system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5:What effect does catnip have on a cat and which drug(s) would a human have to take to experience the same reaction?
gpt
Catnip operates through smell. Unlike insufflated drugs for human recreation (which still need to enter the bloodstream) the smell of nepetelactone (a chemical in catnip) triggers a psychoactive response simply from perception. The effects vary between kitties, from drowsiness to paranoia and aggression. Many cats are not susceptible, sensitivity is hereditary. The exact mechanism of action remains unknown.