Addicts should be punished, not treated, for using drugs. Research is less important than treatment. Throughout history, medical diseases have always been treated before scientists learned the causes of the diseases. Alcoholics can stop drinking simply by attending A.A. meetings. For most people, A.A. is a gut-wrenching, lifelong working of the twelve steps.
Drugs cause addiction.
Scientists are looking into the genetic and other unknown factors that cause some people to become dependent while sparing others of this brain pathology. Methadone should not be used for treating heroin addicts. While methadone is a drug that produces dependence, methadone has been shown to reduce the craving for the dangerous illegal drug heroin. While LSD causes hallucinations, these are temporary and somewhat different than the hallucinations of schizophrenia. Long ago, clinicians gave LSD to human volunteers to produce psychotic symptoms, so they could test potential new anti-psychotic drugs on the volunteers.