Hello Greer,
Ofcourse, you can 'give it a go / play with it / see what happens' .
I 've taken drugs from 16 until 24 years old and had the "become pretty paranoid - experience" myself (weed, hash, xtc, mdma-powder, GHB, speed, cocaïne, mushrooms, ..., and multiple combinations).
Looking back at that period, drugs only gave me an altered mental state and some more illusions about myself and my surroundings.
So personally', I don't think drugs has something to do with spiritual growth.
Staying clear from drugs, feels more like spiritual growth to me ... .
Kind regards, Lionfish.