Synopsis:  One planet provides “medicine” to their sister planet in exchange for goods and services or: Just Say No Kids!

Memory Alpha Summary: Dare to keep a kid off felicium

Review:  Yet another episode that discusses a hot topic of the 20^th century and exaggerates it to hilarious levels.  The notion that one planet could cause addiction to every single person on another, with not one person on either planet leaking information or deducing the scheme is laughable.  It’s also hard to believe that both cultures could regress so far over 200 years that they would not only forget how to fix their spaceships, but not have any manuals around either.  And Tasha’s after-school special lesson to Wesley is show-stoppingly hammy.  “Drugs can make you feel good!” she tells him while fondly remembering banging Data a few months back.  And doesn’t Wesley remember how awesome it was to be drunk and take over the Enterprise?

Picard gives an impassioned speech about the Prime Directive at episode’s end when he denies aide in fixing the freighters that are in disrepair.  For once, he’s right and relevant about the big PD.  Of course, once again we learn that the Federation made contact with a non-warp species, but whatevs!

I also love the opening scene where the bridge crew talks to the confused, stoned, and lackadaisical captain on the freighter.  What puzzles me though is that when the Enterprise received the distress call, they initiated warp two to get there.  They were already within the solar system of the two planets.  Didn’t we learn a little while ago that warping inside a solar system is dangerous?  And, really, how long would it have taken under impulse power to get there?