We like to talk about drugs like there’s this clear delineation between something that is and isn’t medicine… but it really comes down to the situation and the dosage.
For much of history and in most places, liquor was the most effective painkiller available. More recently, fentanyl started as a synthetic, medical grade painkiller. It’s still widely used across hospitals for that. Before synthetics, it was opium (otherwise known as heroin), derived from poppy plants.
Glad i’m not. Can you imagine the kind of dumb social edict that would have built up around that?
Retail Employee, on their 10th day in a row with no overtime because the schedule got thrown together at the last minute again: [briefly shining above the infrared before fading back again] Hello sir, is there anything I can help you with today?
Customer [so angry he’s strobing] How dare you! It’s bad customer service to greet me with such pitiful luminescence! I’ve never been so insulted! Where is your manager?