pastries. The only down side is people will have blue eyes from overuse of it - and [[PhlebotinumDependence addicts always die if they get cut off.]]

* ''Literature/{{Dune}}''. The society and economy of the known galaxy revolves around the spice melange, which extends peoples life span, unlock psychic abilities, and its good in pastries. The only down side is people will have blue eyes of over use of it - and [[PhlebotinumDependence addicts always die if they get cut off.]]

* ''Literature/{{Dune}}''. The society and economy of the known galaxy revolves around the spice melange, which extends peoples life span, unlock psychic abilities, and its good in pastries. The only down side is people will have blue eyes of over use of it.

[[AC:Literature]]
* ''Literature/BraveNewWorld''. A hallucinogen called soma was specifically developed by the government as an ideal recreational drug and its use is ''encouraged''. That's right, "Just Say Yes", foolish masses! A gramme is better than a damn.
** In fact, they don't even have money anymore (at least we don't see it), people are just paid (by the government) in soma. When a couple of characters decide that maybe keeping everyone dosed and drugged all the time is ''bad'', they try to disrupt one of the weekly distributions of soma. A riot breaks out when the workers realize what they are up to.

* Inverted in Creator/JohnVarley's ''GaeaTrilogy'', in which a member of a NASA expedition to Saturn grumbles when he's cut off from his pipe tobacco. If the notion of NASA letting an astronaut contaminate a space vessel's limited air supply with secondhand smoke doesn't make this seem ridiculous, consider that the same spaceship's captain gripes about losing her own recreational supply of ''cocaine''.

* The ''EighthDoctorAdventures'' novel ''Alien Bodies'' featured "Cloud Nine: The Original Cannabis Cigarette".
* Humorously played in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' EighthDoctorAdventures novel ''Alien Bodies'': Sam Jones, in the near future and surrounded by aliens, focuses on a cigarette packet as a "normal" thing. Then she notices it says "CLOUD NINE -- The original cannabis cigarette". As smoked by UNISYC troopers. When she mentions the one time she got stoned, the future soldier the cigarettes belong to replies "One time? Are you ''sure'' you're human?"

* Averted in {{Mortasheen}} due to the titular city not really having any laws. There's even a monster, [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/jitter.htm Jitter]], specifically made for dispensing narcotics.
* Averted in ''OverTheEdge''. Not only are drugs legal in Al Amarja, but there are some gloriously weird examples of FantasticDrug too.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' - modern drugs have fallen out of favor due to the development of cheap, nigh-untraceable "[[LotusEaterMachine simsense]]" programs. Why shoot or snort thousands of dollars in imported plant extracts which can be detected by testing urine or hair when you can experience exponentially more just by slotting a memory stick into your UnusualUserInterface?

* In Gabrielle Zevin's ''AllTheThingsIveDone'', this is playd with. Teens can drink all the alcohol they want, it's chocolate and other caffeine products that are banned.

* ''Main/{{Futurama}}'' swings back and forth on this depending on [[RuleOfFunny which is funnier.]]
Bender on smokes and drinks constantly. The alcohol is [[Main/JustifiedTrope justified]] in that robots use it as fuel, and Bender will act "drunk" if he hasn't had a drink in a while. As for the cigars, "[[SmokingIsCool they make me look cool]]." The existence of other drugs is suggested. In "My Three Suns", for example, a junkie tries to buy crack from a vending machine that sells "Refreshing Crack" (but the bottle catches on the spring), and in "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on Television", Farnsworth's and Hermes' kids are caught with one of Hermes' "cigars".\\

* ''{{Caprica}}'' averts this with the recent passing revelation that drugs have been legalized so as to quash any criminal market that may exist for them.

This is somewhere between a DiscreditedTrope and a ForgottenTrope these days, what with DrugsAreBad having been [[EnforcedTrope enforced]] in recent years. Could come back as marijuana legalization gets more discussion, or remain the occasional AuthorAppeal topic.

[[AC:Comics]]
* ''{{Transmetropolitan}}'', which leans heavily on the science fiction of this era for inspiration and setting, runs on this trope.

* The ''EighthDoctorAdventures'' novel ''Alien Bodies'' featured "Cloud Nine: The Original Cannabis Cigarette". As smoked by UNISYC troopers.

[[AC: Live Action TV]]
* ''{{Dragnet}}'' characters-of-the-week seemed to love this trope. It showed up repeatedly, usually to be met with angry rebuttals by Sgt.Friday.

* Alluded to in ''{{Futurama}}'' with a brief gag about a vending machine that sells "Refreshing Crack".

* ''BugJackBarron'': Jack's talk show is sponsored primarily by Acapulco Golds, "America's Premium Marijuana Cigarettes" ([[SocietyMarchesOn the book was written when cigarette ads were still legal on U.S. television]]). Tobacco is illegal.

* The ''EighthDoctorAdventures'' novel ''Alien Bodies'' featured cannabis cigarettes as a comercial product in 22nd century Britain.

* ''AClockworkOrange'': Mescaline (or a synthesized form) is apparently legal since you can get it added to your yummy glass of moloko.