I understand we have a lot of real-world drug analogues in Shadowrun. Cocaine has it's equivalent Novacoke, we have Cram, which I assume would be a derivative of an amphetamine like Speed, Ice or Base. Bliss is an opiate like heroin, methadone or opium.

But as far as I can see, the drug that never seems to go out of style, Marijuana has only one analogue - and that's deepweed.

However this strikes me as strange. A lot of youths smoke marijuana as their first drug (hence the "gateway drug" title), as in comparison to the rest of the popular illicit drugs, it's pretty low risk, cheap, and available. However, I don't see smoking awakened seaweed that forces you to astrally perceive, opening you up to something as scary to a mundane as the astral plane and the spirit world being low risk, cheap, and available.

Also, I can't see it really going out of production. All you need is a few seeds and somewhere to plant them, and you're likely to have enough for at least personal use pretty quickly, because that plant is tenacious and requires relatively little maintenance (what other drugs can you grow in a cupboard with a sunlamp?).

So where has it gone? And what the hell are all the liberal studies students doing on campus lawns now?

It went the same place as bicycles?

Seriously. It's still there. It's just so... mundane, that the writers either overlooked it, or really didn't think it needed to be covered. Take today's prices, add in the common equipment multipliers, and there ya go.

I would compare it to cigarettes... but if I did, I'm sure someone would tell me that cigarette prices are in a sidebar somewhere (like the core rulebook's common expenses sidebar). With such low costs involved, it's almost more of a style thing.

for all we know its been legalized so as to give the wageslaves something to relax on (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

still, to much of it and your out of a job...

as for gateway drug, bah...

Marijuana as a gateway drug went out with the 80s. Nowadays kids get introduced to drugs by getting high off cough suppressants and skipping lunch to take caffeine pills.

"Just like Marijuana leads to heroin."

...

*Looks at Hippies and Jamacians*

Busted.

Why use drugs, when you can have NERPS?

I'm pretty sure that deepweed only forces awakened characters to astrally perceive, not everyone. Else it would be a hell of a lot more useful.

I'd go with marijuana just being too innocuous to merit inclusion. We all know what it does, or at least what it does in pop culture, even if you've never smoked it. Like cigarettes, it's just a style thing for your character, if you choose to have them use it.

Of course, although there is no reason for a character to smoke either tobacco or pot, there are plenty of reasons not to, principal among which are the cultures where it's a sacrament, and to abuse it merits a beating.

Yes, it causes you to go crazy and jump out of buildings, or to run over kids with your car while under its insidious influence, or take your father's shotgun and blow your brains out, or...


Man I love those crazy commercials (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I learned it from watching you <sob>

No, seriously, the drugs in Arsenal are much more fun. It's like handing eight-year-olds packs of nicotine gum with corporate icons on them, promoted by an animated Captain Renraku tag!

Heh. We've not got those over here. Anti-drug messages focus more on the long term effects of marijuana ie. schizophrenia, paranoia. There's more problems with alcohol anyway.

I was thinking more the impression one gets of pot in movies and on TV, both comedy (Harold and Kumar, The Pick of Destiny) and drama (Weeds springs to mind).

im quite sure it got legalized too...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0YtPi2QZSY
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif)

At work...no youtube till I get home. The best ones are from the '50s and '60s. Those are CLASSIC (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I started smoking again and I have to say that marijuana has the least amount of bad side effects compared with good old fashioned nicotine. Nicotine for me is by far more addictive than marijuana can ever be.

I don't see marijuana use increasing in the magical mystical world of 2070, with better chemicals out here that are made in a vat with worse addiction problems.

What about Deepweed?

Deepweed as a 2070 analogue of marijuana? It has already been suggested, but deep weed is awakened, and very expensive, unrealistically so if it is meant to represent marijuana.

For my game it is a common seen drug on the streets. Though my PC's don't smoke, plenty of my NPC's light up both on mundane and weed. Hell I have one fixer that smokes way to much weed and has the occasional parinoid attack.

Smoker here too. It was interesting that my characters have started smoking since I've started smoking. We had a SOTA 65 thread going for a while, and I was considering writing some fluff on which brands the different Megas owned. And the incredibly strong brands marketed to Orks and Trolls.

As for the second paragraph, that's dystopian.

heh, i dont see trogs smoking anything other then very fat sigars (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Bah not only Cigars but Free Hand Briar Pipes and Meerschaum Calabash Pipes loaded with Dark Balkan blend with Latikia and Perique tobaccos.

WMS

For the trog with taste?

For the Trog Smoking yes, those around such smoke they would say no. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

WMS

Well that nails it. I have to go to my balcony to roll a cigarette.

Just take zen, lower its effects (eg to -1 reaction) and there you go.
I think it's not in the book because it would be hard to get anything positive (in game mechanics terms) out of it.

Well... it's the problem that drugs are bad for you mmmkay? line of thinking.

I am not saying drugs are good for you, just that some are less addicting that people would think. Let's face it I would rather have an opium addict living next door than a violent alcoholic.

I said game mechanics wise (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sarcastic.gif)
Most players simply don't think being laid back and wanting a pizza would help their runner character much. Many simply use drugs to get an extra edge out of it, if you want to take them just for roleplaying reasons then you don't need stats tbh.