The first semantic classification of psychotropic substances (based on their pharmacological action) is that of the German pharmacologist Louis Lewin. He distinguishes 5 groups of products according to the effects sought by users:
Inebriantia - Inebriants - that produce intoxication (alcohol, ether);
Exitantia - Stimulants - representing stimulants (coffee, khat, etc., to which we add in our days amphetamine and cocaine);
Euphorica - Euphoriants- that produce inner peace and a sense of well-being (mostly brought by opiates);
Hypnotica - Hypnotics - that induce sleep, the entire suite of sleep-inducers (in Lewin's time were chloral, bromide, kawa-kawa);
Phantastica - Fantastics - corresponding to hallucinogens, even to deliriogens;
The principal classification in psychiatric settings was made by French psychiatrists Jean Delay and Pierre Deniker. There are three main groups in this classification:
Psycholeptics which reduce psychic activity; we distinguish neuroleptics with antideliriant effect used in psychoses, tranquilizers, sedatives, anxiolytics and hypnotics;
Psychoanaleptics that stimulate psychic activity; they include neoanaleptics which stimulate vigilance (coffee, amphetamine) and thymoanaleptics that have a positive effect on mood; the latter are antidepressants;
Psycodisleptics corresponding to hallucinogens (cannabis) and, for some, narcotics, as well as alcohol.
Drugs can be classified, according to the degree of danger, into three categories, based on their effects on the central nervous system (CNS):
| DISRUPTORS(HALLUCINOGENS) | STIMULANTS | DEPRESSANTS |
|---|---|---|
| Cannabis; | Cocaine; | Alcohol; |
| Solvents and volatile products; | Amphetamines; | Barbiturates; |
| Hallucinogens | Caffeine; | Benzodiazepines; |
| Nicotine | Opiates |
Hallucinogens are classified into two groups, depending on whether they do or do not have a nitrogen atom in their psychoactive components:
| Family | Main Products |
|---|---|
| Psychodysleptics or Hallucinogens |
|
| Psychoanaleptics or Psychostimulants |
|
| Psycholeptics or Depressants |
|
There is also a division as below in the table:
| CLASS | SUBSTANCES |
|---|---|
| Dissociative anesthetics | Phencyclidine, ketamine |
| Analgesics | Morphine, heroin, methadone |
| Cannabinoids | Cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol |
| Hallucinogens | LSD, mescaline, psilocybin |
A simple division is made by the consumers themselves:
Drugs that make you fly: marijuana, opium, etc. Drugs that create a state of happiness in the consumer, wonderful rest, without making them lose the notion of reality.
Drugs that make you travel: morphine, heroin, cocaine, LSD, and mescaline, amphetamine. Drugs that make you feel completely extraterrestrial, as if you were heading to Mars, living in a world of your own.
Classification of drugs according to legal status: