Question

Are drugs classified or individualized? Why?

Answer 1

Yes, drugs are classified.

There are thousands of different drugs, both legal and illegal. Because of this variety, it is often necessary to classify drugs into several types for legal, medical, and treatment purposes. There are several ways to classify drugs, including by chemical similarities, effects on the mind and body, and legal definitions.

Drug classifications are a way to organize drugs into categories. There are many reasons to do this.

Classifying drugs by chemical similarities is useful because drugs that are chemically similar often have similar impacts and risks. An individual who is addicted to a drug is also more likely to abuse and become addicted to another drug if it is chemically similar. Also, the same treatment is often effective for chemically similar drugs. Despite these generalities, chemically similar drugs may have very different legal and medical impacts.

Many people classify drugs by how they impact the mind and body. For example, some drugs have a tendency to make a user active and energetic while others make an individual feel relaxed and calm. Many of these drug classifications have little basis in chemical similarity or legal outcomes, although there is often overlap.

Most countries have a legal classification system for drugs. These systems determine the circumstances, if any, under which that drug is legal, various requirements for that drug, and any legal penalties associated with possession, distribution, or manufacture of it. Legal classifications are generally based on the perceived medical value of a drug and its perceived risk and danger.

There is a considerable disagreement about how drugs should be classified, even among experts. This means that the same drug may be classified differently under two schemes or two systems may use categories with the same name. Due to these disagreements, it’s impossible to create a “definitive” set of drug classifications.