Sorry, only cigarettes and alcohol have that privelege.
In the US: "The Federal Analogue Act defines an analog as a substance which is ‘substantially similar’ to a scheduled substance and has either an effect ‘similar to or greater than’ a controlled substance or is thought to have such an effect. " (from http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/law/analog/analog_info1.shtml)
Therefore, DXM could be either classified as an analogue of a schedule 1 substance (LSD - a hallucinogen), or an analogue of a schedule 2 substance (PCP - a disassociative). While DXM may not be chemically similar to either of those, under the analogue act it would still be illegal because it produces a similar effect.
While these things are legal, it is still illegal to consume them to get high: nitrous oxide (and many other inhalants), dxm, 2ct-7, amt, and many more.
So, you can get high off of programming, but you cannot legally get high off of drugs that are chemically similar to illegal drugs, or that produce a similar effect.
that’s not to say that i don’t encourage doing so…
Actually, DXM is a fairly safe disassociative, when used infrequently and at safe dosages. Using any ephedra based product for the pleasurable effects is playing with fire though, a stimulant overdose is not a pleasant experience. There is some good information on DXM here: http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/dxm/dxm.shtml
The faq is a must read if one wishes to experiment. Main thing to remember: if a cough syrup contains any active ingredients besides dextromethorphan, you should NOT under any circumstances use it in a manner inconsistent with the labeling. I recommend you don’t do it when you need to work the next day, as you will be draggin’ ass, to use the medical term.
Actually, FatDave, the analogue laws cover chemicals that are similar in structure, chemically, not by what kind of high they produce, IIRC. However, it is illegal to use most products in a manner inconsistent with their labeling. Also, the act of being intoxicated opens you up to all kinds of other laws regarding public intoxication, DUI, and so on. You also can’t sell most of these products with the promise that they will get you high. Many headshops sell nitrous oxide, but they have to sell it on a seperate receipt from the paraphernelia you would use to get high from the NO2 (In Texas, at least). The main reason the analogue laws are so handy to the DEA is that so many psychoactive chemicals are based on the same basic molecules. The phenelethylalamine group alone contains dozens of chemicals that provide pleasurable effects.
