Jameson Schwartz [ edit ]

Psychoactive drug chart [ edit ]

The following Venn diagram attempts to organize and provide a basic overview of the most common psychoactive drugs into intersecting groups and subgroups based upon pharmacological classification and method of action.[1][2] Items within each subgroup are close to those of most similar action, and also follow a general placement in accordance with the legend below the diagram. Primary intersections are represented via color mixing.









Legend [ edit ]

Primary groups [ edit ]

Blue : Stimulants generally increase in potency to the upper left.

: Stimulants generally increase in potency to the upper left. Red : Depressants generally increase in potency to the lower right.

: Depressants generally increase in potency to the lower right. Green : "Hallucinogens" are psychedelic to the left, dissociative to the right, generally less predictable down and to the right, and generally more potent towards the bottom.

: "Hallucinogens" are psychedelic to the left, dissociative to the right, generally less predictable down and to the right, and generally more potent towards the bottom. Pink : Antipsychotics are generally more sedative/tranquilizing to the right.

Secondary groups [ edit ]

Cyan ( light blue ): Overlap of Stimulants ( Blue ) and Psychedelic hallucinogens ( Green ) — Primary psychedelics exhibit a stimulant effect

( ): Overlap of Stimulants ( ) and Psychedelic hallucinogens ( ) — Yellow : Overlap of Depressants ( Red ) and Dissociative hallucinogens ( Green ) — Primary dissociatives exhibit a depressant effect

: Overlap of Depressants ( ) and Dissociative hallucinogens ( ) — Lavender : Overlap of Stimulants ( Blue ) and Antipsychotics ( Pink ) - The modern non-sedating antidepressants.

: Overlap of Stimulants ( ) and Antipsychotics ( ) - Salmon : Overlap of Depressants (Red) and Antipsychotics (Pink) - The older sedating antidepressants and anxiolytics.

Tertiary groups [ edit ]

Magenta ( purple ): Overlap of Stimulants ( Blue ) and Depressants ( Red ) — Example: nicotine and SSRIs exhibit effects of both.

( ): Overlap of Stimulants ( ) and Depressants ( ) — White: Overlap of Stimulants, Depressants and Hallucinogens — Example: THC exhibits effects of all three sections.

Sky-blue : Overlap of Stimulants, Psychedelic hallucinogens and Antipsychotics - The empathogens / entactogens.

: Overlap of Stimulants, Psychedelic hallucinogens and Antipsychotics - Peach : Overlap of Depressants, Dissociative hallucinogens and Antipsychotics

Quaternary group [ edit ]

Light-pink: Center overlap of all four sections (Stimulants, Depressants, Hallucinogens and Antipsychotics) - Cannabis, containing both THC and CBD exhibits a mix of all sections, leaning towards the hallucinogen section due to THC being the primary constituent.

Languages [ edit ]