What is a Psychoactive substance?
A chemical substance that affects or alters your mental health is simply a psychoactive substance. It shows impacts on your nervous system and hence ends up impacting almost everything controlled by the nervous system. This is what usually one experiences after consuming any psychoactive substance:
- Chang in mood
- Shift in behavior
- Extreme focus or lack of attention
- Calmness or hyperactive mind
- Euphoric feeling or restlessness
- Insomnia or excessive sleep/ hungover
- Hallucinations
Types of Psychoactive substances
- Depressants: Depressants, like alcohol. cause the central nervous system to function at a slower pace hence giving people the feeling of sedation and relaxation. For sleep or anxiety, some people use prescribed depressants whereas there is a huge number of people that take these substances to get high for fun. On the other hand, the extreme use of depressants can cause anxiety, hangover, aggression, and more.
- Stimulants: Stimulants make the brain work faster. They increase attentiveness and stamina. For those who experience narcolepsy or ADHD symptoms, doctors might prescribe some controlled amount of stimulants. Caffeine and cocaine are the most commonly used stimulants.
- Opiates: These sedatives that have a calming impact can also help relieve pain. If used inappropriately, they can cause addiction. Narcotics like heroin usually come under this category. They can aid those who are experiencing moderate to severe pain when taken with a doctor’s prescription.
- Hallucinogens: As the name suggests, they can cause the consumer to experience hallucinations. The person might feel disconnected from the surroundings. Since hallucinogens hinder the communication between human brain chemical systems, higher doses can cause delusions and the effects might linger on.
Psychoactive substances you can find on the market
- Cocaine: Cocaine, due to its instant euphoric effects is considered illegal in the majority of countries. The high from the cocaine can last for a few minutes or a few hours. It is a strong psychoactive substance that can stimulate rage violence, confusion, and paranoia.
- Heroin: Heroin is an illicit drug that interacts with opioid receptors inside your brain to stimulate euphoria. Despite that, heroin usage can result in a slowed heartbeat, tiredness, and lack of focus. These might sound like milder side effects but if prevailed for longer periods of time, they can be lethal.
- Nicotine: The initial use of nicotine can cause an instant energy boost. It is a stimulant and a depressive that can be found in tobacco products that are smoked and chewed. But as time passes, this influence wears off, leaving one exhausted. Additionally, their body may develop a dependence and addiction to nicotine.
- Caffeine: Caffeine is one of the most popular and widely used psychoactive substances as it is used in different types, like coffee, chai, and more. It surely is an addictive substance and stimulates focus and alertness. The tolerance for caffeine products varies from person to person.
- Cannabis: Cannabis will give you combined effects of depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. It affects the endocannabinoid system (ECS) of the body hence everyone’s experience with Cannabis is different. Delta 8 and delta 9 are the two most popular cannabis drove components.
Comparison between delta-8 and delta-9
Both delta-8 and delta-9 are derived from cannabis and are considered to be similar in nature. The chemical composition also s shows only a minor difference between the two. There are numerous Delta 8 THC potencies and variants available on the market. The cause is that every consumer has a unique tolerance level towards such products because delta-8 and delta-9 effects are different for each individual. A stronger product is required for a regular consumer, but a less potent product is required for someone who is just starting out.
Since Delta 8 is less strong and potent than Delta 9, the same dosage will produce two distinct psychoactive combinations. Apart from being less psychoactive as compared to delta-9, delta-8 also has some medical benefits which is why controlled amounts of the substance can reduce chronic pain and produce a feeling of relaxation.
Final word
Psychoactive substance directly impacts the human nervous system and has different variants like depressants, stimulants, opiates, and hallucinogens. Cannabis is a type of psychoactive substance with most of these properties. Two of the most famous cannabis derivatives are delta-8 and delta9. Although both are loved and consumed by a similar population, delta-8 is considered to be less toxic. It means that delta-8 is less psychoactive in comparison to delta-9.
