{"id":3031,"date":"2021-12-14T21:13:28","date_gmt":"2021-12-14T21:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=187458"},"modified":"2021-12-14T21:13:28","modified_gmt":"2021-12-14T21:13:28","slug":"is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=3031","title":{"rendered":"Is your drug a psychedelic, a dissociative, or an empathogen?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>Is your drug a psychedelic, a dissociative, or an empathogen? &#8211; Leafly<\/title>     <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. 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You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<h4 id=\"h-mind-matter-is-a-monthly-column-by-nick-jikomes-phd-leafly-s-director-of-science-and-innovation\"><em>\u2018Mind &amp; Matter\u2019 is a monthly column by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nickjikomes.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nick Jikomes, PhD<\/a>, Leafly\u2019s Director of Science and Innovation.<\/em><\/h4>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">All intoxicating drugs are psychoactive, but not all psychoactive drugs are intoxicating.<\/p>\n<p>This is something that\u2019s often misunderstood by patients, consumers, and the mainstream media. In the cannabis world we hear all the time\u2014incorrectly\u2014that THC is psychoactive but CBD isn\u2019t. <\/p>\n<p>Both drugs are, in fact, psychoactive. At the right dose, CBD can affect mood and have anti-anxiety effects. But of the two, only THC is intoxicating.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img alt=\"graphic-showing-three-classes-of-psychoactive-drugs\" class=\"wp-image-188041 has-ll lazyload\" width=\"357\" height=\"357\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-1.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Think of it this way: A drug is intoxicating if it impairs your ability to behave or make decisions. Caffeine and SSRIs like Prozac are psychoactive. Alcohol is psychoactive <em>and<\/em> intoxicating. A good rule is that if a psychoactive drug impairs your motor skills, it\u2019s intoxicating.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A psychoactive drug is any chemical substance that causes a measurable alteration in cognition, perception, mood, consciousness, or behavior compared to placebo. This is a very broad category. It encompasses everything from the caffeine in your morning coffee to prescription antidepressants or potent hallucinogens.<\/p>\n<p>But among all psychoactive drugs, how are further boundaries drawn? <\/p>\n<p>In science and medicine, structure and function are intimately related. Knowing the chemical structure and functional effects of drugs is useful for distinguishing them based on the effects they have and how they will be metabolized within the body.<\/p>\n<p>In order to classify psychoactive drugs more specifically, you need to know two things:<\/p>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li>What is the specific character of its primary subjective effects?<\/li>\n<li>What is the molecular mechanism that those effects depend on?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>With that in mind, let\u2019s look more closely at what distinguishes three classes of psychoactive drugs: dissociatives, hallucinogens, and empathogens. You may know them by their popular exemplars:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dissociatives, a class that includes ketamine and nitrous oxide<\/li>\n<li>Empathogens, which includes MDMA (ecstasy)<\/li>\n<li>Hallucinogens, which includes LSD, psilocybin, ibogaine, and mescaline<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/psychedelics\/medicine\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>Psychedelic medicine: The benefits of psychedelics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-dissociatives\">Dissociatives<\/h2>\n<p>Dissociation is a strange and fascinating psychological state. You are generally aware of your surroundings, yet feel disconnected from your body and identity. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img alt=\"graphic-image-describing-dissociative-drugs\" class=\"wp-image-188018 has-ll lazyload\" width=\"323\" height=\"323\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-2.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ketamine is a good example of a dissociative. At low doses, it can induce rapid antidepressant effects in individuals with treatment-resistant depression. At higher doses, it induces intoxicating effects not unlike alcohol. Keep upping the dose and you get a dissociative state informally known as \u201cthe K-hole.\u201d Go even higher, and it\u2019s an anesthetic.<\/p>\n<p>While ketamine has both well-established and emerging medical applications, it\u2019s also used recreationally. Other dissociative drugs include nitrous oxide (\u201claughing gas\u201d), PCP (\u201cangel dust\u201d), and dextromethorphan (DXM, a cough suppressant; \u201crobotripping\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>One of the main mechanisms behind their dissociative effects is the ability to block NMDA receptors. This is a specific kind of receptor in the brain linked to learning, memory, and neuroplasticity. Other kinds of psychoactive drugs, such as psychedelics, do not work in this way. Instead, they act through different receptor systems in the brain, which is why they induce different psychoactive effects.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent conversation I had with psychiatrist and neuroscientist<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cLiOgx7N00M&amp;t=224s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Dr. Karl Deisseroth<\/a>, he described patients experiencing dissociation:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n[embedded content]\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"h-empathogens\">Empathogens<\/h2>\n<p id=\"block-592b5561-3e45-48e3-99ab-5e3bb9d943cd\">Empathogens are a class of psychoactive drugs that induce feelings of empathy and emotional openness. Two of the most famous and widely used are MDMA (aka ecstasy or molly) and MDA (aka sass). The \u201cA\u201d in their name stands for \u201camphetamine,\u201d so these drugs have stimulating effects. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img alt=\"graphic-description-of-empathogenic-drugs\" class=\"wp-image-188026 has-ll lazyload\" width=\"343\" height=\"343\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-3.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"block-ad4848fd-45dc-435d-afe4-770c82f86eb6\">MDMA and MDA both belong to the phenethylamine class of drugs. They\u2019re chemically similar to psychedelics like mescaline. However, they\u2019re not psychedelics in the classic sense because they don\u2019t directly activate serotonin 2A receptors. Instead, they cause a temporary increase in levels of the endogenous neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline. While some of their stimulant and euphoric effects can have broadly similar feelings to classic psychedelics, they do not induce hallucinations the way psychedelics do.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p id=\"block-9050f161-cc34-4a16-ba87-52fbcf6a50a3\">[Tryptamines\/Phenethylamines\/Classic Psychedelics Graphic]<\/p>\n<p id=\"block-14249339-ab0a-42de-bcf3-c685501aecc9\">Although MDMA and MDA are famous for inducing empathy and an experience with a very positive emotional valence, this may have more to do with the social settings they are often consumed in rather than an inevitable effect of the drugs.<\/p>\n<p id=\"block-530582df-3cc7-44ae-95bc-7b9aa28db138\">For example, some have described them as \u201cnon-specific emotional amplifiers,\u201d capable of amplifying whatever emotional state one is in. This may not always result in a state of \u201cecstasy,\u201d as<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UWg6KIHb8Jk&amp;t=150s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Dr. Berra Yazar-Klosinsky<\/a> described based on studies using MDMA to help treat severe PTSD:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n[embedded content]\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/psychedelics\/how-to-dose-mushrooms\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>How to dose psychedelic mushrooms<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-hallucinogens\">Hallucinogens<\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"h-two-types-classic-and-atypical\"><em>Two types: Classic and Atypical <\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Hallucinogens (aka psychedelics) are psychoactive substances that powerfully alter consciousness in a way that involves hallucinations: vivid perceptions that occur in the absence of an external stimulus. <\/p>\n<p>In other words, they cause you to perceive things other people do not perceive.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img alt=\"graphic-explaining-hallucinogenic-drugs\" class=\"wp-image-188030 has-ll lazyload\" width=\"260\" height=\"260\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-4.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>On the lighter end of the spectrum, such as a low dose of psilocybin, this can involve seeing colors or geometric patterns superimposed on an otherwise normal visual scene. <\/p>\n<p>On the heavier end of the spectrum, such as a high dose of DMT, it can mean immersion into a totalizing hallucinatory experience in which you completely lose touch with consensus reality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>There are two broad flavors of hallucinogens: classic psychedelics and atypical psychedelics. <\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h-atypical-psychedelics-ibogaine\">Atypical psychedelics: ibogaine<\/h3>\n<p>Atypical psychedelics trigger hallucinations through other brain receptors. Atypical psychedelics include<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HaLsAdp1X2c&amp;t=472s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> salvinorin A<\/a>, the active compound found in <em>Salvia divinorum<\/em> (an herbal mint plant), and ibogaine, found in plants like <em>Tabernanthe iboga<\/em> (a rainforest shrub). While these drugs are interesting, they tend to be less sought after for recreational purposes than classic psychedelics. That\u2019s because the hallucinations they generate tend to be associated with an overall feeling of dysphoria, which is a state of uneasiness\u2014the opposite of euphoria.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h-classic-psychedelics-lsd-psilocybin-mescaline\">Classic psychedelics: LSD, psilocybin, mescaline<\/h3>\n<p>When someone talks about psychedelics, they\u2019re usually talking about classic psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, DMT, and mescaline. The thing that links them all is their ability to trigger hallucinations by activating the serotonin 2A receptor in the brain.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A side note on cannabis: Cannabinoids like THC are not considered psychedelics. This is because they do not trigger true hallucinations within their typical dose range, and they do not activate serotonin 2A receptors as classic psychedelics do.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"has-text-align-center\" id=\"h-two-classes-of-hallucinogens\">Two classes of hallucinogens<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img width=\"2560\" height=\"2560\" alt=\"graphic-image-of-hallucinogen-categories\" class=\"wp-image-187990 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-5.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption> (Illustration: Sasha Beck \/ Leafly) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"h-classic-psychedelics-tryptamines-phenethylamines\">Classic psychedelics (tryptamines &amp; phenethylamines)<\/h2>\n<p>Classic psychedelics come in two basic forms, defined by their chemical structure:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Tryptamines\u2014including psilocybin, DMT, and LSD\u2014share a common structure with endogenous compounds like melatonin (a hormone that regulates sleep cycles) and serotonin (a neurotransmitter involved in mood-setting)<\/li>\n<li>Phenethylamines\u2014including mescaline and DOI\u2014share a common structure with endogenous compounds like dopamine (a neurotransmitter involved in motivation and reward) and adrenaline (a hormone involved in the \u201cflight-or-fight\u201d response)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>All classic psychedelics trigger hallucinations and share the common feature of activating the serotonin 2A receptor, but no two provide identical effects. This is because each compound stimulates a unique set of brain receptors\u2014sometimes dozens at a time. <\/p>\n<p>Each is also metabolized at a different speed. Thus, one psychedelic tryptamine can cause intense hallucinations lasting just a few minutes (DMT), while another can induce a psychedelic state lasting many hours (LSD).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In general, psychedelic phenethylamines tend to promote a more stimulating effect than psychedelic tryptamines. This comes from their structural similarity to endogenous compounds like adrenaline and dopamine, as well as amphetamine-like drugs such as MDMA.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The chemistry and subjective effects of psychedelic tryptamines and phenethylamines was extensively documented by the chemist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9i4PXyJqii0&amp;t=1161s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alexander Shulgin<\/a> and his wife, Anne. Their books, <em>PIHKAL<\/em> and <em>TIHKAL<\/em> are often considered \u201cthe Bible\u201d of psychedelics and other psychoactive drugs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"has-text-align-center\" id=\"h-phenethylamines-more-stimulating-effects-like-adrenaline\">Phenethylamines: more stimulating effects, like adrenaline<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img width=\"2560\" height=\"2560\" alt class=\"wp-image-188306 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-6.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-6.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-6.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen-6.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>(Illustration: Sasha Beck \/ Leafly)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"h-know-your-substance-keep-experiences-positive\">Know your substance, keep experiences positive<\/h2>\n<p>The way to think about different types of psychoactive drugs is to ask what overall subjective effect they have on consciousness, together with the specific mechanism driving those effects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Dissociative drugs induce a state of disconnection from one\u2019s body largely by blocking NMDA receptors in the brain. Psychedelics reliably induce strong perceptual distortions (hallucinations) in the absence of external causes. Classic psychedelics achieve this by activating serotonin 2A receptors in place of serotonin, while atypical psychedelics do this by other means. Empathogens induce emotional effects not by blocking or activating a specific brain receptor, but by elevating levels of endogenous neurotransmitters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Knowing what kind of drug something is, and how it exerts its effects within the body, is important knowledge for anyone who engages with these substances\u2014not just doctors and scientists. <\/p>\n<p>Arming yourself with this knowledge can help give you a deeper understanding of why psychoactive drug experiences feel the way that they do, as well as what the specific risks of a particular drug might be. This can be empowering, both for facilitating positive outcomes and avoiding negative ones.<\/p>\n<p><em>For a deeper dive into what distinguishes different psychoactive and psychedelic drugs, read<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5001686\/\"><em> this<\/em><\/a><em> or<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0163725803001657\"><em> this<\/em><\/a><em> scientific paper. If you have trouble accessing either article, read<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/mindandmatter.substack.com\/p\/how-to-read-any-scientific-paper\"><em> this<\/em><\/a><em> for some useful tips.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"my-xxl wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-related-articles\">\n<p><h2>More Mind &amp; Matter<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/is-your-drug-a-psychedelic-a-dissociative-or-an-empathogen.jpg\" alt=\"Nick Jikomes, PhD's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Nick Jikomes, PhD<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Nick is Leafly&#8217;s Director of Science &amp; Innovation and holds a PhD in Neuroscience from Harvard University and a B.S. in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the host of a popular science podcast, which you can listen to for free at: www.nickjikomes.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @trikomes<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/nick-jikomes-phd\">View Nick Jikomes, PhD&#8217;s articles<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2021-12-14 21:16:13 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is your drug a psychedelic, a dissociative, or an empathogen? &#8211; Leafly Link copied to your clipboard Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? noyes Remember me for 30 days. I confirm that this is not a shared device. Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. \u2018Mind &amp; Matter\u2019 is a monthly column by Nick Jikomes, PhD, Leafly\u2019s Director of Science and Innovation. All intoxicating drugs are psychoactive, but not all psychoactive drugs are intoxicating. This is something that\u2019s often misunderstood by&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3031"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3031\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}