{"id":4854,"date":"2026-04-23T12:01:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T10:01:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/ranking-of-drugs-from-least-to-most-dangerous\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T12:01:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T10:01:28","slug":"ranking-of-drugs-from-least-to-most-dangerous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/ranking-of-drugs-from-least-to-most-dangerous\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranking of drugs from least to most dangerous"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pl-4854\"  class=\"panel-layout\" ><div id=\"pg-4854-0\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-4854-0-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-4854-0-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"0\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<h5>There are a large number of substances that cause addiction, some legal and others not. When ranked by their potential to create addiction and health risks, these would be the main ones from least to most dangerous:<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-4854-1\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-4854-1-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-4854-1-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_kadence_simple_image kadence_simple_image panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"1\" ><div class=\"kad_img_upload_widget  kt-shape-type-kt-image-shape-standard kt-image-align-center kt-image-widget-widget-1-0-0\"><div class=\"kt-image-contain kt-image-shadow-none kt-image-shape-standard\"><div class=\"kt-image-inner-contain\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"612\" src=\"https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/termometro.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Ranking de sustancias estupefacientes de menor a mayor peligrosidad\" srcset=\"https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/termometro.jpg 354w, https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/termometro-174x300.jpg 174w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-4854-1-1\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-4854-1-1-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"2\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<div class=\"kad-spacer clearfix\" style=\"height:20px\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>Cannabis.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>Tobacco (nicotine).<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>Alcohol.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>Cocaine.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>Amphetamines and benzodiazepines.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>Designer drugs such as: <strong>methamphetamines, ecstasy, ketamine<\/strong>, etc.<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>Opiates:<\/strong> heroin, fentanyl.<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-4854-2\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-4854-2-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-4854-2-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"3\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<h3>Cannabis vs Tobacco<\/h3>\n\n<h5><strong>Without a doubt, our beloved plant is perhaps the substance that poses the least health risks compared to the rest<\/strong>. Comparing cannabis (marijuana) and tobacco involves analyzing different health risks, levels of addiction, and effects on the body.<\/h5>\n\n<h5>Although both are smoked and share harmful components in their smoke, there are key differences in their mechanisms of action and long-term effects.<\/h5>\n\n<h5>Below are the main comparisons based on the most recent studies on addiction and dependence:<\/h5>\n\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>Tobacco:<\/strong> It is <strong>highly addictive<\/strong> due to nicotine. Approximately <strong>30% of users develop dependence<\/strong>.<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>Cannabis:<\/strong> It has a <strong>lower addictive potential, estimated at around 9% of users<\/strong>, although the risk increases in daily or long-term users. However, \"cannabis use disorder\" is real and can cause withdrawal syndromes similar in intensity to those of tobacco (anxiety, insomnia, irritability).<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3>Alcohol<\/h3>\n\n<h5>Continuing with our ranking and based on scientific and public health studies, <strong>alcohol addiction is generally considered worse than cannabis addiction in terms of toxicity, physical danger, withdrawal syndrome, and mortality<\/strong>.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-4854-3\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-4854-3-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-4854-3-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_kadence_simple_image kadence_simple_image panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"4\" ><div class=\"kad_img_upload_widget  kt-shape-type-kt-image-shape-standard kt-image-align-center kt-image-widget-widget-3-0-0\"><div class=\"kt-image-contain kt-image-shadow-small kt-image-shape-standard\"><div class=\"kt-image-inner-contain\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tabaco.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tabaco.jpg 800w, https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tabaco-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tabaco-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tabaco-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence_image_widget_caption\">Tobacco is more addictive and harmful to health than cannabis. <br \/>\nPhoto of <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/es\/@pawel_czerwinski?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Pawel Czerwinski<\/a> en <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/es\/fotos\/colillas-de-cigarrillos-naranjas-sobre-superficie-negra-7USMFYqt1NI?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Unsplash<\/a>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-4854-3-1\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-4854-3-1-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_kadence_simple_image kadence_simple_image panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"5\" ><div class=\"kad_img_upload_widget  kt-shape-type-kt-image-shape-standard kt-image-align-center kt-image-widget-widget-3-1-0\"><div class=\"kt-image-contain kt-image-shadow-small kt-image-shape-standard\"><div class=\"kt-image-inner-contain\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/alcohol.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Ranking de drogas de menor a mayor peligrosidad\" srcset=\"https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/alcohol.jpg 800w, https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/alcohol-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/alcohol-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/alcohol-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kadence_image_widget_caption\">Alcohol is the most harmful legal drug to health. <br \/>\nPhoto of <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/es\/@paolobendandi?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Paolo Bendandi<\/a> en <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/es\/fotos\/surtido-de-licores-vinos-y-whisky-en-exhibicion-2kLHSCnMQZ8?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Unsplash<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-4854-4\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-4854-4-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-4854-4-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"6\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<h3>Cocaine vs. amphetamines and benzodiazepines<\/h3>\n\n<h5>Determining which substance is \"worse\" depends on the criteria used for comparison (addiction, acute toxicity, long-term effects). Both <strong>amphetamines and benzodiazepines carry significant risks that, in certain aspects, may be more severe than those of cocaine<\/strong>.<\/h5>\n\n<h5>There is no single answer as to which is \"worse,\" since each presents different dangers:<\/h5>\n\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>Amphetamines<\/strong> are extremely dangerous due to their potency, duration, and severe long-term cardiovascular and brain effects.<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>Benzodiazepines<\/strong> are particularly dangerous due to the high risk of fatal overdose, especially when combined with other depressant substances, as well as their addictive potential and difficult withdrawal process.<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>Cocaine<\/strong> is also a very dangerous and addictive drug, <strong>but methamphetamine, for example, is considered more dangerous by some experts<\/strong>.<\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3>Opioids<\/h3>\n\n<h5>And so we arrive at what is considered the most dangerous substance in the ranking: opioids, whose most classic representative is heroin.<\/h5>\n\n<h5>Heroin use represents one of the greatest global public health challenges, generating devastating physical, mental, and social effects.<\/h5>\n\n<h5>As a highly addictive opioid, its impact ranges from fatal overdose to the spread of infectious diseases (AIDS, hepatitis, etc.) and social degradation.<\/h5>\n\n<h5>However, alongside another opioid\u2014morphine\u2014used in medicine, <strong>fentanyl<\/strong> has emerged with unstoppable force: <strong>a powerful synthetic opioid designed in laboratories<\/strong>, primarily used in medicine as a fast-acting painkiller for severe pain, especially after surgery or for patients with advanced cancer. Its main characteristic is extreme potency: it is approximately <strong>100 times stronger than morphine<\/strong> and <strong>50 times more potent than heroin<\/strong>.<\/h5>\n\n<h5>To more clearly demonstrate the danger to public health posed by all these substances, with their high mortality rates among users, we can refer to one of the most recent statistical studies conducted in the United States in 2025 by the <a href=\"https:\/\/nida.nih.gov\/about-nida\/legislative-activities\/budget-information\/fiscal-year-2025-budget-information-congressional-justification-national-institute-drug-abuse\/ic-fact-sheet-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><strong>NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse)<\/strong><\/a>, where the chart we present shows how the number of deaths among users has grown exponentially in recent years, especially following the emergence of fentanyl.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-4854-5\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-4854-5-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-4854-5-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_kadence_simple_image kadence_simple_image panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"7\" ><div class=\"kad_img_upload_widget  kt-shape-type-kt-image-shape-standard kt-image-align-center kt-image-widget-widget-5-0-0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2025_overdose_deaths.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox\"><div class=\"kt-image-contain kt-image-shadow-small kt-image-shape-standard\"><div class=\"kt-image-inner-contain\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"623\" src=\"https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2025_overdose_deaths.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"NIDA\" srcset=\"https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2025_overdose_deaths.jpg 800w, https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2025_overdose_deaths-300x234.jpg 300w, https:\/\/marisana.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2025_overdose_deaths-768x598.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/a><div class=\"kadence_image_widget_caption\">Source: The National Institute on Drugs and Addiction (NIDA) 2025<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pg-4854-6\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-4854-6-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-4854-6-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"8\" ><div\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tclass=\"so-widget-sow-editor so-widget-sow-editor-base\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n<div class=\"siteorigin-widget-tinymce textwidget\">\n\t<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n<h5>In conclusion, who would have thought that, within this ranking of substances, <strong>cannabis turns out to be the least harmful of them all<\/strong>, based on medical and scientific studies conducted by numerous experts.<\/h5>\n\n<h5>Without denying that all forms of abuse are counterproductive, it is important to remember that responsible use is key to fully enjoying both the recreational and medicinal properties\u2014<em>\u201cmens sana in corpore sano\u201d<\/em>\u2014that our beloved plant offers.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are a large number of substances that cause addiction, some legal and others not. When ranked by their potential to create addiction and health risks, these would be the main ones from least to most dangerous: Cannabis. Tobacco (nicotine). &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/ranking-of-drugs-from-least-to-most-dangerous\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4853,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"kt_blocks_editor_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4854"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4858,"href":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4854\/revisions\/4858"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marisana.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}