KGH says that getting off the carbs is like getting off the cocaine... and I agree, any frequent use of drugs can be detrimental, like frequent high intake of carbs, although not for the same reasons !
I generally despise alcohol but I still enjoy the occasional altered state. Between business and family, it's not practical very often, but ...
Caffeine - Almost every day, sometimes several cups of coffee per day, always with heavy cream. No decaf. The best, unless I push it and suffer stomach pain as a result. French press.
Marijuana - nice in small amounts, but like alcohol, tends to lower my inhibition, screws with my diet at times (rather, my food judgment), and too much is, well, too much. I have to be highly organized during the day, and I like to pursue intellectual trades at night, so pot is rare for me. Frequent marijuana is addictive and counterproductive, mind numbing, where the only "relief" you find is when you get high...but occasional use can be quite a relief from stress without so much addictive mania.
Ketamine/Methoxetamine - Premier dissociatives...The latter, not yet scheduled, is available from internet merchants these days, although not likely to be after a few years. These are nice (if you can take it) but tend to be addictive if you don't plan ahead.
2C-T-2/2C-T-21/2C-E/2C-D/2C-I - Wonderful psychedelics, these have been available online for a decade, I tend to try a low to medium dose (see PiHKAL) twice a year, a nice 'recharge', I wouldn't use it very often as phenethylamines are rather strong.
Psilocybe mushrooms/4-ACO-DMT - Former illegal, the latter damn close to it, various tryptamines are available online, not as hard on the body as the 2C phenethylamines, like a light beer compared to phenethylamine stout...
MDA/MDMA/5-APB/6-APB/5-Methyl-MDA - The former are illegal, the latter are damn close to it, but available online, and they sure as hell beat a night of drinking, although they can be taxing the next day, much like moderate drinking, but the mental effects for most people are much better than alcohol ever dreamed of being. Not something you want to take often, but certainly beneficial.
What does this have to do with Paleo?
It seems that, in Paleo, we're searching for ways to better our minds and bodies.. Some of us just want to be healthy, lose weight, perform better, live longer, you name it. Intoxicants are certainly not a way to better yourself as a general rule, especially not for people with significant self-control problems. Anyone following a Paleo diet obviously has some level of self-control. For these people, I find some psychedelic and dissociative experiences can be profoundly helpful, a sort of like a cosmic cheat to learn things that you might not otherwise pick up in your life. Or to have profound experiences that only come to monks who meditate for 20 years. A lot is written on the profound positive effects of psychedelics and MDMA, and in fact the FDA has recently approved MDMA and Psilocin research utilizing treatment protocols designed to turn these into prescription medications. MDMA in particular is interesting to the army for PTSD. The level of PTSD is so high in returning soldiers that they are resorting to Ecstasy in the realm of psychiatric treatment.
So if alcohol isn't preferred by you, what is, and why?
