The term soft drug is given sometimes to a range of drugs that are supposed to be less harmful than other drugs, called hard drugs. The main difference is that soft drugs cause only psychological addiction if at all, while hard drugs also cause physical addiction and damage the body in other ways. Examples of soft drugs include: cannabis and hallucinogens such as psilocybe mushrooms, and peyote. Drugs such as alcohol and nicotine, although generally legal, are not considered "soft" by most; in fact, because they can be very harmful and strongly addictive, they may even fit many persons' criteria for "hard". Jump to: navigation, search Drug may refer to: A substance perceived or defined as a drug in clinical medical practice or a substance perceived or defined as a drug in legislation and political strategies so as to prevent or punish abuse of the substance. ... Hard drugs are drugs that lead to physical addiction, opposed to soft drugs, such as marijuana and hashish, that are only psychologically addictive. ... Jump to: navigation, search Addiction is a compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its consequences. ... Jump to: navigation, search Species Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis sativa Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. ... Hallucinogenic drug - drugs that can alter sensory perceptions. ... Jump to: navigation, search Species See text. ... Jump to: navigation, search Binomial name Lophophora williamsii (Lem. ... Jump to: navigation, search In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-ghawl الغول) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ... Jump to: navigation, search Nicotine is an organic compound, an alkaloid found naturally throughout the tobacco plant, with a high concentration in the leaves. ...

The difference between soft drugs and hard drugs is important in the drug policy of the Netherlands, where soft drugs are dealt with much lighter, up to being for sale as such in clearly recognisable coffeeshops, than hard drugs. Jump to: navigation, search The drug policy of the Netherlands is based on two principles: Drug use is a public health issue, not a criminal matter A distinction between hard drugs and soft drugs exists It is a pragmatic policy. ... A Street Cafe, Jerusalem, Henry Fenn (1838- ): steel engraving in Picturesque Palestine, ca 1875 A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant. ...

Recently, a new definition for soft drug has come into use. This definition refers to a drug which undergoes predictable metabolism to inactive metabolites after exerting its therapeutic effect. The ophthalmic drug loteprednol (Alrex, Lotemax) is one example of this kind of 'soft drug', as it undergoes hydrolysis into inactive carboxylic acid metabolites. Jump to: navigation, search Santorio Santorio (1561-1636) in his steelyard balance, from Ars de statica medecina, first published 1614 Metabolism (from μεταβολισμος (metabolismos), the Greek word for change, or overthrow (Etymonline)), is the biochemical modification of chemical compounds in living organisms and cells. ... Jump to: navigation, search Hydrolysis is a chemical process in which a molecule is cleaved into two parts by the addition of a molecule of water. ... Structure of a carboxylic acid Carboxylic acids are organic acids characterized by the presence of a carboxyl group, which has the formula -C(=O)-OH, usually written as COOH. The salts and anions of carboxylic acids are called carboxylates generally. ... Metabolites are the intermediates and products of metabolism. ...

The Dutch drug policy considers synthetic and semi-synthetic hallucinogens (such as LSD and MDMA) to be hard drugs even when they have very similar action to soft drugs (for example in comparing peyote to LSD). These drugs are seen to have a higher risk potential mainly because of their clandestine sources, and the possibility that they are contaminated or mixed with hard drugs such as methamphetamine or heroin. Jump to: navigation, search D-lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly called acid, LSD, or LSD-25, is a powerful semisynthetic psychedelic drug. ... ecstasy and religious ecstasy MDMA, most commonly known today by the street name ecstasy, is a synthetic entactogen of the phenethylamine family whose primary effect is to stimulate the brain to rapidly secrete large amounts of serotonin, causing a general sense of openness, empathy, energy, euphoria, and well-being. ...

An important difference between the Dutch policy and the policy in most other countries, is the difference between hard drugs and soft drugs. In the Opium law substances like heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, LSD and ecstasy are called hard drugs. Hard drugs have a high addiction risk and many of the users end up in the criminal circuit. Those drugs have an unacceptable risk. Alcohol and tobacco are drugs, accepted by society. They damage users and society and are (in this light) best comparable to hard drugs. Hash and marijuana, but also sedatives such as Valium (diazepam) are called soft drugs. Soft drugs do not have a great risk attached when used sparingly and recreationally. However, use at work, study or while driving are strongly discouraged, as well as combined use with alcohol. The government classifies the risks of soft drugs as 'acceptable'. The use of hash and marijuana in a limited, controlled trade are tolerated ('gedoogd', 'gedoogbeleid'). (Translated from www.kerkrade.nl) Species Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis sativa Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. ... A sedative is a drug that depresses the central nervous system (CNS), which causes calmness, relaxation, reduction of anxiety, sleepiness, slowed breathing, slurred speech, staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes. ... Jump to: navigation, search Diazepam, brand names: Valium, Seduxen, in Europe Apozepam, Diapam, is a 1,4-benzodiazepine derivative, which possesses anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, sedative and skeletal muscle relaxant properties. ... Jump to: navigation, search In general usage, alcohol (from Arabic al-ghawl الغول) refers almost always to ethanol, also known as grain alcohol, and often to any beverage that contains ethanol (see alcoholic beverage). ... Species Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis sativa Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. ...

See also

• Hard drug

The term Hard drugs is only loosely defined but generally refers to illegal drugs that lead to physical addiction, as opposed to soft drugs, such as cannabis (marijuana / hashish), that are generally viewd as only psychologically addictive. ...

External links

• Erowid Drug Information