How does your cat respond to catnip?

I have found the response seems to vary quite a bit. I have 3 cats at the moment, two that are super sweet: one gets sweeter on catnip, while the other just gets nasty and turns into a biter (he gets the same way when he gets a certain pain med from the vet; they said both trigger the same part of the brain). Needless to say, he is banned from that pain med and catnip. My third cat is on Prozac for aggression, and he gets even more aggressive when exposed to catnip. I have two cats who have passed on, one who also became sweeter when exposed to catnip and one who had no reaction whatsoever.
What have been your experiences?

Mine becomes very, very hyper when exposed to catnip. He'll sniff it, rub himself on whatever object it's hidden in, and then will suddenly start zooming around the house as though he'd been locked in a cage for hours. He becomes really playful. Which is the exact opposite of his normal personality (he's usually calm).

I just read this in the vet's newsletter and thought it was curious....

Catnip is a member of the mint family, which has about 250 species. The essential oil in catnip, nepetalactone, has a powerful effect on cats that are sensitive to it, turning some of even the most sedentary couch potatoes into a flipped-out ball of ecstasy. The most intense catnip experience is an olfactory one—your cat smells the herb and promptly goes nuts. Researchers aren't sure what the neurological explanation is, but it's thought that catnip mimics feline "happy" pheromones and stimulates the receptors in the brain that respond to those pheromones. When eaten, however, catnip seems to have the opposite effect: the cat may become very mellow.

Most cats react to catnip by rolling, flipping, rubbing, and eventually zoning out. They may meow or growl at the same time. Other cats become hyperactive, running around like their tails are on fire, and some get downright aggressive, especially if you approach them. They must protect their space and their toys! Usually these sessions last about 10 minutes, after which your cat loses interest. It may take as long as two hours for him to "reset" and become susceptible to catnip again.

Not all cats fall for catnip. It's an inherited sensitivity, and if your cat didn't get that gene, he simply won't care about catnip. An estimated 50 percent of cats don't respond. The trait doesn't emerge until a cat is between three and six months old; until then, a kitten will not have a response.

Of the four I have now one does not react, two kind of roll around on it and get a little more playful. The fourth becomes Crazy Cat zooming around the house. With most of the cats I've had over the years most acted like the two I have now who get a bit more playful. Though we used to have a female cat who got completely, totally mellow on catnip. She reminded me of the old Cheech and Chong routines. We ever called her Stoner Kitty when she got catnip.

Thankfullyve never had any get aggressive on catnip.

For my guy it depends on the brand. The cheapest I get is from the bulk bins at the grocery, that one makes him playful, the most expensive one comes in a plastic bowl and excites him and he races around like a maniac tends to jump on my legs if I walk around immediately after he has it. The mid range priced one has the least noticeable effect, he just sticks his nose in it and purrs. With all of them he paws it, rolls in it and he will eat after a bit. I use it like medicine to stimulate his appetite since he doesn't eat much and if I don't watch him he looses weight.

I've been wondering if it has different varieties like weed or if it is the processing that causes these different effects? In any case he perks up when I ask if he wants some catnip.

Mine becomes possessive, hyper and mildly aggressive. I cant put a hand near him or its source. That would be v foolish! He does the rolling and biting (if its a stuffed toy) or he will eat it if I use the actual stuff (Gawd help me if the police search the house -I have a plastic food storage bag with the dodgy looking stuff hidden in a drawer lol) It doesnt last long, he walks away in less than 5 min and goes back to being his sweetheart self.

Compulsive behaviour?

Lol, They love it. >.>;; I have to watch it though, when they notice the catnip bag in my hand, they are much like geese flocking you because you have a loaf of bread in your arms. ( lmao! In my case I drop it and make a mad dash out of the center of the geese' attention.)
The kitties love to rub their whiskers all over the bag while i'm trying to get some out for them. I have to keep the bag in a closet with the door shut, because Abby has been known to steal my roomates catnip for her cat a long time ago lol! (and we never did find that bag).

my cat starts grooming herself and rolling around and licking her toys haha but then sometimes she gets crazy and runs around and jumps all over the place

My cat is honestly not interested in it! When he is, he gets slightly chilled out, but I don't know if it is because he is still young that he doesn't have a thing for it yet.

We had a cat named Harold that would purr and scratch and purr and roll around. Then his eyes would get all dilated and he would start drooling all over himself.

Drugs are bad.

I even wrote one of my Harold the Cat stories about him on Nip:
Harold the Cat and the … uh … Catnip … wait, what? | Webgoji's Ramblings

I put catnip on our front lawn a few times, cats that were near it became very playful, and seemed to enjoy it. Our cat the Bear we called him, got his nose all bent out of shape not literally but he was always so ignorant of people, but the catnip made him playful and not afraid to show" his emotions in so many words.