Answer to Question #262720 in English for jody

Question

How do we define what is a drug and what is not? Why do we allow some drugs (e.g., alcohol, tobacco) but prohibit others (e.g., marijuana)?

Answer 1

(a)   A drug can be defined as a chemical substance, typically of known structure, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect while what is not a drug is a medicine which can be defined as any chemical substance that when administered to a living organism does not produce any biological effect. It is therefore important to note that all medicines are drugs, whereas not all drugs are medicines.

(b)  Some drugs such as alcohol, caffeine and nicotine are legal, whereas others such as cannabis, cocaine and opium are not. There is a variety of reasons as to why some drugs are legalized. For example, nicotine, alcohol and caffeine are all legal as people use them every day. On the other hand, some drugs like cannabis are illegal because they cause harm.