2. Even if it is the case that certain nootropic substances
may help with such demands, the question arises as to
whether such substances should be available or whether
legalisation should ban its use. The right of access to such drugs for a willing agent must be weighed against the effect of granting that right to society as a whole.
Secondly, it naïvely assumes that by making such drugs available
implies that they would be available unconditionally. If
the provision of such drugs would be held to the same standards
as other healthcare services, i.e. that of patient autonomy
(free from external constraints and having relevant
internal capacities to consent [11]), then it is unclear why
cognitive enhancement should be considered distinct from
other elective procedures such as plastic surgery.