[Poindexter]

marijuana, cocaine, heroin, peyote, etc.
These are things that have been part of human society since we've had a society, yet strangely, none of them are mentioned in the drugs section.
Have they gone away somehow? And if so, HOW?! Some of those plants would take a concentrated and intentional worldwide cooperative effort to kill off for good.

Anyone got any ideas?

[SlowDeck]

Bliss appears to be a descendant of heroin, much like morphine is. Given the effects are similar to one of the known effects of morphine, it was probably originally developed to take over the niche that morphine took from heroin. Novacoke also appears to be a descendant of cocaine.

It appears these drugs have mostly been supplanted by refined versions of themselves. Much like how heroin and cocaine supplanted earlier drugs.

Edit:

I left out this important part: Bliss and Novacoke come from the same plants as heroin and cocaine, respectively.

[Lethal Joke]

Well, Novacoke seems to imply cocaine, so I'm with SlowDeck on this one.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

That's the essence of it, yes.  Like most other RPGs, I think the developers of SR didn't want to have to worry about their players going around talking about having an addiction to something, you know, real - because that sets the 'rents and the raving superchristians against you, y'know? Hence, made-up drugs that are, in essence, the old standbys.

[Poindexter]

That's the essence of it, yes.  Like most other RPGs, I think the developers of SR didn't want to have to worry about their players going around talking about having an addiction to something, you know, real - because that sets the 'rents and the raving superchristians against you, y'know? Hence, made-up drugs that are, in essence, the old standbys.

i assumed this was probably the reasoning, but any teacher/babysitter/parent/pastor/warden who hears kids talking about slangin "novacoke" is still gonna ask a lot of uncomfortable questions.

[SlowDeck]

And if they ask about BTLs, they'll learn that reality hasn't even gotten to the scary possibilities of what could be on the streets yet...

[Demon_Bob]

Zen sounds like a really short lived LSD.
Marijuana should still exist.  It is a highly cultivated weed.  It can grow anywhere.  Although the stuff that grows anywhere no one wants.
There are probably are/were less legal problems with putting fake drugs in a RPG as opposed to real ones.
or
When magic re-entered the world these drugs awoke, realized the harm they had done, and committed suicide.

Rats, I need to post faster.

[SlowDeck]

I think marijuana still is around. Take a look at the effects of Deepweed and what it is associated with.

[Lethal Joke]

That's the essence of it, yes.  Like most other RPGs, I think the developers of SR didn't want to have to worry about their players going around talking about having an addiction to something, you know, real - because that sets the 'rents and the raving superchristians against you, y'know? Hence, made-up drugs that are, in essence, the old standbys.

i assumed this was probably the reasoning, but any teacher/babysitter/parent/pastor/warden who hears kids talking about slangin "novacoke" is still gonna ask a lot of uncomfortable questions.

The catchall term for all those people (you forgot the panic-obsessed media) is "Moral Guardians." Emphasis on the quotation marks.

Of course, given the fact that the majority of the drugs are just restricted (two are apparently common - Psyche especially) another answer could be the old drugs stopped being made because their main customers started demanding more potent stuff, resulting in stuff like novacoke and cram.

[MortimerBane]

I think modern drugs were left out on purpose.  The old schoolers, who played in the '80's, all remember the backlash against D&D because there were demons in the rulebooks.  That alone made D&D off limits to a lot of young players.  I think that if parents skimmed the rulebook and found whole chapters on weed n' cocaine, the next generation of young gamers would not have access to Shadowrun until they are older.  They found weed on 6k yr old neanderthals who were pulled out of the ice.  If they pull me out of the ice 6k years from now, they will probably find some on me as well.  I think most GM's just 'fiat' those drugs right into the world around the new designer drugs written about in the game.

[Demon_Bob]

I think marijuana still is around. Take a look at the effects of Deepweed and what it is associated with.

Although I tend to associate the two.  The Effects: +1 Willpower, +1 Mental limit, just don't seem to jive with the effects of marijuana.
I know the description says its Kelp, but then many people have claimed pot to be something else.
"No, officer it is Thyme and Sage, honest."

[Tenlaar]

The old schoolers, who played in the '80's, all remember the backlash against D&D because there were demons in the rulebooks.

I personally had a crazy woman a few doors down from where I lived as a child tell her kids they weren't allowed to play with my brother and me because we played D&D, and thus were devil worshipers.  Good times.

[Lethal Joke]

I think marijuana still is around. Take a look at the effects of Deepweed and what it is associated with.

Although I tend to associate the two.  The Effects: +1 Willpower, +1 Mental limit, just don't seem to jive with the effects of marijuana.
I know the description says its Kelp, but then many people have claimed pot to be something else.
"No, officer it is Thyme and Sage, honest."

Awakened kelp. It was nothing special until the magic came back.

[CanRay]

The drugs to worry about aren't totally chemical in nature any longer.  They're technological (BTLs) and Magical (BADs) now. 

[Sendaz]

The old schoolers, who played in the '80's, all remember the backlash against D&D because there were demons in the rulebooks.

I personally had a crazy woman a few doors down from where I lived as a child tell her kids they weren't allowed to play with my brother and me because we played D&D, and thus were devil worshipers.  Good times.

I think the best moment was when someone made reference to our GM how he must be a devil worshipper because he played D&D and he just  stared the lady in the eye and said 'Demon Worshippers.... NOT Devil Worshippers Dammit...Get it RIght!!'

Of course this was the same gentleman who would invite Jehovah Witnesses in and invite them to listen to a few chapters from his 'bible'- A big book of Greek Mythology.