Ok, call me crazy, but I've got this weird pet theory that says that while some drugs can offer benefits, they also carry a risk of harm. I call these “side effects”. Another theory of mine is that drugs that offer benefits such as improvements in mood and energy, these drugs can lead to people wanting more of them, especially if they're physiologically addicting. People might even hoard their drugs so they can use them in larger quantities or they may buy them illegally so they can use them recreationally rather than as medications to correct a professionally diagnosed problem. I call this “drug seeking behavior” and “substance abuse”. Absolutely nothing wrong with the drugs themselves though. Just like opiates. Absolutely nothing wrong with those drugs and the suggestion that there is an opiate epidemic is just trying to tell us all that we should be ashamed of ourselves because of an alleged epidemic.
“COMPLETE LACK of context of the times”
You misplaced “complete” in your sentence. The article may lack complete context, but there isn't a complete lack of context.
“BREATHTAKING ACHIEVEMENTS during said times”
This reminds me of my peers who brag about how great the music was back when we were kids, as though they can take credit for how good the music was that other people played just because we happened to be alive at the time so we could drop doses of things like amphetamines while listening to it. I would concede that some people who were high on amphetamines could do a lot of things – even great things – that isn't quite a proof of them being a net social good.
“There's an undercurrent here that's almost criminal.”
I'd love to read some actual quotes from the article that support your assertion.
“Stimulants do NOT, in themselves, make you crazy.”
Such as a quote that claims this.