Drugs fall into a variety of categories depending on their properties, effects, or condition they treat. Typically, every drug will fall into one of the following categories:

• Stimulants – These types of drugs increase your mood, elevate your energy, and enhance your alertness. A person can become highly addicted to stimulants and may experience paranoia over time. Some examples of these drugs include methamphetamine, cocaine, and many ADHD prescription medications.

• Depressants – These drugs slow down the function of your brain. Some examples include Xanax, alcohol, and barbiturates.

• Opiates – These are serious painkillers. They quickly give a person a sense of euphoria. Opiates are highly addictive and can leave lasting effects on your brain. Some examples of opiates include morphine, heroin, and several other prescription pain medications.

• Hallucinogens – These drugs change the nerve cells in your brain. This can alter a person’s perception of reality. Some examples of hallucinogens include LSD, MDMA, and psilocybin.

So, what category would you find marijuana in? The answer to this question isn’t black and white. Marijuana affects people differently. Plus, the type of marijuana and distinct strains of it alter the effects it can cause on the body. Many experts do not put marijuana into just one category. They prefer to put it in three of them. However, it is never classified as an opiate. It is important to seek professional marijuana addiction rehab if you are struggling with this type of addiction. You can find more about why marijuana falls into the stimulant, hallucinogen, and depressant categories below.

Looking at Marijuana as a Depressant

Depressants slow brain functions. They affect your nervous system by relaxing tense muscles. Depressants also cause other negative effects on a person’s body. Some of these negative effects include the following:

• Confusion

• Low blood pressure

• The decrease in motor coordination

• Dizziness

• Some short term memory loss

• Blurry vision

• Slurred speech

Marijuana fits into this category because it has some of the same effects as depressant drugs including the following:

• Makes you relax

• Cause sleepiness

• Help relax your muscles

• Cause dizziness

• Short-term memory loss

Most depressants are less addictive than other types of drugs. However, this does not mean you can’t become addicted to them. Many people have developed an addiction to depressants.

Looking at Marijuana as a Stimulant

Stimulants can increase your heart rate and elevate your blood pressure. They can also make you feel energized and alert. Stimulants also have negative and possibly severe side effects. Some of these effects include the following:

• Paranoia

• Increased heartbeat

• Increased body temperature

• Seizures

• Anxiety

• Heart failure

Marijuana is sometimes ranked as a stimulant because it affects people in the following ways:

• Make your heart race.

• Make you have anxiety

• Elevate your mood.

• Cause paranoia

It is important to remember marijuana affects people differently. It makes some individuals feel relaxed, while other people who use it feel anxious. This is why some people can become highly addicted to it.

Looking at Marijuana as a Hallucinogen

Marijuana is often placed in the hallucinogen category. However, people who use it rarely have hallucinations. However, some people have a sense of time distortions, which is part of a hallucination. These types of drugs can alter your perception of reality. A person taking hallucinogens can have some of the following side effects:

• Altered sense of time

• Lose control of their motor skills

• Have increased heart rate

• Feel detached from their environment

Marijuana also can cause you to feel all these same effects, which is why it is sometimes placed in the hallucinogen category.

Marijuana can sometimes cause anxiety, depression, loneliness, and all of the above side effects you read about. This is why marijuana is often considered a stimulant, depressant, and hallucinogen. If you have an addiction to marijuana, remember you can get addiction rehab help today.