They always were this normalized in countercultural space. Like I won't share acid stories at work, or in front of a cop, but around anyone cool or when my face isn't associated, IDGAF

Belive it or not, alchool is even more normalised (which is arguably worse than many drugs)

Because drugs can be a hell of a lot fun if done safely. Obviously depends on the drug. Also, nothing has “become” so normalised because humans have been doing various drugs for thousands of years.

I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but I am saying that there must be something to it or people wouldn’t do it.

There's been a lot of fear mongering and misinformation about drugs since Nixon popularized the puritanical "all drugs are bad" idea in the 70s.

The reality is much more complex. There are all kinds of recreational drugs out there that can be taken safely without lasting damage or long term effects.

Many are actually safer than alcohol, some even offer significant benefits to mental and physical health if taken responsibly (see psychedelic use to combat depression, anxiety, and PTSD). And on the flip side, there are all kids of drugs that will fuck your body and life right up by either damaging your body and/or causing chemical dependancy.

Education is the key to determining which drugs are safe to take responsibility, and which drugs are not, and ensuring your environment is safe before dosing anything is also critical to safety.

Source: I do drugs.

I don't think people are downplaying them, what you're replying to is good healthy advice. Also Lemmy skews left and modern leftists tend to take a harm reduction stance on drugs and speak very openly and non-judgementally about them.

I dunno, but most things are safer than alcohol.

It's not being normalized, it's being destigmatized, because it was already exceedingly normal. And it's obviously not being downplayed, otherwise you wouldn't have the opportunity to complain about people talking about it so openly.

Ehh, this feels like some kinda survivorship bias / frequency fallacy. I'd argue the people that post and leave comments on social media are already way outside of the norm. It is a power law distribution when it comes to social media participation. Your outliers in this case are very likely outliers in other ways such as in opinions/thinking, risk taking, etc. Drugs really aren't all that normalized. Sure all my friend circle is full of degenerates, but I am still going to be guarded about my "hobbies" when meeting new people.

Always has been.

Only if you’re a seasoned psychonaut. Man people can be overwhelmed by things and aren’t in the right headspace for it. Set and setting and all.

Perfectly fine physically but mentally cooked is not a “technically correct” anyone should experience. I loooove psychedelics but encouraging unlimited dosing is irresponsible. 20 tabs at once can land you in an institution (the willingness to take 20 tabs does raise the question of whether someone was mentally well to begin with).

PSA if you have any history or family history of schizophrenia, please don’t mess with psychedelics.

Only for your ego