Designer psychoactive chemicals are drugs that have been intentionally altered to evade anti-drug laws. Chemists who design these drugs typically hold high educational degrees and are extremely intelligent. They work hard to manufacture and invent these chemicals that are only slightly different in formula from other controlled substances, like narcotics. After making these chemicals, the chemists sell them to dealers and users. Legally, it used to be practically impossible to arrest sellers of designer drugs because these substances did not fit the definition of an abusable drug. Now, however, there are new laws in place that give law enforcement agencies the right to curtail the sale of designer drugs.

Examples of designer drugs:

1. Mephedrone ("bath salts")
2. α-methylfentanyl ("China White") - similar effects to fentanyl
3. Ecstasy (a hallucinogen, also known as MDMA)
4. Phencyclidine (also known as PCP)
5. Lysergic acid diethylamide (or LSD)
6. Synthetic cannabinoids ("Black Magic" and "K2")
7. Bromo Dragonfly
8. O-Desmethyltramadol

Withdrawal from designer drugs can be like that of hallucinogens, which physically cause nausea and vomiting. A psychological effect of designer drugs is feeling a great deal of euphoria or panic. In "bad trips" the user can possibly feel extreme fear, aggressive behavior, paranoia, and extreme depression.