List of Street Names for Drugs – People who sell or use or illicit substances can get very imaginative when coming up with street names for drugs, and these are continuously evolving. Reasons for this may include evading the law or promoting secrecy during verbal and written communication.
Constant changes in drug slang terms serve to help dealers and users avoid detection by others. Note that some terms may appear to be utterly unrelated to the substances in any way, making them harder to recognize.
Nevertheless, many slang terms are inspired by the following:
- The color, shape, or drug consistency
- The effects the drug induces
- Abbreviated or expanded forms of the name
- People who commonly use the drug
Common Street Names for Drugs
If you suspect someone you know is abusing drugs, listen for repeated use of the following slang terms:
Cocaine
Cocaine is a stimulant that presents as a white power and induces feelings of energy and euphoria in the user. Street names include the following:
- Blow
- Bump
- C
- Charlie
- Coke
- Snow
- Toot
- Coca
- Soda Cot
Crack
Crack cocaine is a less pure version of cocaine that is usually smoked to produce an intense, immediate, but brief high. It shares some street names with the powder form and is also referred to as Candy, Flake, and Rock.
Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)
DMT is a potent hallucinogen derived from ayahuasca plants in South America. It is also sometimes called Dimitri or Businessman’s Trip.
Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB)
GHB is a medication sometimes used to treat narcolepsy, but may be abused for its ability to induce euphoria or as a date rape drug.
Slang for GHB includes the following:
- G
- Gamma
- Georgia Home Boy
- Goop
- Grievous Bodily Harm
- Liquid Ecstasy
- Liquid X
- Soap
- Scoop
Heroin
Heroin is a modified form of morphine that can be consumed in several ways, such as by smoking or injection. Heroin is infamous for inducing an intense and addictive high that leads to profound sedation.
Common street names include the following:
- Black tar
- Brown Sugar
- Cheese (with PCP)
- China White
- Chiva
- Dope
- H
- Hell Dust
- Horse
- Junk
- Negra
- Skag
- Skunk
- Smack
- Snow
- Tar
- Thunder
- White Horse
Inhalants are a group of substances that comprises a variety of solvents, glues, and other gaseous products often found around the home. When abused, the user inhales the fumes of these substances, which results in a brief high.
Inhalants
Depending on the type of inhalant, they may be referred to as the following:
- Bullets
- Dusters
- Gluey
- Huff
- Laughing Gas
- Poppers
- Rush
- Snappers
- Whippets
Ketamine
Ketamine is a dissociative drug primarily used by veterinarians. Abuse can result in feelings of detachment from reality.
It is often referred to on the street as the following:
- Cat Tranquilizer
- Cat Valium
- Jet K
- K
- Kit Kat
- Kitty Flip
- Purple
- Special K
- Vitamin K
Khat
Khat is a plant cultivated in Africa and the Middle East. It can be chewed to induce euphoria and increased energy.
It is commonly referred to by any of the following:
- Abyssinian Tea
- African Salad
- Catha
- Chat
- Cat
- Oat
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD)
LSD is a hallucinogenic chemical substance that distorts a person’s sense of reality and perceptions.
Street names include the following:
- Acid
- Blotter
- Blue Heaven
- Cubes
- Dots
- Mellow Yellow
- Microdot
- Window Pane
- Yellow Sunshine
Marijuana (Cannabis)
Marijuana is a psychoactive substance with the active ingredient THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). It is the most commonly used illicit drug in the U.S., although in many states medical or recreational use has been legalized.
Marijuana goes by many street names, such as the following:
- Aunt Mary
- Blunt
- Bud
- Chronic
- Cloud
- Dank
- Dope
- Ganja
- Grass
- Green
- Herb
- Hydro
- Indo
- Kif
- Mary Jane
- Pot
- Purp
- Reefer
- Sense
- Sinsemilla
- Skunk
- Smoke
- Tree
- Weed
Hashish
Hashish is a concentrated form of THC derived from the same cannabis plants as marijuana. However, it is available only as an oily substance or a hard resin. It is frequently referred to as Boom, Dabs, Gangster, Hash, and Hemp.
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)
MDMA is a stimulating substance with hallucinogenic properties. This drug induces feelings of increased energy and enhanced sensory perception. It is most commonly referred to as Ecstasy or Molly, but may also be referred to as the following:
- Adam
- Beans
- Clarity
- Disco Biscuit
- E
- Eve
- Lover’s Speed
- Peace
- STP
- X
- XTC
- Uppers
Mescaline
Mescaline is a mild hallucinogen found in certain kinds of cacti, namely Peyote. It is reported to elevate mood and also induce perceptual disturbances. Slang names include Buttons, Cactus, and Mesc.
Methamphetamine (Meth)
Meth is a powerful stimulant that increases energy and activity levels while decreasing the person’s need for sleep.
Slang names for meth include the following:
- Batu
- Bikers’ Coffee
- Black Beauties
- Chalk
- Chicken Feed
- Crank
- Crystal
- Fire
- Glass
- Go Fast
- Ice
- Meth
- Methlies Quick
- Shards
- Speed
- Stove Top
- Tina
- Trash
- Tweak
- Whiz
- Yellow barn
Dextromethorphan (DXM)
DXM can be found in some over-the-counter cough and cold remedies. When used in excessive amounts, this substance can induce hallucinations and sometimes paranoia.
Street names include the following:
- CCC
- Dex
- Gellie
- Poor man’s PCP
- Robotrippin’
- Robo
- Skittles
- Triple C
- Velvet
Phencyclidine (PCP)
PCP was previously used for general anesthesia but has long since fallen out of favor. It can produce a sense of profound dissociation and even psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions.
Users may refer to PCP as the following:
- Angel Dust
- Bionic
- Boat
- Dippa
- Hog
- Love Boat
- Peace Pill
- Sherm
- Zombie Weed (w/ marijuana)
Psilocybin
When consumed, psilocybin mushrooms can cause hallucinations and an altered sense of time and reality. They are often referred to as Little Smoke, Magic Mushrooms, Purple Passion, and Shrooms.
Salvia
Salvia divinorum is a naturally-occurring herb native to Mexico that when used, can induce feelings of separation from one’s body. Common street names for Salvia include Magic Mint, Maria Pastora, Sally-D, Shepherdess’s Herb, and Diviner’s Sage.
Synthetic Cannabinoids
Synthetic Cannabinoids are a combination of herbs adultered with chemicals that produce a feeling of being high, similar to marijuana. They are widely considered to be more dangerous to use than marijuana, however, and may induce psychosis in extreme cases.
They may be referred to on the street as the following:
- K2
- Spice
- Black Mamba
- Bliss
- Bombay Blue
- Fake Weed
- Fire
- Genie
- Moon Rocks
- Smacked
- Yucatan
- Zohai
Synthetic Cathinones
Synthetic Cathinones are human-made chemicals related to natural substances found in khat. They can induce a sense of euphoria as well as dangerous and bizarre behaviors. They are most often referred to as “Bath Salts” but are also recognized by their brand names, such as the following:
- Bloom
- Cloud Nine
- Cosmic Blast
- Flakka
- Ivory Wave
- Lunar Wave
- Scarface
- Vanilla Sky
- White Lightning
Prescription Opioids
Prescription opioids or “painkillers” is a group of medications that positively alters a person’s perception of pain and can induce sedation and euphoria. The main difference is that potencies, specific effects, and duration of effects can vary somewhat.
Codeine
Codeine is often referred to as Captain Cody, Cody, or Schoolboy. When mixed with soda, it is called Lean, Sizzurp, or Purple Drank.
Fentanyl
- Apache
- China Girl
- China White
- Dance Fever
- Fent
- Friend
- Goodfella
- Jackpot
- Murder 8
- Opes
- Tango and Cash
- TNT
Hydrocodone (e.g., Norco, Vicodin)
- Hydro
- Narco
- Vickies
- Vikes
- Uncle Vic
- Watson-387
Hydromorphone (e.g., Dilaudid)
- D
- Dillies
- Dust
- Footballs
- Juice
- Smack
Methadone
Methadone is sometimes called Amidone, Fizzies, and Wafers.
Morphine
- Dreamer
- Emsel
- First Fine
- God’s Drug
- Hows
- M
- M.S.
- Miss Emma
- Mister Blue
- Monkey
- Morf
- Morpho
- Mothra
- Unkie
- White Stuff
Oxycodone (e.g., Oxycontin, Percocet)
- 512
- Hillbilly Heroin
- Kicker
- O.C.
- Oxycet
- Oxycotton
- Oxy
- Percs
- Roxy
Prescription Sedatives
This group of substances reduce activity in the central nervous system and produce sedation and relieve anxiety.
Barbiturates
Barbiturates include drugs such as phenobarbital and pentobarbital. They may be referred to as any of the following:
- Barbs
- Block Busters
- Christmas Trees
- Goof Balls
- Phennies
- Pinks
- Red Birds
- Red Devils
- Reds and Blues
- Tooies
- Yellow Jackets
- Yellows
Benzodiazepines (Benzos)
Benzodiazepines are anti-anxiety medications that include Xanax, Valium, Ativan, and Klonopin. Street names include the following:
- Benzos
- Blue V
- Candy
- Downers
- Sleeping Pills
- Tranks
- Roofies
- Roofinol
- Rope
Hypnotics
Hypnotics include prescription sleep aids such as Ambien and Lunesta. They may be referred to as Forget-me Pill, Mexican Valium, R2, or Roche.
Prescription Stimulants
Prescription stimulants are commonly used to treat conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.
Amphetamines
Amphetamines include prescription drugs such as Adderall. They may be referred to as:
- Bennies
- Black Beauties
- Crosses
- Addy
- Hearts
- LA Turnaround
- Speed
- Truck Drivers
- Uppers
Methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin)
- JIF
- MPH
- R-ball
- Skippy
- The Smart Drug
- Vitamin R
Getting Help for Drug Addiction
If you know or suspect someone you love is abusing drugs, you should seek help from a qualified treatment center before the problem becomes more dire or life-threatening.
Harmony Treatment and Wellness offers comprehensive programs for the treatment of drug abuse and addiction. Our services include psychotherapy, counseling, group support, and much more.
Contact us today if you or someone you know is ready to break free from the cycle of addiction for life!
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