Psychoactive Drugs
Psychoactive Drugs are chemical substances that alter behavior, mood, perception, or
mental functioning. Through the consumption of substances many cultures have
found ways to alter consciousness.
Psychoactive substances apply their effects by transforming biochemical or
physiological processes in the brain. The message system of nerve cells, or neurons,
relies on both electrical and chemical transmission. Neurons rarely touch each other;
there is a microscopic gap between one neuron and the next, called the synapse. When
a neuron fires, it releases chemicals called neurotransmitters into the synapse.
Psychoactive drugs act by altering neurotransmitter function, they bind to the site of
the firing neuron and inhibit this process so the ... Show more content on
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People who take these drugs are also faced who psychological effects such as a sense
of distance and estrangement, depression, anxiety, and paranoia, violent behavior,
confusion, suspicion, and loss of control, plus flashbacks, and behavior similar to
schizophrenic psychosis, in addition to catatonic syndrome which is when a user
becomes mute, lethargic, disoriented or makes meaningless repetitive movements.
When taken in low quantities, marijuana, which is scientifically known as cannabis,
becomes a depressant drug, which slows down the body s systems.
In the early 19th century the use of dope spread to Europe from the Middle East
and China, and by the middle of the century onto America. In 1937, cannabis was
made illegal to possess and sell in the U.S. it has still being used as a popular
recreational substance by some people. However, in some places it is still legal to
smoke marijuana for medical purposes, because it suppresses nausea caused by
chemotherapy, and possibly reduces eye pressure in severe cases of glaucoma.
Pupils may become dilated, heart rate and blood pressure may increase, or a sense
of well being and relaxation all can occur, there are many more side effects that may
transpire if LSD is taken.
Morphine is the most effective painkiller. Morphine is what is left in the unripe
seedpods of the opium poppy after the milky juice has been extracted. Morphine
doesn t diminish pain but changes the way a