Drugs: Altered States

A look at the storied and strange history of marijuana in the U.S. and the fight to both criminalize and legalize its import, sale, and distribution.

Learn the history of the second most used illicit drug in America, from its origins in the chewing of coca leaves in 3000 B.C. to its rise as a party drug in the 1970s.

How can we explain the fantastic, exquisite, and terrifying visions we encounter when we journey off consciousness' well-trod path to chart our own course through reality?

Trace the rise of marijuana and synthetic amphetamines in modern American society - a history that blends the remains of alcohol prohibition with racism, athletics, taxation, and heated debate.

A 360-degree look at the growing industry that is marijuana, including the growers, the smokers, the opponents and the entrepreneurs.

No matter what you call it - cannabis, weed, pot, ganja, bud, herb, or marijuana - this controversial plant's roots run deep in America. Dig up its long and complicated history.

Derived from the coca leaf, cocaine was widely touted as a cure-all in the late 19th century. Although outlawed in 1914, cocaine's popularity soared in the 1970s and '80s, and paved the way for an even deadlier epidemic.

In ancient times the poppy plant was considered divine, but throughout history, three of its deadliest and most addictive derivatives caused unprecedented social upheaval.

Uncover the conspiracies behind America's 40-year anti-drug campaign. Is it possible that the liquidity of the drug trade is actually keeping the fragile global economy afloat?

Penicillin was first used to save human life in 1941, but just fifty years later, bacteria has emerged that appears resistant to every known antibiotic. Are the days of the antibiotic miracle at an end?

Tour some of the world's finest distilleries to see how each country puts its unique stamp on the spirit Irish monks call "water of life."

A defeated Napoleon drowned his sorrows in it; Thomas Jefferson became obsessed with it. Chart the history and explosive growth of wine as an integral part of our culture.