History Main / GRatedDrug

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* ''Film/AllNightLong'': Johnny, as part of his complicated ManipulativeBastard scheme, tempts Cass with a marijuana joint. This triggers a monologue from Cass about how he had to go to rehab, which Aurelius (his boss) paid for, but now he's straight. He then proceeds to fall OffTheWagon with Johnny, and this super-dangerous marijuana joint causes him to get angry and violent and fling gratuitous insults at a producer, until Aurelius fires him. The film was made in 1962 and apparently the writers didn't have the nerve to make the drug heroin or cocaine.

* All of the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' games use made-up drugs with drastic effects far beyond those of real-world drugs (for example, drinking a beer will make the character objectively stronger for a short time, letting him/her carry more and use heavier equipment). ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' was set to contain real-world morphine, but Australian {{Moral Guardian}}s led to the game being banned until "morphine" was replaced with the generic "Med-X." ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' even introduces "Fixer," an anti-drug that will kick your addictions in exchange for some InterfaceScrew.

* MoralGuardians - and in many cases, the actual creative teams - may feel uncomfortable using real drugs in certain contexts, even if the rating would otherwise allow for it. For example, if the story depicts use of a deadly narcotic as [[DrugsAreGood fun, cool and useful with no bad consequences]], it can sometimes be reasonable to [[CallARabbitASmeerp fiddle]] "opium" into "Tropeium" to prevent unnecessary negative attention and get on with telling the story. This tends to show up in types of work that wouldn't be taken seriously [[ExecutiveMeddling by executives]] as having a valid artistic reason to use a real drug, so tends to turn up in [[SciFiGhetto trashy sci-fi TV]], [[ExploitationFilm lurid exploitation flicks]] or [[MurderSimulators pulpy power-fantasy video games]].

* While ''WesternAnimation/FantasticPlanet'' is hardly G-rated, the film abounds with drug imagery, drug effects, hallucinatory other-worlds -- and yet, no real drugs.

* While ''Animation/FantasticPlanet'' is hardly G-rated, the film abounds with drug imagery, drug effects, hallucinatory other-worlds -- and yet, no real drugs.

* The "Knuckles" spin-off series of ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' featured a mini-arc involving the Chaotix investigating the distribution of an addictive substance called [[FantasticDrug Lemon Sundrop Dandelion]], under the guise of secret sauce for a theme park's chili dogs. It had led to the death of one of Charmy the Bee's old friends before the story began. Its hallucinogenic side effects are coincidentally similar to actual LSD (hence the equally-coincidental connection to the comic's drug name).

* Along with previously established G-rated drugs in VideoGame/TheSims4, ''Fanfic/CatastropheTheory'' treats mood potions as a drug because they're technically mood-altering substances. It's unclear whether taking mood enhancers is habit-forming, but it's highly discouraged by some sims for being unnatural.

* During ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'', Spongebob gets a hangover from too much ice cream.

* In ''Series/{{Sam and Cat}}'', Sam drinks root beer the way adults drink regular beer.

* ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland'': Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy and [[InterfaceScrew the entire screen will turn Technicolor and swirl, and walking straight will become a challenge]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz-qCyf4yQE Just imagine if it happened to you in real life.]]

* ''WebAnimation/DrCrafty'': Nurse Worse, being a [[CuteMonsterGirl Cute]] FrankensteinsMonster [[CuteMonsterGirl Girl]], gets her drug fix by attaching electric cables to her bolts. When Crafty calls her out on it because of high power bills, she excuses this as being for "medicinal purposes".

* One of the mods in [[LetsPlay/{{Yogscast}} the Yogscast's]] ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' mod packs includes a Mana Potion which when drunk can cause random effects like speed boosts, blindness and dizziness. When [[LetsPlay/DuncanJones Duncan]] and [[LetsPlay/KimRichards Kim]] discover this, they treat it very much like a drug (and an enjoyable one). They have also referred back to this a few times since.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeIITheGreatValleyAdventure'': Two [[EvilEggEater egg-napping]] ''Struthiomimus'' brothers, Ozzie and Strut, treat eggs like some kind of drug. Ozzie is obsessed with eggs to the point he dedicates a VillainSong of how he loves to crack and taste the eggs in explicit details, while Strut simply wants to stick with a plant-based diet since he's starving and plants are far easier to get than eggs.[[note]]The scientific consensus on ''Struthiomimus'''s diet is that [[ShownTheirWork they are omnivores who mainly fed on plants rather than eggs]].[[/note]] Ozzie, of course, bullies Strut for trying to go clean and insists they shall only eat eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeIITheGreatValleyAdventure'': Two [[EvilEggEater egg-napping]] ''Struthiomimus'' brothers, Ozzie and Strut, treat eggs like some kind of drug. Ozzie is obsessed with eggs to the point he dedicates a VillainSong of how he loves to crack and taste the eggs in explicit details, while Strut simply wants to stick with a plant-based diet since he's starving and plants are far easier to get than eggs.[[note]]The scientific consensus on ''Struthiomimus'''s diet is that [[ShownTheirWork they are omnivores who mainly fed on plants rather eggs]].[[/note]] Ozzie, of course, bullies Strut for trying to go clean and insists they shall only eat eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTimeIITheGreatValleyAdventure'': Two [[EvilEggEater egg-napping]] ''Struthiomimus'' brothers, Ozzie and Strut, treat eggs like some kind of drug. Ozzie is obsessed with eggs to the point he dedicates a VillainSong of how he loves to crack and taste the eggs, while Strut simply wants to stick with a plant-based diet since he's starving and plants are far easier to get than eggs[[note]]The scientific consensus on ''Struthiomimus'''s diet is that [[ShownTheirWork they are omnivores who mainly fed on plants rather eggs]].[[/note]] Ozzie, of course, bullies Strut for trying to go clean and insists they shall only eat eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

* ''Series/{{QI}}'': In the episode "Sugar and Spice", when the panellists are trying Szechuan peppercorns, Jason Mumford, despite being specifically and personally warned against it, seemingly eats the whole bowl and appears to be totally blitzed on the sensation. He then says that he's never done drugs, but he's pretty sure that's what it's like.

* {{Averted|Trope}} (as you might expect) in ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'', where Dennis and Dee intentionally get addicted to crack.

* ''[[Fanfic/StarWarsVsWarhammer40K Star Wars vs. Warhammer 40K]]'': Inquisitorial Agent Hecate has a SweetTooth and is constantly eating candy... because sugar turns out to be a placebo for the ''real'' FantasticDrug she is addicted to.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* [[MustHaveCaffeine Caffeine]].
** Energy shots are derived from Japanese "tonics", which were small amounts of extremely potent liquid that would do different things. When Energy Drinks became popular, it was a no-brainer to combine "This drink that does something to you" and "This extremely potent drink that does something to you in small doses". Whose bright idea was it to cram all the crap of an energy drink into a 2 oz. package?
** Interestingly, if caffeine had only been discovered in modern day, rather than centuries earlier, based on its bodily effects and addictive potential, it might've been evaluated as a dangerous/controlled substance.
** Before Europeans adopted coffee, they only knew it as a drink from the Middle East. In a very literal application of this trope, the Europeans sometimes called it 'the wine of Islam' (Islam being a religion that forbids alcohol).
* Nutmeg contains a natural hallucinogen. The only problems: It tastes horrible by itself, it takes a huge dose to get anything, it makes you nauseous, and the trip tends to be dysphoric, unpleasant, and long (lasting up to three days). It's still not uncommon for thirteen-year-olds who can't afford weed to get together and try it, though.
** One of Carl Barks' stories has [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Scrooge McDuck]] addicted... to nutmeg tea. It was "A Spicy Tale" from September, 1962.
** In the movie ''Film/TheWrongBox'', old Joseph Finsbury attributes his brother's erratic behavior to a nutmeg poisoning (oblivious to the fact his brother is trying to kill him).
** In the movie ''Film/IdleHands'', Anton is told by his stoner buddies that "I hear if you combine nutmeg and oregano you can get pretty wasted." He tries it, and it's apparently disgusting. Later when he's [[spoiler: killing those same stoner friends,]] one of them, trying to call the cops, exclaims that "I think he smoked some nutmeg or something!"
** Nutmeg would be like other drugs except for the timeframe involved: Onset is 3-4 hours, peak 9-12, and distinct aftereffects of 2-3 DAYS.
* Nepeta, also known as catnip. In humans it has "soothing" and numbing effects and is used as a flavoring in tea, it's also mixed with tobacco or marijuana and smoked. A study found that a 4-year-old child who had eaten 3 raisins soaked in the stuff got high. Why do you think cats like it so much? [[HighOnCatnip Has its own subtrope]].
* Calamus root. Theoretically, it's mildly stimulating and in large quantities becomes hallucinogenic. Practically, its taste is "interesting" - if you used to drink black coffee without sweeteners - but, even then, trying to chew that much of the root will probably sooner get your whole digestive tract (along with the taste center in brain and maybe skin on the back of your ears) tanned for good than it will make you really "high."
* In Russia, ''extremely'' strong tea (leaves boiled to black sludge-strong) known as ''Chephyr'', is sometimes used as substitute for Amphetamine in prisons.
** For a more innocent example, the sunflower seeds ("semechki") are immensely popular and are positively impossible to stop nibbling.
* For Creator/RetroStudios' staff during the TroubledProduction of ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'', it was Atomic Fireballs. The crew reports [[http://wii.ign.com/articles/101/1016511p4.html 72 gallons]] were consumed while making the game.
* Salvia divinorum is still legal in most parts of the world, but produces an extremely intense half hour of hallucinations, euphoria, and/or panic when extractions are smoked. It has no health effects and is not addictive. However, there's a media campaign against it. People ''have'' been known to do bizarre things up to and including kill themselves or other people while under the influence of the stuff, but then again, alcohol can do that too...
* Dextromethorphan is a cough medication available without prescription in most parts of the world - despite the fact that it's a potent hallucinogenic dissociative in high doses. It got away on the grounds that there's not really another option for dealing with a persistent cough, and the medicine is well-known to taste absolutely vile, which discourages most casual high-seekers. Eventually, though, teenagers chugging the syrup and tripping in school caused companies to mark cough medications in the US, and American grocery stores to card youngsters for cough medicine the same way as they would for cigarettes or alcohol; elsewhere, however, sales of DXM are usually completely unrestricted.
** In fact cough medicine are typically opioids like codeine and even heroin. Dextromethorphan is available over the counter because it is the one with the least potential for abuse.
* Benadryl, also known as diphenhydramine. Remember how your mom used to give it to you to sleep? People get high off of quantities around 700mg+. It's sold over the counter as a sleep aid. It is deliriant that it can cause confusion between hallucinations and reality, seeing people that aren't there etc. Abusers often take it mixed with DXM, because both drugs cancel each other's undesirable side effects: DPH cancels the dizziness and itch caused by DXM, and DXM cancels the feelings of anxiety caused by DPH.
* Those who have made the decision to quit smoking sometimes [[AddictionDisplacement pick up another habit to cope with the absence of nicotine]], such as eating a certain kind of snack. UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan did this. He replaced his nicotine habit with a lifelong consumption of jelly beans.
* For diabetics, too much insulin causes symptoms that mimic drunkenness. Insulin shock is actually a medical emergency. At least for Type 1, this is entirely because of low blood sugar. It's mostly blurry vision and tiredness.
* Coca is an interesting case. In Peru, the leaves are commonly chewed directly or brewed into a tea. (It's quite common to see boxes of coca tea in the grocery store right next to the Earl Grey.) In normal amounts, this is said to prevent altitude sickness; larger doses can be somewhat intoxicating. Of course, grinding up and concentrating the leaves gives you a drug that's most certainly ''not'' G-rated. For this reason, trying to import even a commercially-packaged box of coca tea into the U.S. will, at the very least, result in confiscation and a long chat with a customs agent.
* Extremely strong preparations of cacao beans (the substance from which chocolate is derived) has recently become a small alternative health fad, where it is used as an antidepressant and meditation aid in cacao ceremonies. Unlike a lot of the drugs on its list, its effects are, in almost all cases, pleasant and benign, consisting of a caffeine buzz and a "loved-up" feeling from the theobromine. It's sometimes reported as being hallucinogenic, but most people using cacao to have "[[HigherUnderstandingThroughDrugs visions]]" will actually just go to sleep and have a vivid dream experience due to the stimulants in the beans keeping them partly awake.
* Sugar-and-salt-laden snack foods operate on the same pleasure centers of the brain as heroin.
** Sugar is without question the ''king'' of this trope. '''''Numerous''''' studies have proven that the effect of sugar on the brain is more or less equal to that of cocaine.
* Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is effectively the salty/savoury counterpart of sugar, giving people the drive to eat large quantities of snacks.
* Ginger taken in only slightly larger doses than normal just before sleep has been found by ''many'' studies to cause very vivid and almost hallucinogenic dreams. Often, ginger-based anti-travel sickness pills are abused for this very reason.
[[/folder]]

* The Treynia and Hydropolis update of ''VideoGame/NiNoKuniCrossWorlds'' has a huge chunk of the people of Treynia addicted to ''Caramel Powder'' (ie Sugar, of all things) courtesy of the [[BigBad Black Circle]]. Side effects include becoming spaced out, speaking slightly incoherently and having a voracious appetite. DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything indeed.

* The Treynia and Hydropolis update of ''VideoGame/NiNoKuniCrossWorlds'' has a huge chunk of the people of Treynia addicted to ''Caramel Powder'' courtesy of the [[BigBad Black Circle]]. Side effects include becoming spaced out, speaking slightly incoherently and having a voracious appetite. DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything indeed.

* The Treynia and Hydropolis update of ''VideoGame/NiNoKuniCrossWorlds'' has a huge chunk of the people of Treynia addicted to Caramel Powder courtesy of the [[BigBad Black Circle]]. Side effects include becoming spaced out, speaking slightly incoherently and having a voracious appetite. DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything indeed.

* In ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'', Rajan is a seller of illegal "spices" and acts very much like a drug mogul.