Q:

Short story about a free drug with a costly antidote

Can anyone help me find a short story I read in the 70's about a cop who investigates a new drug. He finds out it is free and takes it. He lives out a perfect life and dies then wakes up after a few minutes to find out it was the effect of the drug. He has to pay for an antidote to stop recurrence of the experience.

A:

The short story is "Mind Partner" by Christopher Anvil.  Interestingly, this story was published in 1960, well before other stories that played with this theme such as the TV series Day Break, the movies Groundhog Day and 12:01, and the novel Replay. The text is available online.
Excerpt:

"I wish," he said drearily, looking at her, "that I could just forget it all. I don't see why anyone would come back for more of that."
She leaned forward to grip the edge of the mattress, shaking with laughter. She sat up again. "Whew!" she said, looking at him and forcing her face to be straight. "Nobody comes back for more. That is the unique quality of this drug. People come back to forget they ever had it."
He sat up. "I can forget that?"
"Oh, yes. Don't get so excited! That's what you really paid your thousand dollars for. The forgetfulness drug lingers in your bloodstream for two to three weeks. Then memory returns and you're due for another visit."

