There is a long list of benzodiazepine drugs out there, but all of them have the potential for negative effects when using too long at a time. When determining a benzodiazepine’s strength, there are two aspects to consider: the drug’s potency and its half-life. A half-life measures how long a drug takes to break down and exit the body. Low-potency benzos with a long half-life are weaker than high-potency benzos with a short half-life.