koty: Psychoactive drug

Evidence: 100 • authority: 72

A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, mind-altering drug, consciousness-altering drug, psychoactive substance, or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that alters psychological functioning by modulating central nervous system (CNS) activity. Psychoactive and psychotropic drugs both affect the brain, with psychotropics sometimes referring to psychiatric drugs or high-abuse substances. Novel psychoactive substances are designer drugs made to mimic illegal ones and bypass laws. Psychoactive drug use dates back to prehistory for medicinal, recreational, or religious purposes, with evidence of widespread cultural use. Many animals intentionally consume psychoactive substances, and…

Evidence: 70 • authority: 92

Kava consumption and the rise of sociopolitical complexity in Oceania.. Humans have been using psychoactive substances for millennia, despite their potential negative health and social consequences. According to some scholars, our craving for mind-altering drugs is an evolutionary mistake-a hijacking of our reward system. In contrast, the "drunk hypothesis" argues that intoxication has been adaptive and essential for the rise of large-scale societies because it promotes social bonding, increases cooperation, alleviates stress, and enhances human creativity. Here, we test this hypothesis using the example of kava, a traditional Pacific beverage with a range of psychoactive effects, made from…

Evidence: 64 • authority: 92

Psychological self-medication in mammals: A dialogue between natural observations and laboratory research.. The use of plants with medicinal properties by nonhuman animals has been extensively documented. However, little emphasis has been placed on evidence suggesting that animals also appear to use/consume substances with psychoactive properties. This psychological self-medication (PsycSM) hypothesis posits that the voluntary use of substances that alter emotional/mental states is guided by the substance's ability to reduce negative states or promote positive states. The objective of this narrative review is to provide a rigorous interpretation and critique of findings, point out contribut…

Evidence: 57 • authority: 72

Entheogens are psychoactive substances used in spiritual, religious, recreational, therapeutic, and experimental contexts to induce altered states of consciousness. While the term itself emphasizes ritual and sacred applications, the same substances are also frequently employed recreationally—sometimes in ways that diverge from or disregard traditional protocols. Hallucinogens such as the psilocybin found in so-called "magic" mushrooms have been used in sacred contexts since ancient times. Derived from a term meaning "generating the divine from within", entheogens are, in religious and shamanic contexts, intentionally employed in the attempt to facilitate experiences of transcendence, heali…

Evidence: 57 • authority: 72

Psychoactive plants are plant species that, when consumed by humans, are known or suspected to produce changes in nervous system function that alter perception, mood, consciousness, cognition or behavior. Many of these plants are used intentionally as psychoactive drugs, for medicinal, religious, and/or recreational purposes. Some have been used ritually as entheogens for millennia. These plants are listed according to the specific psychoactive chemical substances they contain; many contain multiple known psychoactive compounds.

Evidence: 51 • authority: 92

Peer-led drug checking in Chile: a case study of the country's first harm reduction service at electronic music events.. Background The health risks for people who use drugs (PWUD) in Chile are exacerbated by evolving drug markets, unpredictable supplies, and the limited availability of harm reduction services. Community-based drug-checking programs have shown effectiveness in reducing some of these risks; however, regional evidence remains limited. Case presentation In 2024, Reduciendo Daño (RD), a Chilean non-profit organization, conducted a peer-led drug-checking program, attending 22 electronic music events in Santiago. Event attendees interested in testing their substances placed small…

Evidence: 51 • authority: 72

Several non-human animal species are said to engage in apparent recreational drug use, that is, the intentional ingestion of psychoactive substances in their environment for pleasure, though claims of such behavior in the wild are often controversial. This is distinct from zoopharmacognosy, in which animals ingest or topically apply non-food substances for their health benefits, as a form of self-medication.

Evidence: 44 • authority: 92

Interactions Between Plant-Derived Psychoactive Substances and <i>Escherichia coli</i>.. Naturally occurring psychoactive substances, such as opioids, cocaine, and cannabinoids, affect not only the central nervous system but also the functioning of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Available evidence indicates that their use is associated with changes in the gut microbiota and modulation of immune responses. Escherichia coli , a permanent component of the gut microbiota under conditions favoring dysbiosis, can enhance inflammatory responses and influence neuroimmunological mechanisms related to the development of addiction. This study aims to review and analyze the available litera…

Evidence: 44 • authority: 72

Ayahuasca is a South American psychoactive decoction prepared from Banisteriopsis caapi vine and a dimethyltryptamine (DMT)-containing plant, used by Indigenous cultures in the Amazon and Orinoco basins as part of traditional medicine and shamanism. The word ayahuasca, originating from Quechuan languages spoken in the Andes, refers both to the B. caapi vine and the psychoactive brew made from it, with its name meaning 'spirit rope' or 'liana of the soul'. Although often portrayed as ancient, ayahuasca likely spread across the western Amazon only within the past few centuries; the first clear written accounts appear in the 17th century. The specific ritual use of ayahuasca was widespread amo…

Evidence: 38 • authority: 92

Benefits and Limitations Associated with the Use of Alternative Biological Matrices in Forensic Toxicology, as Well as Genetic Markers of Poisoning and Psychoactive Substance Abuse.. In forensic toxicology, the analysis of blood and urine is regarded as the so-called "gold standard." However, when forensic experts are confronted with advanced postmortem changes, it becomes necessary to secure and examine alternative matrices. Suitable specimens in cases of advanced putrefactive decomposition may include: skin appendages (hair and nails), bones, bone marrow, cartilage tissue, teeth, antemortem fingerprints, cerebrospinal fluid, vitreous humor, breast milk, meconium, placenta and umbilical co…

Evidence: 38 • authority: 80

Prevalence of use of novel psychoactive substances

Evidence: 38 • authority: 80

Social Issues in the Use of Novel Psychoactive Substances