Since the first man (or woman) discovered the first fermented grape (or Fly Argaric mushroom, or coca leaf, or….) psychoactive substances have been an integral part of the  human experience, offering us everything from an elixir against the pain and monotony of hard labor to a gateway to the Godhead. Civilization as we know it would not exist without them; yet in just a brief amount of time the War on Drugs has turned our centuries-long symbiotic and respectful connection with drugs into a dysfunctional relationship, informed by racism, fear and puritan morality.

Narcotica will bring you the unfiltered story of drugs—the good, the bad and the ugly. From the shooting galleries and crack dens of the inner city to pristine university laboratories, we’ll ask the questions most journalists are afraid to ask (if they know to ask them at all). In the process, if we’re lucky, we will help shift the dialogue on substance use into one based more on fact than fiction.