I'm all for more precise terminology, and yes "real" would not be that terminology. As far as distinguishing mechanisms, for any drug that doesn't have a perce

I'm all for more precise terminology, and yes "real" would not be that terminology. As far as distinguishing mechanisms, for any drug that doesn't have a perceptible side effect (drowsiness, euphoria, numbness, etc), it seems the only assumption required is that the effect is due to some chemical property. That doesn't require much understanding to make a meaningful distinction.