by Jermaine Galloway
January 2026
This is a question parents, educators, and law enforcement professionals hear often and one many people answer subconsciously without realizing it. There is a widespread belief that if a substance is legal, it must be safe. The word “legal” creates a false sense of security, especially when it comes to substances that are easily accessible, openly marketed, and not hidden in the shadows.
The truth is simple and important: "Legal does not mean safe". In fact, there are many legal substances that can be just as dangerous, and in some cases more dangerous, than illegal drugs. That same misconception applies to products labeled as “herbal” or “natural.” These terms are often mistaken for harmless, when in reality they can carry serious risks.
When we talk about legal drugs, we are often referring to substances that are not regulated, not classified as controlled substances, and not banned. Because they are legal to sell, they are widely available and often overlooked. This lack of oversight creates significant challenges for prevention, education, and response. These substances can contribute to addiction, interact dangerously with prescription or illegal drugs, and complicate treatment in emergency rooms and clinics. Schools and community prevention programs also struggle to address them because they don’t fit into traditional drug education models.
One of the biggest issues is visibility. Legal substances rarely make headlines. When a drug isn’t receiving media attention, it isn’t on the radar of parents, educators, or even professionals. When it’s not on the radar, there are no warnings, no bulletins, and no urgent conversations. And if we aren’t talking about it, we usually aren’t testing for it either. This creates a continuous loop where the problem grows quietly while awareness lags far behind.
Breaking that cycle requires attention to street-level drug trends. Every substance starts as a trend long before data catches up. Waiting for official statistics often means we are already years behind what youth and communities are experiencing in real time. For parents, this means listening closely to what kids are talking about. For educators, it means paying attention to changes in language, behavior, and curiosity. For law enforcement and prevention professionals, it means staying connected to what is actually being used, not just what appears in reports.
One often-overlooked indicator is marketing. Convenience stores and smoke shops provide clear clues about what is popular and selling. Products don’t earn prominent display space unless they are moving. When legal substances are openly advertised or placed front and center, that is a signal worth paying attention to. Those displays often leave “crumbs” of information that, if followed, can reveal emerging drug trends before they become widespread problems.
Because legal substances are not tested for, not well regulated, and often lack clear ingredient information, their risks can be amplified. Users may not know what they are taking, how potent it is, or how it might interact with other substances. Medical professionals may struggle to identify what is causing symptoms in an emergency. All of this increases the danger, even though the product itself is legal to purchase.
This is why education and prevention must evolve. Parents, educators, and law enforcement need to reinforce a consistent message: Legal or herbal does not mean safe. Communities must invest time in identifying emerging substances, training professionals to recognize them, and teaching young people critical thinking skills around drug use and marketing.
Awareness is the first step toward prevention. If you are looking for deeper information on specific legal or herbal substances, many are explored in detail through the Tall Cop Says Stop podcasts and newsletters, where current trends and real-world examples are regularly discussed.