In the psyche of most Spanish-speaking people, the term drug is associated with an illegal substance: when we hear about drugs the first names that probably come to our minds are cocaine, heroin, ecstasy or LSD.

However, there are a large number of substances that fall under this type of classification and not all of them are illegal (although this does not mean that they are harmless, and their use or abuse can generate serious consequences). What are legal drugs and what types exist? In this article we are going to discuss this.

Legal drugs: basic concept

The concept of a legal drug is easy to understand, but in order to do so it is first necessary to remember what a drug is.

We call drug to all those substances, either of natural or synthetic origin, with the capacity to generate an alteration or modification in the nervous system . It is therefore a matter of any substance that has a psychoactive effect. This definition does not include the legal consideration that the substance has, although colloquially we usually identify drugs as illegal.

Thus, those substances with psychoactive effects that are permitted are called legal drugs, and their use is not punishable by law despite the fact that their possible effects are known. This legal status can refer to their use at a recreational level or to being intended for other uses, which do not include their consumption to achieve an alteration of the psyche, and for which it is considered something permitted.

However, as we indicated in the introduction, the fact that they are legal does not mean that they are not dangerous, since their misuse and/or abuse is very dangerous and harmful to health and can lead to serious illnesses or even death.

Types of legal drugs

There are many legal drugs that exist, and they can be used in different ways by the population. Some use them as a recreational element, while in other cases the users intend to benefit from the relaxing or exciting effects of the substance in question or use them in order to forget or diminish some kind of physical or emotional pain. Among the so-called legal drugs, some of the best known are

1. Alcohol

Probably the most used and socially accepted drug to the point of being part of a wide variety of cultures. Alcohol or ethanol is a depressant type substance , which decreases the activation of the nervous system and is consumed by all types of people, usually from adolescence onwards.

Initially it has a euphoric and relaxing effect, as well as in some people some disinhibition, but later the general tone decreases and symptoms such as blurred vision, hypotonia and muscle weakness or problems in focusing attention or inhibiting extreme emotional behaviors appear. Excessive and abusive consumption can lead to hypoglycemia, dizziness, vomiting, coma or even death .

It can also generate dependency with great ease (especially due to its social acceptance), as well as abstinence syndromes with deadly potential. Cirrhosis, kidney and liver problems and even cognitive and functional impairment are common in alcoholics in complications such as those produced by Korsakoff’s syndrome following Wernicke’s encephalopathy.

2. Nicotine

Tobacco is another of the most widely consumed drugs worldwide and, although legislation in many countries prohibits smoking in certain areas, the very fact of smoking or marketing nicotine products (especially tobacco) is not prohibited. It is a substance that may seem relaxing to experienced smokers, but is actually a psychostimulant whose main mechanism of action is on acetylcholine.

If long-term smokers find it relaxing, it is because their long-term consumption ends up blocking this neurotransmitter. It generates a large number of problems, being especially relevant the pulmonary (highlighting lung cancer and COPD) and cardiorespiratory.

We are dealing with a substance that generates dependency (in fact it is the main responsible for tobacco generating physical dependency) and withdrawal syndrome, as people who have tried to quit smoking are probably aware.

3. The xanthine group: caffeine, theobromine, theophylline

Although few people consider them as drugs, the truth is that they are substances that generate an alteration in brain chemistry that has effects on behaviour so they can be considered as such. These are substances with a stimulating effect, generally generating an increase in brain activation. However, their effects are much less than those of other substances, and large quantities are needed to become dangerous.

Caffeine is probably the best known as such, being its consumption through coffee the most frequent. Although it is not usually considered the existence of dependence as such, it is observed that for some people it is an addictive substance and to which the body generates tolerance, and it can even cause certain abstinence syndrome. An intoxication is difficult to achieve, but it is possible with massive consumption (from six cups of coffee it becomes dangerous).

In addition to coffee, it must be taken into account that it can also be found in a large number of soft drinks , which, although perhaps to a lesser extent, also generate a high level of alcohol.

As for theobromine and theophylline, possibly few people know what we are referring to. However, these are components that are present in tea and chocolate and that generate an increase in cortical activation and energy levels .

4. Volatile substances

We are dealing with substances that are legal because their original use is not linked to the consumption or administration of the substance as such in the body. The name “volatile” is due to the fact that the route of administration is usually inhaled or inhaled. These are substances such as glue, gasoline, anesthetics or ketones , which some people use in order to notice psychoactive effects, generally of a depressant type.

They are substances with low addictive potential, but prone to abuse that can generate serious damage to the liver, spine, muscles and nervous system, among others. It also facilitates the emergence of aggressive behavior.

5. Psychopharmaceuticals and other drugs

Psychopharmaceuticals, and in fact all types of drugs, are substances that can be considered legal drugs (not in vain do they refer to both the concept of drug and drug) by generating an alteration in the patient’s nervous system (in the case of other drugs not linked to psychiatry they alter the chemistry of other parts of the body). In principle the use of these drugs is medicinal, which is why they are legal . However, many of them become dependent and in some cases are even used to try to improve their own skills or in a recreational way.

Probably the most frequently used psychodrug in this regard is benzodiazepines, which are used primarily to treat anxiety. In their medical use, the doses used and the times employed are, in principle, closely monitored, although many medical professionals prescribe them excessively and for longer than they should in principle be used. Other anxiolytics have also been abused due to their high addictive potential, such as the no longer so frequent barbiturates (which caused many deaths from overdose, such as Marilyn Monroe’s).

In addition, substances such as amphetamines or their derivatives, such as modafinil or adderall, are also used. Although their function and indication are problems such as ADHD or narcolepsy, they are sometimes used recreationally or even by students because of their stimulant properties and their supposedly enhanced ability to concentrate and stay active. Also in this case they can generate serious health problems (including liver and heart problems) and be very addictive, being dangerous if used without medical control.

Other drugs that are not used as psychotropic drugs but that do generate addiction and dependence and are considered legal drugs are drugs such as steroids, morphine or codeine, or anesthetics such as phencyclidine. Steroids are also another substance that can be considered a legal drug; they are often abused in fields such as sport and this can have serious repercussions on health. As for morphine, it is a derivative of opium used for the treatment of pain.

Codeine is a derivative of it, present in many syrups and medicines. Both are opioids with depressant and relaxing effects that can generate addiction and abstinence, as well as intoxication. Finally, phencyclidine is an anaesthetic currently used in veterinary medicine and has psychodisleptic effects that can generate perceptual alterations, loss of sensitivity, aggressive behaviour and even hallucinations.

All these drugs are legal in certain areas, some of them being easily available (e.g. anxiolytics) while others are only legal in very specific areas.

Differences between countries: the case of cannabis

So far we have talked about substances that are allowed in most parts of the world, either for recreational or other purposes. However, it should be noted that the law is not the same in all parts of the world. Which drugs are considered legal or not will depend on the legislation of each country. One of the cases where we see this variability the most is in cannabis, whose legal consideration varies greatly in different countries of the world.

The best known case is that of Holland, which allows the purchase and consumption of cannabis in coffee shops. Also in Washington and Colorado, in the United States, or in Uruguay, recreational use is allowed (although with restrictions). In other countries, including our own, self-consumption is decriminalized as long as it takes place in private places. Consumption in public, however, is prohibited and illegal . So is cultivation, and obviously the same goes for its sale and distribution.

Other substances have also changed their legal status in certain countries. In the United States, for example, the sale of alcohol was illegal during the so-called Prohibition Act. Alcohol is also forbidden in some Muslim countries, for religious reasons, although in other countries the legislation does allow it.

False legal drugs: “legal highs”

A separate mention should be made of a type of substances for recreational use that, although they are sold as legal, in reality they take advantage of the legal vacuum generated by the lack of knowledge about them or because they are so recent that they have not yet been prohibited .

These are drugs that are meant to be regulated, and in many cases prohibited, and they take advantage of the slowness of administrations to establish laws or regulations in this regard to pass themselves off as legal. In reality, they would be in a situation of illegality: the legislation does not yet contemplate them. This is due to a kind of escalation or competition: as specific drugs are prohibited and pursued, others are created that take advantage of legal loopholes.

Moreover, they take advantage of this legality to sell more: they claim to be legal, which makes the consumer believe that the danger is minimal . However, in many cases their psychoactive effects are not known and many of them have devastating effects on those who consume them. For example, the well-known cannibalistic drug or krokodil were at one time created as an attempt to substitute for the already persecuted heroin.

Bibliographic references:

  • Gahlinger, P.M. (2001). Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to Their History, Chemistry, Use and Abuse. Sagebrush Press (UT).
  • Fox, Thomas Peter; Oliver, Govind; Ellis, Sophie Marie (2013). “The Destructive Capacity of Drug Abuse: An Overview Exploring the Harmful Potential of Drug Abuse Both to the Individual and to Society”. ISRN Addiction. 2013: pp. 1 – 6.

  • Teale P, Scarth J, Hudson S (2012). “Impact of the emergence of designer drugs upon sports doping testing. Bioanalysis. 4 (1): pp. 71 – 88.