Drug Analysis

Drug Analysis
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Abstract
The paper describes the three drugs; depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. It identifies the differences such as composition where depressants contain chemicals that suppress the CNS, stimulants contain chemicals that increase energy and alertness while hallucinogens contain chemicals that interfere with perceptual reality. It provides an example to each drug and describes its manufacture process. The paper describes the various uses of these three types of drugs: depressants are used as sleep inducers and sedatives, stimulants are used to increase energy and alertness as well administered to treat ADHD and depression, on the other hand, hallucinogens, are used in cancer treatment. It explains the psychological and physical effects of the drugs: depressants depress the normal functionality of the body and brain, stimulants open breathing passages and cause addiction problem, hallucinogen use result in extreme depression and addiction problem. The paper also describes the social control theory and its influence on an individual’s choice of drug use.

Depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens are commonly used and abused drugs by humans. These drugs can be medicinally prescribed by doctors to affect treatment of certain conditions. Alternatively, people can choose to abuse the drugs based on the behavioral and psychological effect they have on their bodies. Currently, NIDA and other drug agencies have noted that there is increased use and abuse of depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens globally; in this regard, it is important to analyze the factors contributing to the consumption of these drugs, their differences, examples, the effect on the body and manufacture process.

Composition
Depressants refer to drugs such as alcohol that slow the CNC and suppress the brain activity resulting in relief from anxiety. They contain sedatives and tranquilizers, however, for the case of alcohol, the composition include a hydroxyl functional group attached to an organic compound.
Stimulants contain chemicals that increase alertness, energy, and attention in addition to elevating the blood pressure, respiration and heart rate. Caffeine is a common example of stimulant that contains 50% carbon, 16% oxygen, 5% hydrogen and 29% Nitrogen. It can be either in crystalline or powder form depending on its purity (Cavellier, 2017).
Hallucinogens contain chemical substances that alter the perceptual reality of a person. DMT is a common example of hallucinogen drugs that contains a tryptamine structure (The DEA, 2016 P. 1).
Manufacture
Depressant such as alcohol is manufactured through the fermentation process; this involves the use of yeast to break down sugar molecules into alcohol and CO2. Sugar can be obtained from grains such as maize. The carbon dioxide bubble out during the fermentation process to leave a mixture of water and ethanol. However, the process must be carried out in the absence of oxygen to prevent the formation of ethanoic acid.
Caffeine is manufactured from tea leaves and coffee beans through the solvent extraction process (Lawandi, 2015 Par. 7-8). This involves moistening of coffee beans to open their pores before washing them with methylene chloride solvent that removes the caffeine.
Hallucinogens such as DMT can be manufactured synthetically or obtained from plants. However, the common source of DMT is the Mimosa Hostilis root bark that is found in South Africa. It can also be found in Acacia sp., Desmodium sp. Arundo donax and canarygrasses. During the manufacturing process, the source plant is crushed into liquid or powder and a non-polar solvent applied for extract defatting. An acid extraction is then carried out to obtain alkaloids. The synthetic manufacture involves decarboxylation of tryptophan into tryptamine. Then N, N-dimethylation is converted to N, N-dimethyltryptamine (The DF, 2016 Par. 20-44). The product is converted to DMT by exposing it to lots of heat and pressure in the presence of a reducing agent. Caution should be taken during the manufacture due to the presence of toxic substances.
Use
Depressants have several uses that include: anesthesia; this involves the use of drugs such as barbiturates to induce sleep in patients. The depressants can be used for anti-anxiety medications where barbiturates are applied to treat anxiety in patients (Cloe, 2015 Par. 1-5). Depressants can be used as sedatives to treat sleep disorders in humans. Depressants are also administered to patients as anticonvulsants to reduce the overall brain activity thus minimizing instances of epilepsy and seizures.
Stimulants are used to increase energy, alertness, and attention in addition to raising the blood pressure and respiration. Traditionally, stimulants were used in the treatment of obesity, asthma, and neurological disorders. However, the current wave of stimulant abuse and addiction has resulted in restriction of its use medically such that it is only administered to treat ADHD, depression, and narcolepsy. Additionally, stimulants are administered to patients that are unable to respond to alternative drugs or treatment.
Hallucinogens have an adverse effect on human psychological and physical health and its use is restricted. However, TCT hallucinogens are administered to cancer patients that experience severe nausea, especially after chemotherapy process. Additionally, hallucinogens are used in reducing eye pressure and in glaucoma treatment. PCP hallucinogens are used as sedative for a human being and anesthetic drugs for animals (The MD, 2016 Par. 18-19).
Physical and Psychological Effect
Depressants affect the CNS by slowing the brain and body. The normal functionality of the brain and body becomes depressed. They lower the blood pressure in addition to reducing the breathing and heart activity (The NI, 2017 Par. 2-3). In the case of an overdose, the patient is likely to suffer a fatal health risk. Depressants also cause depression due to the addiction problem.
Stimulants induce a euphoria feeling in a patient. They increase heart rate and blood pressure. They cause constriction of blood vessels, open breathing passages and increase blood glucose. Long-term use of stimulants results in addiction problem such that the patient needs to take the drug to have some strength in the body. Also, the patients are at risk of suffering psychosis disorders.
Hallucinogens cause emotional and thought variations in the patient. The user experiences delusional thoughts, sensory overload, and hallucinations. Some users tend to experience an out-of-body feeling where they perceive to be outside of their bodies (The NIDA, 2017 Par. 1). It can also cause a severe feeling of desperation, regret, terrifying thoughts and extreme depression.
Social Control Theory
The social control theory provides that an individual adapts to his society through interacting and sharing norms with others. By being part of a society, the individual is able to conform to the rules and values of the community and social groupings such as family, schools, and friends (The CJR, 2016 Par. 1-3). One is able to indulge in crime or delinquency based on the weakness or strength of his or her bond to the society. This theory is reflectively applicable in determining the kind of drug an individual in a society is likely to prefer between depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens.
An individual that has a strong bond with other members of the society will tend to take a depressant drug such as alcohol since it is accepted and commonly used. Some families may prepare alcohol locally and consume it within the family; this makes the drug acceptable socially and an individual from this society will not have problems choosing to use depressant over hallucinogens or stimulators. However, in some communities, stimulants such as caffeine are commonly used; this is facilitated by the fact that caffeine is found in tea leaves and coffee beans. An individual that has a strong bond with the society or social institutions such as family and school will easily prefer taking a stimulant drug based on the initial experience with caffeine.
People that have weak bonds with the society tend to feel depressed and socially withdrawn. They do not conform to the norms and rules of the society; instead, they seek to use drugs that will make them feel better irrespective of its behavioral and psychological effect. In this regard, people that have a weak social bond are likely to take hallucinogens to make them forget reality.

Reference
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The CJR. (2016). Social Control Theory. Criminal Justice Research. Retrieved on 1/3/17, from http://criminal-justice.iresearchnet.com/criminology/theories/social-control-theory/
The DEA. (2016).N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Drug Enforcement Administration. Retrieved on 1/3/17, from https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/dmt.pdf
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