Sangamon's Principle

Sangamon's Principle is a principle put forward in Neal Stephenson's novel Zodiac by the character Sangamon Taylor, an environmental activist, which states that simple molecules make better recreational drugs than complex ones, because you never know what side effects more complicated compounds will have.

Stephenson's other characters may not observe the same principles. In particular, the Baroque Cycle's Robert Hooke uses cannabis.

The following is a rough list of drugs, ordered according to Sangamon's Principle:

Sangamon's Principle is often quoted by nitrous oxide (N2O) users to justify its use over other drugs.