psychoactive

[ sahy-koh-ak-tiv ]

adjective

1. of or relating to a substance having a profound or significant effect on mental processes:

   a psychoactive drug.

psychoactive

/ ˌsaɪkəʊˈæktɪv /

adjective

1. capable of affecting mental activity

   a psychoactive drug

Word History and Origins

Origin of psychoactive¹

First recorded in 1960–65; psycho- + active

Example Sentences

Research ultimately showed that most of those who got sick had used products containing THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana, which is not used in nicotine e-cigarettes like Juul — but the entire category took a hit.

From Washington Post

You don’t get any psychoactive effects, but all the mellowness of CBD in one go.

From The Daily Beast

CBD is a non-psychoactive compound found in many cannabis strains.

From The Daily Beast

Nieto, who began smoking pot in Boston as a college student, is preparing farmers to swap traditional THC plants for industrial ones — the type that produce non-psychoactive yet profitable components like CBD and hemp fiber.

From Ozy

His research focuses on the “behavioral and neuropharmacological effects of psychoactive drugs in humans.”

From Nautilus

Ayahuasca/yagé is a psychoactive brew made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine.

From The Daily Beast

But while the psychoactive effects are similar, Spice can be anywhere from five to 10 times more potent.

From The Daily Beast

Most bath salts contain one of two psychoactive chemicals: MDPV (also known as 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone) or mephedrone.

From The Daily Beast

In the psychoactive hierarchy of kitchen work, a high-functioning junkie beats a one-time opium eater.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• hallucinatory
• kaleidoscopic
• multicolored