I've wanted to comment on this issue for a while. Posts frequently come up on this board relating to Adderall / Ritalin (A&R henceforward) - quite often relating to where either can be purchased.
I think it's important to address two fundamental issues in this A&R "academic doping" debate. First, the legal implications, and second, the practical reality of what's really going on when students "dope" with A&R. I only use the phrase "dope" here, because unlike many of the nootropics we discuss, A&R are both incredibly illegal in most countries.
LEGAL ISSUES
I'm speaking with regards to Canada, though I understand that the situation is similar in the US.
Adderall and Ritalin are listed as "Schedule III" narcotics in Canada. This is the category that contains Meth, LSD, GHB, MDMA, Rohypnol, and other illicit street drugs.
I want to make clear - this isn't just a legal "fluke" true of many prescription medications. Quite the contrary. In fact, there are only 32 substances in "Schedule III" (from my count). Compare that to THOUSANDS of prescription drugs that are "regulated" by various other acts, but NOT criminalized. The fact that Ritalin and Adderall are Schedule III, is incredibly significant. In fact, from my knowledge of the other drugs in that category, I believe Adderall and Ritalin are the only Schedule III drugs that can ever be prescribed for legal home use.
In other words, Ritalin and Adderall are VERY VERY illegal. Possession of either without a prescription carries a penalty (in Canada) of up to 3 years in prison, and if they think you're trafficking (selling to friends) up to 10 years.
To be absolutely clear - possession of R&A is not a "gray area". It's very clearly illegal criminal behaviour, with significant penalties. Ordering R&A is not like ordering Viagra, pain meds, or anti-depressants online. This is serious illicit drug territory.
PRACTICAL ISSUES
I find the practical side of this A&R debate much more interesting. I grew up with a lot of exposure to the science and research surrounding learning disabilities, and particularly ADD / ADHD - my parents were in the field.
The characteristic challenge posed by attention deficit disorders, is an inability to focus and maintain a clear train of thought. Given this, it's logical to assume that Ritalin and Adderall (treatments for ADD/ADHD) are some sort of mental calming agents, that induce tranquility, and slow an individual's thought process, keeping it on task.
That assumption is logical enough, but it's entirely wrong.
In fact, A&R are the COMPLETE OPPOSITE. They're amphetamine-like stimulants! Similar to meth, speed, ephedrine, really really strong mutant coffee, etc.
Here's the cool part. In people that actually have ADD/ADHD, these stimulants interact with their disorder to tame it, allowing them to stay calm, focussed, and killing their hyperactivity. You can imagine that for someone with ADD/ADHD, this presents them with a REMARKABLE advantage over their non-medicated state. They can pay attention in school, learn new tasks at work, organize their lives, and digest standardized tests like regular people.
For people without ADD/ADHD, these stimulants are - just stimulants. They do exactly what stimulants always do, they stimulate. They give you energy, keep you awake, keep you alert, etc. But the major benefit that they have for ADD/ADHD sufferers, namely the removal of a significant impediment to learning, is lost on regular individuals - because they don't have that impediment to remove.
SO WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING?
Most students take a very superficial view of the function of Adderall/Ritalin. The flawed argument employed is "Hey, Adderall/Ritalin makes people with ADD smarter, so it can make me, a regular person, smarter too!"
But that's a really weak logical argument. Crutches significantly improve the speed of walking for someone with a broken leg. For someone without a broken leg, they wouldn't be very helpful!
But here's the weird part. Regardless of everything I've just said, it's pretty hard to deny that Ritalin and Adderall are ACTUALLY HELPING NORMAL STUDENTS GET HIGHER GRADES.
Students that take R&A for off-label uses without a prescription, DO seem to get better grades in the real world. Such a basic, fact-based observation is hard to reconcile.
Or is it?
My contention, is that Adderall and Ritalin help students achieve better grades through the same mechanism as ephedrine, speed, and other amphetamines have been doing for decades - they keep students really damn awake, for hours and hours and hours.
That's it. Nothing magical. R&A are really powerful stimulants - more powerful than caffeine, ephedrine, or modafinil - they keep students awake and studying much longer.
There's no mechanistic interaction with the brain that "makes you smarter". In fact, the science behind what's going on with R&A is much less interesting than the science behind some of our most boring noortopic substances like Piracetam, or Huperzine.
SO WHO CARES?
If I had to bottom line my reason for spending 30 minutes on this post, it would essentially be to convey the notion that Adderall and Ritalin really aren't the way to go from a studying / mental acuity perspective.
Clearly, if I'm posting here, I have no general principalled aversion to supplimenting for cognitive improvement. My objection to R&A is purely risk/reward based. Given the illegality involved, coupled with the relatively non-unique nature of what R&A do, why would it ever make sense to go that route?
You can keep yourself artificially awake with a whole plethera of other substances. From purely organic items like ginseng, caffeine, etc, to substances like sulbutiamine and CDP sources, all the way to pharmaceuticals like modafinil, nuvigil, or adrafinil (neither of which have criminal sanctions for posession - in Canada at least).
Given my thesis that there is no mental improvement element to R&A above and beyond the general benefits of a really good stimulant, why not go with a safer, cheaper, and more easily accessible alternative route?
Edited by Rhcan09, 25 March 2010 - 09:47 PM.
