A Schematic Overview of Addiction: Molecular Effects of Cocaine, Methamphetamine and Morphine on Limbic Neurons

Illegal drug consumption is a serious growing global problem today. Most of these psychoactive drugs do not only give extreme harms to the health of people, but also creates huge criminal problems which ruin many families and lives as well as inducing other social catastrophes. Illegalizing drugs and policing on drug users did not work during the last century. United Nations and other agencies are seeking for alternative solutions to combat against the global drug problem, such as legalizing and thus controlling the drug usage moderately. According to UNODOC-2018 Report, between 2012 and 2016, 151 million of people used cannabis; 146 million of people consumed cocaine; 275 million of people used opioids and opiates; 131 million of people consumed amphetamines [1]. Between 2006 and 2017, Opioid usage dropped significantly, while the consumption of other synthetic drugs, cannabis and stimulants increased immensely. The global drug trade is never ceasing, and it seems that it will never come to an end. Policing methods are creating more criminal, legal and social problems. We are mentioning about an annual global market of 500 billion to 900 billion dollars at least. Drug cartels are easily buying many corrupted government officials and law enforcement agencies. Under these circumstances enforcement and policing the social systems are only serving the drug Lords and cartels.