Should Nootropics be Illegal?
Anyone who’s spent some time on the dark-net can tell you the abundance of available stimulants, from Modafinil to Adderal, these prescription drugs tout enhanced focus and an increase in alertness. But with these limited to those who have a doctors prescription a new kind of legal supplement is showing up on the market. One that claims to actually enhance the brain’s capabilities.
Nootropics refer to drugs that enhance brain function, and lately they’ve been growing in popularity. Popular uses of Nootropics include an increase in memory, creativity and motivation.
Modafinil was first prescribed to fighter pilots to help keep them awake and alert during long deployments. And Adderall is given to children all over the country to help keep them focused in class. Now those drugs are used recreationally to also give start-up founders an edge. Medical professionals are split on whether or not healthy individuals without any mental phycological disorders should have access to them.
Companies like Nootrobox and Optmind provide an over the counter solution that doesn’t require a doctors prescription. How might you ask do these legal companies increase brain cognition? Nootrobox does it in 3 main ways, 1 by helping the body to increase blood flow to the brain, 2. by protecting neurons from dying and 3 by increasing neurotransmitter levels.
Nootrobox, a company out of San Francisco, was the first Nootropics company to sponsor a pro gaming team, Gankstars. In a recent feature with Motherboard, Nootrobox owner Geoffrey Woo, compared Nootropics to gatorade and protein for professional athletes. But at what point to Nootropics change from legal enhancement to steroids? Its a line that has yet to be clearly defined.
And to be fair, there is no outright ban on the use of steroid in the professional gaming world, and there is no WADA of eSports. So by taking these supplements these athletes are doing nothing wrong.
Either way there are huge piles of cash up for the taking in eSports competitions. For example the International, the annual Dota 2 competition, had a prize pool over $20 million, with the first place team receiving more than $9 million. In comparison thats more than the first place prize for the PGA tour, Wimbleton and the Daytonna 500 combined.
And it’s not just a question for the gaming world, its one we’re tackling in all aspects of culture. In education to the start-up world.
While Nootropics are legal supplements the long term effects of taking them daily have yet to be tested. And if technology is designed to enhance human capabilities then why would enhancing our mental capabilities be any different?
