Talk:Recreational drug use/List of common recreational drugs

Common recreational drugs


The following substances, all widely illegal unless stated otherwise, are here listed by order of world-wide popularity:
 * alcohol: Most drinking alcohol is ethanol,, produced by the fermentation of sugars by yeasts to create wine, beer, and distilled liquor. In most areas of the world it is legal for those over a certain age (typically 18–21). It is an IARC 'Group 1' carcinogen and a teratogen.
 * amphetamines: Prescribed for ADHD, narcolepsy, depression and weight loss. A potent central nervous system stimulant, in the 1940s and 50s methamphetamine was used by Axis and Allied troops in World War II, and, later on, other armies, and by Japanese factory workers. It increases muscle strength and fatigue resistance and improves reaction time. Methamphetamine use can be neurotoxic, which means it damages dopamine neurons. As a result of this brain damage, chronic use can lead to post acute withdrawal syndrome.
 * cannabis: Its common forms include marijuana and hashish, which are smoked or eaten. It contains at least 85 cannabinoids. The primary psychoactive component is THC, which mimics the neurotransmitter anandamide, named after the Hindu ananda, "joy, bliss, delight." The review article Campbell & Gowran (2007) states that "manipulation of the cannabinoid system offers the potential to upregulate neuroprotective mechanisms while dampening neuroinflammation. Whether these properties will be beneficial in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in the future is an exciting topic that undoubtedly warrants further investigation."
 * caffeine: A legal drug, often from coffee, tea, energy drinks, some soft drinks, and chocolate.
 * cocaine: It is available as a powder, which is insufflated or injected. A popular derivative, crack cocaine is typically smoked. When transformed into its freebase form, crack, the cocaine vapour may be inhaled directly. This is thought to increase bioavailability, but has also been found to be toxic, due to the production of methylecgonidine during pyrolysis.
 * MDMA: Commonly known as "Ecstasy", it is a common club drug in the rave scene.
 * ketamine: used by paramedics in emergency situations for its dissociative and analgesic qualities and illegally in the club drug scene
 * LSD: A popular ergoline derivative, that was first synthesized in 1938 by Hofmann. However, he failed to notice its psychedelic potential until 1943. In the 1950s, it was used in psychological therapy, and, covertly, by the CIA in Project MKULTRA, in which the drug was administered to unwitting US and Canadian citizens. It played a central role in 1960s 'counter-culture', and was banned in October 1968 by US President Lyndon B Johnson.
 * nitrous oxide: legally used by dentists as an anxiolytic and anaesthetic, it is also used recreationally by users who obtain it from whipped cream canisters (see inhalant).
 * opiates and opioids: Available by prescription.
 * psilocybin mushrooms: Until 1963, when it was chemically analysed by Albert Hofmann, it was completely unknown to modern science that psilocybe semilanceata ("Liberty Cap", common throughout Europe) contains psilocybin, a hallucinogen previously identified only in species native to Mexico, Asia, and North America.
 * tobacco: Nicotiana tabacum. A legal drug contained in tobacco leaves, which are either smoked, chewed or snuffed. It contains nicotine, which crosses the blood–brain barrier in 10–20 seconds. It mimics the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain and the neuromuscular junction. The neuronal forms of the receptor are present both post-synaptically (involved in classical neurotransmission) and pre-synaptically, where they can influence the release of multiple neurotransmitters.
 * tranquilizers: barbiturates, benzodiazepines (commonly prescribed for anxiety; known to cause dementia and post acute withdrawal syndrome)
 * Bath salts: Mephedrone/Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV)
 * DMT: primary ingredient in ayahuasca, can also be smoked in a crack pipe; briefly (c. 30 minutes) causes a "total loss of connection to external reality"
 * Peyote: Contains mescaline, native to southwestern Texas and Mexico
 * salvia divinorum: hallucinogenic Mexican herb in the mint family; not considered recreational, most likely due to the nature of the hallucinations (legal)
 * Synthetic cannabis: Spice, K2, JWH-018, AM-2201
 * research chemicals: 2C variants, etc.