Hard and soft drugs

Drugs function on the nervous system, such as the brain, and impact a person's mental state.

There is much disagreement about what can be called **hard drug** or **soft drug**.

So-called ***hard drugs*** are drugs that lead to physical addiction and sometimes death. Crack cocaine and heroin are examples of hard drugs.

So-called ***soft drugs*** are not thought to cause physical or psychological addiction or dependence to the extent of hard drugs; however, they are still considered unsafe. Examples of soft drugs are hallucinogens like cannabis, mescaline, psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, iboga, and DMT. While they do not cause physical addiction, some of them may still lead to psychological dependence. Making, selling, or using these drugs other than for approved medical purposes is illegal in almost every country. Hard drugs include opioids like heroin, hydrocodone, oxycodone (Oxycontin) and morphine. Benzodiazepines are another class of hard drugs and has diazepam, alprazolam, clonazepam, and lorazepam. Hard stimulant drugs also has methamphetamine (meth), cocaine, and nicotine. Some drugs have therapeutic uses.

There is strong scientific evidence that alcohol and tobacco cause cancer and other severe health issues. Despite this, both drugs are legal and easy to buy nearly everywhere (unlike most hard-drugs previously mentioned). That said, they are usually sin taxed and varyingly regulated in response to their negative impacts on users and society.

## Effects of drug addiction

Most addictive drugs like nicotine, alcohol, and cocaine affect the brain’s “reward” circuit, which is part of the limbic system. This area of the brain affects instinct and mood. Drugs target this system, which causes large amounts of dopamine—a brain chemical that helps regulate emotions, feelings of pleasure, and motivation to execute tasks—to flood the brain. This flood of dopamine is what causes a “high” in some drugs, and is generally the main cause of drug addiction.

Although initial drug use may be voluntary, drugs can alter brain chemistry. This can change how the brain performs and interfere with the way that we make choices. Using drugs with a high danger of physical dependency (which most hard drugs fall into) can lead to cravings, compulsive and habitual usage. Over time, this behavior can turn into a substance dependency or addiction.

Hard drugs can negatively impact almost every organ in the human body:

- A weakened immune system, increasing the risk of illness and infection
- Heart conditions ranging from abnormal heart rates to heart attacks, collapsed veins, erectile dysfunction or blood vessel infections from injected drugs
- Nausea and abdominal pain, which can also lead to changes in appetite and weight loss
- Increased strain on the liver, which puts the person at risk of significant liver damage or liver failure
- Seizures, stroke, mental confusion and brain damage
- Problems with memory, attention and decision-making
- Lung disease, especially if a drug is smoked, such as is common with nicotine and sometimes marijuana

## Legal implications

Legal penalties for hard drugs are usually, but not always, harsher than for soft drugs. Opioid trading and trafficking are treated seriously by the law in many countries due to the potential harm caused by this hard drug. In contrast, cannabis, generally considered to be a soft drug, is increasingly tolerated in Western countries. Especially beginning in the early 2000s, legislation has been passed to legalize the usage of marijuana for medical, cultural, and recreational purposes; however, there are significant differences in the legality of cannabis between different countries and municipalities. Generally  the medical use of cannabis is allowed in many more countries.

## Other websites

- Marijuana
- Marsh P. et al. 2003.  Attachment, autonomy, and multifinality in adolescent internalizing and risky behavioral symptoms  Dev.Psychopathol., 15: 451-467.
- Robins L.N. 1995. The natural history of substance use as a guide to setting drug policy. _Am. J. Public Health_. 85(1): 12–13
- opioid