Before I respond, I should warn you that you're taking something of a risk by addressing this particular crowd on this issue... and then specifically telling them not to talk about the ethical problems. SDN is full of people who are quite hostile to the idea of anyone being successful as a result of anything other than their own abilities and hard work. Not saying that this is necessarily right or wrong, but still, just don't expect a bunch of people here to be receptive to the idea of using meds as a way to get ahead. You're going to get a lot of responses that are biased against it.
Anyway, I used to work for an internist who really tried to avoid prescribing Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, and the like for her ADD/ADHD patients (she encouraged Strattera instead, which is not a stimulant, and has no benefit for people without ADD/ADHD). Adderall is an amphetamine... as in, the same class of drugs as ecstasy and crystal meth. Ritalin is amphetamine-like, and as such, works very similarly. Ritalin it does cause fewer adverse reactions, mostly because its half-life is significantly shorter than Adderall's. However, because they are still quite habit-forming, it is extremely dangerous to take any drug like these without a physician monitoring you. The side effects are not pleasant (including sudden death if you have pre-existing heart problems), and could cause some irreparable damage if you don't have someone making sure you're doing okay.
Do you think that you might actually have ADD/ADHD, and that it's affecting your grades? I mean, from what you've said, it doesn't seem like it. However, it may be worth talking to your doctor about it if you're at all concerned. In that case, he or she would be able to make sure that you are staying safe if you do decide to take those sorts of meds. Either way, they would be able to tell you a lot about what these drugs can do.
If, on the other hand, you're just taking it to get ahead, is it really worth it? Ethical issues aside, there's rational cost-benefit analysis, too. In order to pull your grades up, would you rather drink strong, two-dollar cup of coffee and do an extra hour or two of work and potentially risk a few percentage points, or get hooked on some seriously expensive drugs and cause serious short- and long-term damage to get that A/A+? There's also the risk that, if you're getting the drugs illicitly, you might not be getting the purest or the safest pills in the first place, thus creating the potential for even worse side effects.
If you're on the B+/A border, then you're obviously smart enough to do the work and understand the material. If you're looking for an extra push, try more efficient studying, caffeine, or heck, a good night's sleep (helps in memory formation, among other things!). I wouldn't suggest trying something that's going to push you over the edge.
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