Why are certain recreational drug use forbidden by law?

If it were possible to separate out the negative side-effects, would you personally object to it on moral grounds?

If it were proven safe, would you "try it out" yourself?

I seem your opinions and views, and some discussion.

I think it is whimsical that people do not see beer or other alcoholic product as a recreational drug. I think this should address the questions you raised below.

Drugs usage impair your mental facilities, reduce your physical ability, leads to addiction and social problems, causes disease(s), and so on and so forth...

Depends on the drug; Is cigarette/nicotine/tobacco included? What 'side effects' do you propose to be eliminated from these drugs? Wouldn't eliminating the side effects cause the drugs to lose their potency and making them less 'fun'?

I have tried several, some I got addicted to, some I can't stomach (marijuana -blerghh), all in the interest of science too btw...

IIRC:
Recreational drugs: Alcohol, tobacco, ganja, ecstasy, meth, LSD (old school), heroin (one of the most dangerous around -addictive and destructive), pil kuda (wth), cocaine
Medical drugs: Cough/cold medicine -most abused & used as replacement for hardcore addicts, morphine -for cancer patients, right?
Performance enhancers: steroids and...?

I propose to develop a new drug with fewer side effects. I use "side effect" here to refer to things like permanent physical and psychological damage. Temporary ones are not a problem. If the drug impairs your ability to carry out your work, your employer may fire you.

Addiction is not a problem if the side effect can be limited.

We could develop a whole series of drugs. Drugs that make you feel good. Drugs that make you temporarily stronger (think Jekyll and Hide + Superman).

If that's the case then we're not talking about recreational drugs anymore right?

Historically drugs 'usage' are prevalent in practically every culture/civilization -older Malays always talk about how their grandparents work in paddy fields all day with nothing more than a roll or two of ganja cigarettes (and a lot of rice), the American Indians use tobacco as peace offering in tribal meetings, Western Europeans with their beers and seamen (and pirates?) and their rums, all these people do contribute to the society one way or another and it seems the drug habit kinda helps -except for American Indians, I guess...

Fast forward to modern times we see drugs usage as taboo -so that's one of the biggest obstacles you have to face, how to market a 'safe' drug that benefits healthy, normal people.

Secondly, scientific: Don't you think that if all these pharmaceutical/chemical behemoths can develop these super drugs they would have done it already? Though I guess we can see some instances of these super drugs abuse in sports for example.

Thirdly, ethical: We are conditioned to believe that our achievements must be gained through effort and hard work, using artificial help is cheating/corrupt practice. And how are you gonna stand up to the various anti-drug lobbies and pressure groups?

Lastly, super drug proposal/brainstorm
For supermen: A combination of alcohol (remove inhibition), morphine (painkiller), steroid (speeds muscle recovery) and adrenaline; remove drowsiness, hallucination, addiction, and heart condition side-effects; probably kill a few hundred monkeys and lab rats and cause the first few human test subjects to explode...

In the future there won't be recreational drugs required, just put the guy into dream mode and he can simulate all the sensations he wants without relying on drugs.

Recreational means for profit, poor people suck bullshit also can become stone. Suck gum not so expensive and easy to get supply.