History Main / HighTimesFuture

* ''Literature/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 the pilot of the ''Series/MinorityReport'' TV series; the world of 2065 shows that not only will marijuana be legal, it will be advertised on the subway in a similar manner to alcohol or tobacco. Specifically, the ad is for a brand of "[[JustForPun Totally Baked Goods]]" edibles.

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-->'''[[MessageBoard MesaStim]]''': ''Yeah, sure. You got five bucks In your pocket from a trick or mugging some wretch poorer than you are in the slums and you just about got enough for a quick crack fix. You don't even think about chips--how do you play 'em? Rent the chipreader from the library? Coke may not be the drug of choice for the overaffluent, neurologically compromised American middle classes anymore, but down on the streets it's the some killer it always was. And Aztechnology makes money out of it, whatever they say in public.''

* In the {{Narm}}-tastic PSA ''TheDrugAvengers'' the main reason humans are kept out of TheFederation is because people still use drugs on Earth.

* ''Main/{{Futurama}}'' swings back and forth on the issue of drug legality in its future setting, depending on [[RuleOfFunny which is funnier.]] Bender 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".\\

-->'''[[MessageBoard MesaStim''': ''Yeah, sure. You got five bucks In your pocket from a trick or mugging some wretch poorer than you are in the slums and you just about got enough for a quick crack fix. You don't even think about chips--how do you play 'em? Rent the chipreader from the library? Coke may not be the drug of choice for the overaffluent, neurologically compromised American middle classes anymore, but down on the streets it's the some killer it always was. And Aztechnology makes money out of it, whatever they say in public.''

** The Aztlan sourcebook mentions that Aztlan still makes a profit from cocaine and other coca-plant derivatives. The consumption, however, is mainly limited to lower and rural classes and hardly as profitable as it used to be. The runners express surprise that cocaine trade even exists, due to the above reason.

* In the {{Narm}}-tastic PSA ''[[http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/02/17/drug-avengers-video/ The Drug Avengers]]'' the main reason humans are kept out of TheFederation is because people still use drugs on Earth.

This is somewhere between a {{Discredited|Trope}} and a ForgottenTrope these days, what with DrugsAreBad having been {{enforced}} in recent years. Could come back as marijuana legalization gets more discussion, or remain the occasional AuthorAppeal topic; the most common being, "If drugs were legal, they'd be too cheap to commit crimes over."

** The Aztlan sourcebook mentions that Aztlan still makes a profit of cocaine and other coca-plant derivatives. The consumption, however, is mainly limited to lower and rural classes and hardly as profitable as it used to be. The runners express surprise that cocaine trade even exists, due to the above reason.

*** The Aztlan sourcebook mentions that Aztlan still makes a profit of cocaine and other coca-plant derivatives. The consumption, however, is mainly limited to lower and rural classes and hardly as profitable as it used to be. The runners express surprise that cocaine trade even exists, due to the above reason.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': M

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' - modern drugs have fallen out of favor due to the development of cheap, clean "[[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?

* ''{{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), but obviously we'll never know because [[ScrewedByTheNetwork the show was unceremoniously cancelled]].

* ''Main/{{Futurama}}'' swings back and forth on this depending on [[RuleOfFunny which is funnier.]] Bender 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".\\

** It would seem that the legality of drugs in that setting is mostly based on RuleOfFunny.

* ''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.
* ''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 is 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.]]

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; the most common being, "If drugs were legal, they'd be too cheap to commit crimes over."

The NewWaveOfScienceFiction assumed that increasing liberalization of drugs would continue and that drugs currently banned would become not only legal but also as popular and commonplace as alcohol and tobacco are (or were, now that tobacco is becoming more stigmatized). Usually the drugs in question are "soft" drugs like marijuana and the hallucinogens (particularly LSD) rather than cocaine or heroin; often {{Fantastic Drug}}s are part of the mix as well. Some works decide to be ironic and legalize currently illegal drugs, but have alcohol and tobacco banned.

ScienceFiction-- particularly of the "New Wave" of TheSixties and TheSeventies-- assumed that increasing liberalization of drugs would continue and that drugs currently banned would become not only legal but also as popular and commonplace as alcohol and tobacco are (or were, now that tobacco is becoming more stigmatized). Usually the drugs in question are "soft" drugs like marijuana and the hallucinogens (particularly LSD) rather than cocaine or heroin; often {{Fantastic Drug}}s are part of the mix as well. Some works decide to be ironic and legalize currently illegal drugs, but have alcohol and tobacco banned.

Contrast with EternalProhibition.

* The titular Culture of TheCulture novels. "Drug glands" are in-built in most Culture biological citizens, and other ways of shooting for the rainbow exist, and are completely legal.

* ''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.
* Several PhilipKDick stories have the characters smoking brand-name marijuana cigarettes.
* ''TheStainlessSteelRat'' pops whatever pill he needs to get the job done, and although he's a criminal there's no mention of any of them being illegal.

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

* Legality varies greatly by habitat but drugs are very much a part of life in ''EclipsePhase''. The only "modern" drug featured is orbital hash but post-singularity narcotics range from bananas that decrease radiation damage to nanite-laced flowers that put you in a very trippy virtual reality.
* {{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.
* ''OverTheEdge'' - Not only are drugs legal in Al Amarja, but there are some gloriously weird examples of FantasticDrug too.