Cannabis drugs (marijuana and hashish) are usually considered as soft drugs. The users of these substances are rarely associated with crimes, deaths and violence. Moreover, researches indicate that cannabis doesn't cause physical addiction but only psychological one. The evidence clearly indicates that unlike hard drugs people can use cannabis or leave it and come-and-go if they want.
Some studies show that there are similarities between effects on brain produced by cannabis and heroin but it's not right to think that cannabis and hard drugs are equivalent. There is also an opinion that the use of marijuana and hashish makes people more vulnerable to use of hard drugs. But this opinion has no well-reasoned ground. However, many teenagers start using drugs from marijuana and instead of quitting they can switch on hard drugs.
The opiates (such as heroin and morphine), cocaine (usually its form is called crack), and the amphetamines are often referred to as hard drugs. It's well-known that these drugs cause severe addiction and lead to many serious health problems. Not only hard drugs are extremely addictive but addicts often turn to crimes such as theft, robbery, burglary or prostitution as they need to pay for a drug they use.
Alcohol and nicotine should also be placed among hard drugs though they are legally sold substances. Alcohol and nicotine cause severe dependence and there are high mortality rates among their users. However, in most people's understanding hard drugs are illegal drugs that give to the society evident problematic addicts.
Some people take hallucinogens as hard drugs but in fact most drugs of this group do not cause addiction so they occupy middle position between hard and soft drugs. Hallucinogens are thought to cause so called ?intellectual? dependence. The matter is that the effect of these drugs is absolutely unpredictable and depends on a user's background, thoughts, ideas, feelings and perception of the world around him/her.
People keep using hallucinogens as they want to broaden their inner world and get some new ideas through their trips. However, some drugs have appeared recently that are not examined carefully yet so more research is needed to define their addictive potential and actual harms.
Different countries promulgate different laws regarding drugs use, storage and selling. For example, cannabis is mostly an illegal drug but in some countries its users and dealers are not prosecuted. Many drugs are also permitted to be prescribed as medication for some illnesses.
Talking about hard and soft drugs it still must be remembered that physiology and mental condition of a user are the first factors to determine actual effects of a drug. The method of consumption and doses also influence the harms the drug may cause to a person.
It's a well-known fact that use of any drug may be harmful. Illegal drugs are dangerous for anyone but they are particularly bad for kids and teenagers whose body is still growing. This is the reason of many people thinking that there shouldn't be any distinction between soft and hard drugs.