Classifying Drugs: Dependency

There are many types of drugs and they all have similar yet very different ways to harm you. They also fall into two types of dependency categories, psychological and physical. First there are the narcotic drugs. These relieve pain by depressing the central nervous system. The main source of these types of drugs is opium. The drug of choice in this category is heroin. Because heroin has a high solubility in water it causes the street preparation for intravenous administration to be simple yet instantaneous. It produces a high as well as drowsiness, a deep sense of wellbeing but only lasts 3 to 4 hours (Saferstein, 2011 p. 193). Because the effect of this drug last only so long, the user is constantly taking it to feel the high it causes. The more they use this type of drug the more they are going to physically want it. Also there is a high degree of psychological dependence due to the nature of the drug itself. The feelings it invokes makes you want to keep on using it.

Hallucinogens are another type of drug that causes alterations in mood, attitudes, though processes and perceptions. Marijuana is the most sought after hallucinogen. It is a weed that can grow pretty much anywhere in any climate condition. The most potent part of the marijuana plant is its resin. As you move down the plant the potency lowers. Most people use one of the lesser potency’s such as the flowers or leaves. The single most potent of them all is made from the resin into liquid hashish. It contains a THC content of 8 to 20 percent (Saferstein, 2011 p. 196). Marijuana does not have a history of physical dependence although the more you use the higher your psychological dependency can develop, especially in the more potent uses of marijuana. Heavy use can ...

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...d in order to do this you need to test the hair. Drugs will become permanently entrapped in the hair’s protein structure (Saferstein, 2011 p.232). These are the three best ways to test for drugs in toxicology screening.

In conclusion all the drugs mentioned have some type of dependency. It all depends on how you use it, how often and for what purpose. If you just try it once and then never again you won’t get that dependency. If though you use it and find that you can’t live without the feelings it causes you will end up with some form of dependency on your drug of choice. Also if you think you can fool someone into thinking you haven’t taken drugs you don’t really know much about them and their dependencies at all.

Works Cited

Saferstein, Richard. (2011) Criminalistics: An Introduction to Forensic Science. (10th edition) Upper Saddle River; NJ: Prentice Hall