recreational drugs
Mind-altering leisure substances
Recreational drugs are substances used for pleasure or altered consciousness rather than medical treatment.
The category includes illegal drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, legal substances like alcohol and cannabis (where permitted), and misused prescription medications.
The term is neutral compared to alternatives like "illicit drugs" or "substance abuse," framing use as leisure activity: The survey asked about recreational drug use.
Psychoactive hemp plant
- cannabisPsychoactive hemp plant
- cocaineAddictive stimulant narcotic
- heroinIllegal addictive opiate
- MDMASynthetic empathogenic stimulant
ecstasy · LSD · methamphetamine · ketamine · amphetamines · opiates · hashish · psilocybin
Recovery from injury/addiction
- detoxificationRemoving harmful substances internally
- sobrietyUnimpaired mental state
- abstinenceVoluntary forgoing of indulgences
- twelve-stepAddiction recovery framework
sponsor · intervention · counseling · support groups · outpatient · inpatient · methadone · suboxone
Great in altitude
- euphoriaIntense emotional high
- buzzContinuous low drone
- rushQuick sudden movement
- intoxicationSubstance-induced mental impairment
sedation · stimulation · hallucination · paranoia · munchies · nausea · comedown · crash
Enthusiastic praise or nightlong dance
- partyGathering for celebration
- stonerHabitual marijuana smoker
- countercultureRejection of mainstream values
- hippieSixties counterculture member
420 · dispensary · coffee shop · gateway drug · stigma · normalization · dabbing · rolling
Illegal transport for profit
- dealerOne who sells goods
- smugglingIllegal covert transport
- cartelPrice-fixing coalition
- bustFailure or sculpture
contraband · possession · black market · kingpin · stash · drug mule · raid · sting
Planned travel somewhere
- hallucinationPerception without external cause
- acidLow-pH chemical compound
- visualsPictorial content collectively
- altered statesModified modes of awareness
set and setting · ego dissolution · synesthesia · microdosing · bad trip · flashback · comedown · tracers
State of needing another
- withdrawalAct of taking away
- cravingPowerful urge to have
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
- relapseReturn to former illness
habituation · compulsion · abuse · substance use disorder · physical dependence · psychological dependence · binge · chasing the dragon
marijuana
Psychoactive hemp plant
MDMA · ecstasy · LSD · methamphetamine · ketamine · amphetamines · opiates · hashish · psilocybin · mushrooms
rehabilitation
Recovery from injury/addiction
- detoxificationRemoving harmful substances internally
- sobrietyUnimpaired mental state
- abstinenceVoluntary forgoing of indulgences
twelve-step · sponsor · intervention · counseling · support groups · outpatient · inpatient · methadone · suboxone · naltrexone
high
Great in altitude
intoxication · sedation · stimulation · hallucination · paranoia · munchies · nausea · comedown · crash · overdose
rave
Enthusiastic praise or nightlong dance
- partyGathering for celebration
- stonerHabitual marijuana smoker
- countercultureRejection of mainstream values
hippie · 420 · dispensary · coffee shop · gateway drug · stigma · normalization · dabbing · rolling · bong
trafficking
Illegal transport for profit
bust · contraband · possession · black market · kingpin · stash · drug mule · raid · sting · distribution
trip
Planned travel somewhere
- hallucinationPerception without external cause
- acidLow-pH chemical compound
- visualsPictorial content collectively
altered states · set and setting · ego dissolution · synesthesia · microdosing · bad trip · flashback · comedown · tracers · peak experience
dependence
State of needing another
- withdrawalAct of taking away
- cravingPowerful urge to have
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
relapse · habituation · compulsion · abuse · substance use disorder · physical dependence · psychological dependence · binge · chasing the dragon · jonesing
- psychoactivesLSD, MDMA, cannabis, psilocybin, heroin
- substance usedrug use, alcohol use, substance abuse, drug abuse, tobacco use
- party drugsMDMA, ecstasy, molly, GHB, ketamine
- vicesgreed, envy, lust, gluttony, vanity
- addictionaddiction, drug addiction, substance abuse, drug dependence, substance dependency
- legalizationmarijuana legalization, cannabis legalization, decriminalization, drug decriminalization, legislative reform
recreational drugsprescription medication
Medicine requiring medical authorization
medicine · therapeutic drugs · prescription drugs · pharmaceuticals · medical treatment
recreational drugssobriety
Unimpaired mental state
abstinence · clean living · straight edge · teetotalism · clear-headedness
drugs, recreation, recreated, recreational, recreates, recreating, recreationally, recreational drug