In what category do psychoactive drugs fall?

Psychoactive drugs are substances that affect the brain's functioning, leading to alterations in mood, perception, consciousness, or behavior. These drugs can be categorized in various ways, but they are most commonly associated with recreational use. Recreational drugs are consumed primarily for the alterations they induce, often for enjoyment or leisure rather than for medical purposes.

Examples of such psychoactive substances include marijuana, cocaine, and MDMA, which are often taken to experience euphoria, relaxation, or heightened sensory experiences. While some psychoactive drugs can also be therapeutic or medicinal in nature, the primary classification as recreational emphasizes their use outside of formal medical treatment or prescription contexts.

In contrast, prescription drugs are substances specifically prescribed by healthcare professionals for medical conditions, and illicit drugs are those that are illegal or prohibited by law. Therapeutic drugs, while also overlapping with psychoactive substances, generally refer to drugs used to treat specific health issues rather than for their psychoactive effects in a recreational context. Thus, referring to psychoactive drugs as recreational is the most accurate categorization in this context.