The Drugs Wheel was developed in 2012 in response to the growing number of new psychoactive substances that did not fit traditional drug classifications. The Wheel was designed in collaboration with biochemists, drugs workers, psychonauts and trip reporters, online forums, people using drugs, and drew from emerging medical research findings and neurotransmitter activity data.
By introducing categories of cannabinoids, empathogens and dissociatives all drugs could now – for the first time – be contained within a single model, meaning that harm reduction information could be given by drug class, without needing a degree in chemistry.
The Drugs Wheel is a non-commercial, volunteer-led project co-designed with UK Drugwatch, a network of organisations and individuals committed to improving early warning systems for drugs in the UK. The Drugs Wheel is led by Mark Adley, alongside Guy Jones (Reagent Tests UK and The Loop) and Michael Linnell, who provide expertise on emerging drugs and UK drug laws.
Thank you to the excellent tripsit.me and NEPTUNE resources, Creative Commons for enabling projects such as these to stay non-commercial, and users of Drugs Forum, Bluelight, and the dark web for sharing their experiences.