Andrew Weil – Reflections On Coffee

From “The Marriage of Sun and Moon” by Andrew Weil 1984

“A primary aspect of a good relationship with any psychoactive drug is awareness of its nature. When people forget that drugs are drugs, they are on the road to trouble.

“Look at the extent of serious dependence on coffee in our society. Coffee is a strong psychoactive drug, its direct pharmacological effects are more powerful than those of cannabis. Dependence on it has a marked physiological component.

“Many coffee-dependent persons suffer withdrawal symptoms each morning: they are uncoordinated, unable to think clearly and unable to move their bowels until they have their first fix of coffee.

“Yet most of these people are unaware that they are in a bad relationship with a drug, let alone a strong drug. To them coffee is just a beverage they like to drink.”