Drug Use for Grown-Ups

Carl Hart is the Ziff Professor of Psychology at Columbia University and one of the most credentialed drug researchers in the world who is openly honest about his own recreational drug use. This radical transparency from a Columbia professor sparked intense debate and makes the book unlike anything else in the field. Hart combines neuroscience, personal narrative, racial justice analysis, and international drug policy comparison.

The book covers heroin, cocaine, MDMA, psychedelics, cannabis, and other substances through a consistent evidence-based lens. Hart's central argument — that informed adults should have the liberty to use substances responsibly, and that honest information beats prohibition — directly challenges decades of drug war messaging. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and BookPage all covered the book, with endorsements from David Nutt and Robert Sapolsky.

For the microdosing community, Hart provides a vital framework. His evidence-based approach to evaluating drug risks helps practitioners assess safety without moralizing, and his discussion of set, setting, dose, and drug interactions applies directly to microdosing safety. Note that the book covers all drugs — not just psychedelics — and Hart's openness about personal heroin use is polarizing. This is a book that challenges comfortable assumptions, which is precisely its value.