Hey, LucidSDreamer !
Are you talking from personal frustrations? Being a researcher is not THAT bad. I have a biochemistry major and my current job is at a small private lab doing research on cool stuff. It sure has it's struggles. It has LOTS of frustration for sure. But at the end of the day it gives me the peace of mind of making me feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. I've always loved science. My scientific education has impacted my life in positive ways and has given me tools I can put to their best service in research.
Many researchers like to bitch because:
a) They like money too much, and being a scientist is not something you choose because you wanna get rich, that's fact.
b) They can't accept the fact that we work as hard as anyone else and in the end of the day we get little to no recognition from the general public for what we do. Add to that that many of us are chronic geeks, unsatisfied with their lives, in desperate thirst for recognition.
But if you love what you do, it's not so hard putting your best effort into it. And if you work hard, have faith, and take care of your mental and physical health (Which is something surprisingly many phD students and even PIs neglect) you can live a fulfilling life as a researcher, and if you are lucky you don't even have to deal with the academia that much ... you can work at a private/independent institute like me
@Forever Jung (Heh, yeah, I'll join the choir; that's a pretty cool username), if you are really passionate about chemistry then pursue your interest and figure out how to get that degree. With that skill on you, you'll figure out where to go. You may not even end up doing research in the end, as Solipsis said there are lot's of options for a chemist outside of the academia. But also listen to LucidSDreamer when he points out that you have to set realistic expectations for yourself. Shulgin's life was pretty particular and unusual ... and that's why he is Shulgin after all! Getting free licence for doing whatever you want in you backyard lab requires a lot more than just luck. Allthough phD students doing their own "independent research" at lab after hours isn't unheard off. Just keep a rational separation of hobbies and job. Because pursuing a carrer in psychopharmacology is a pretty specific goal, and when you follow a career, life can take pretty crazy turns. And you won't necessarily end up where you imagined at the beginning (Most certainly wont). But the things you learned, no one can take them away from you. So if it is what you love, go for it.