We may be biologically preadapted to handle the relatively low alcohol levels found in rotting fruit, or to processing the toxins found in the coca leaf, but this leaves us helpless once the development of agriculture, large-scale societies, technology, and trade puts powerful beers, wines, and distilled spirits at our disposal, or tempts us with refined cocaine or super-THC strains of cannabis. The ancient Scythians, fearsome warriors though they were, would have been reduced to dribbling idiots had they had access to the Maui Wowie or Bubba Kush I can pick up at my local cannabis dispensary.
