[sibeliuss]

> Especially when "bad" people take them they just become even more of an asshole, or dare I say when stupid people take them they just revel in the intoxication

How terribly narrow minded this statement is when faced with the complexity of the experience.

And to state the obvious -- "bad" people are often victims of trauma, and working with these substances in a directed way can get to the root of these traumas in a way that frees the person from said trauma. It's a process that doesn't happen overnight, but sometimes it does, and miraculously so.

[mordechai9000]

> working with these substances in a directed way can get to the root of these traumas in a way that frees the person from said trauma

I believe this to be true, but op has a valid point. Many people take these drugs for purely recreational reasons, in uncontrolled settings, with no intention of seeking a transformative experience. They are "reveling in the intoxication", although I don't think that necessarily makes them stupid.